POAS VOLCANO • VOLCAN POAS

POAS VOLCANO • “VOLCAN POAS” National Park (Province of Alajuela) Located up in a Cloud Forest, Poas is one of the world's largest active geysers with an crater that’s over 1.5 km. wide & one of the few active ones that you can look INTO!!! (don’t worry - it’s completely safe with it’s boiling mudpots & steam vents for viewing). Check out the LIVE WEBCAM (donated by the U.S. government) at:
http://LivingLifeInCostaRica.blogspot.com/2013/12/WebcamsCRVolcanos.html The EARLIER YOU GET THERE THE BETTER as it’s a "Cloud Forest" so it’s a hit or miss if there’s a cloud covering it/you can see it (ESPECIALLY in Rainy Season - June-Dec.). In addition to the volcano, the Park is a 9,884-acre reserve with rich tropical vegetation, a museum & animal life. You can hike through nature trails & see typical plant life & exotic birds (including Quetzals & a variety of hummingbirds if you’re lucky). The hike concludes at a restful, emerald green, tropical lagoon. WARNING: It gets cold up there as it’s at 8,856 feet/2,700 meters so BRING A JACKET. Also, if it even remotely looks like it MAY rain - bring rain gear/umbrella (or another set of clothes/shoes if it’s raining). There is NO RESTAURANT IN the park so bring your lunch if you plan on being there with that bus all day.. HOURS: 8am-3:30pm (I’ve seen everything from 3-4pm for closing) ENTRANCE: $10 per person for foreigners (the driver pays that as well so the customer would be respsonsible for paying that) and 1,000-¢ for nationals. CONTACT: Park Rangers - 2-482-2424 • 2-482-2165 HINTS • INFO • SITES: http://costaricaexplorerguide.com/php/atracciones.php?idm=2&atract=11http://CentralAmerica.com/cr/parks/mopoas.htm http://TripAdvisor.com/ShowTopic-g309293-i1208-k749788-Day_trip_to_Volcan_Poas-San_Jose_San_Jose_Metro_Province_of_San_Jose.html#4518762 http://CostaRica.com/attractions/poas-volcano-national-park http://CantonPoas.com/volcan-poas/13-sobreelvolccan/127-como-llegar-al-volcan-poas http://insidecostarica.com/travel/costarica_volcanoes_central_valley_poas.htm http://gocentralamerica.about.com/od/costaricanationalparks/a/Poas-Volcano-National-Park-In-Costa-Rica.htm VIDEOS ON POAS:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Mx43SeCChOM
https://youtube.com/watch?v=14QXRnTM6RU GETTING THERE: To ME, the BEST way is to HIRE A DRIVER that KNOWS the area & do a tour that takes you to a GOOD typical Tico restaurant for Breakfast Poas (http://CentralAmerica.com/cr/parks/mopoas.htm PRICE:$10/entrance. HOURS: 8am-3:30pm) Doka Coffee Plantation (http://DokaEstate.com TOUR HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9am, 10 & 11am, 1:30, 2:30 & 3:30pm [Sat. & Sun. last one is 2:30pm]. PRICE: $20. Tico Lunch Buffet $9 [MEGA TASTY!!!]) & La Paz Waterfalls (http://WaterfallGardens.com HOURS: 8am-5pm [last visitor into the park should arrive BY 3:30pm to at least do the primary tours]. PRICE - Adults $38, Kids under 12-$20. With Buffet Lunch $12)! (I think these prices have gone up) CHEAPEST•BUS: MOST DIRECT FROM SAN JOSE TO VOLCANO POAS: There is only 1 bus each way each day there. SJ-Poas - I’ve seen 8am (most recently) and I’ve seen 8:30am. Poas-SJ - I’ve seen 2pm and I’ve seen 2:30pm. In San Jose - catch the TUASA BUS (2-222-5325-SJ • 2-442-6900-Alajuela) - Route 1241 SJ STATION: ON Avenida 2 between Calle 12 and Calle 14 - directly across from the Merced Church•opposite•North side of Park La Merced at 8am/8:30am (get there early as seats are not reserved). The bus stops in Alajuela around 8:40-9am to take on more passengers. This takes around 1-1/2-2-1/2 hours. GET THERE EARLY as the bus fills up fast PLUS I hear it sometimes leaves earlier than scheduled. POAS RETURN: It departs Poas to return to SJ at 2/2:30pm (I’ve seen both. Don’t EVEN think you can find a taxi back down as you will NOT find one) PRICE: $7.15-ISH round-trip (EVERYTHING is "ISH"!!). I also saw this one but don’t have anything more: A private bus leaves from Parque La Merced Sundays at 8am. The bus stops at Restaurant El Poas in the hamlet of Poasito and arrives at the park around 10am, returning to San Jose at 1:30 p.m. YIKES - WE MISSED OUR BUS - NOW WHAT?? If you miss this SJ-Poas bus, perhaps you can take one of the options below to the little village of San Pedro de Poas & catch a taxi there (though it may be a pirata/pirate taxi who will most likely charge you LOTS more than taking a legal red taxi with a meter/”Maria”). Taxi from San Jose to the main entrance of the park = AROUND $55-$65-ish (then wait time and return price would be around the same but it ALL depends on traffic) Taxi from San Pedro de Poas to the park = AROUND $25-$35-ish. If you do take a taxi to San Pedro de Poas you can either walk the 10 miles or hire a taxi & drop you off, or have him wait while you do your thing (I think THIS way is THE SMARTEST. I’d offer to pay them 1/2 the fare so he doesn’t run off on you. They may insist on you paying them the full fare you’ve accumulated so far [it’s only fair since you could bag out on him - but he could bag out on your as well so if it were ME, I’d get his phone # PLUS find the phone # for the taxi office & call them. Unlike most fares, there will most likely be a premium fee if a taxi dead-heads one way to get you that far out so don’t bitch about it as it’s LOTS cheaper than hiring a taxi. A waiting taxi USUALLY runs around $15-$20/hour-ish - but there - they DO have the monopoly) (make sure to have him wait or you’ll be screwed. OR if you have a cell & want to be able to call him or another, make sure you gave him a NICE TIP•incentive for him to come back) OR Take Route 200 SWA (Station Wagon Alajuela) or Tuasa bus to Alajuela from Avenida 2 between Calle 10 & 14 (on the East side of Hospital San Juan de Dios). I’m not clear where you get off (unless it’s the end of the line - just ask the driver or someone to help you if you don’t habla Español). Then take the Route 228 bus, the Route 254 bus, or the Route 254BS minibus to San Pedro de Poás & a taxi to the volcano - 2-442-6900. OR http://costarica.com/attractions/poas-volcano-national-park/ Take a bus to Grecia, then a Route 244 bus to San Pedro de Poas & a taxi to the volcano. Note the San Jose-Grecia bus is now ending further in town so you’ll HAVE to walk back to the main bus depot at the Centro Mercado to catch all other buses. OR If in Grecia, you take a San Francisco bus (that goes through San Isidro) - supposedly there is a trail at the end where you can hike about 2-1/2 hours to Poas Volcano (I have a guy that can lead you on the weekends but I need to find his info). If you do this PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take a cell phone with you and you might want to bring a MoviStar CHIP for it as ICE and Claro do not work well up there (I know first hand!!) . (from http://CostaRicaByBus.com) TOUR: http://RutaVerde.cr/daily_tours_costarica.php?tour=poas_volcano 8-839-3321 This approximate 5 hour tour includes a pick up at your hotel/properties listed here in Alajuela at: Alajuela Central Park = 7am Hampton Inn & Suites = 7:15am Martinos Luxury Hotel & Spa = 7:30am Orquideas Hotel = 7:40am Asclepios Wellness and Healing Retreat = 7:45am Xandari Hotel Resort & Spa = 8am Hotel Buena Vista = 8:15am shuttle ride to the main crater at Poas Volcano, hike ½ mile to ¨Botos Lagoon¨ - a crystal clear rain-fed lake surrounded by highland jungle and a unique dwarf cloud forest, views of coffee plantations along the way & more. NOTE: Wear long pants, comfortable shoes, a warm jacket and if it’s Rainy Season, a raincoat•poncho. DURATION OF TOUR: around 5 hours. PRICE: Poas only = $35 (includes round trip transportation, Tour Guide, Park Entrances Fee and Lunch DRIVING: From San Jose, take the Route 1 to the Juan Santamaria International Airport, at the intersection, turn right, take Route 124 to Alajuela. From there continue on Route 3 until you find the regional road No. 107 that leads to San Pedro de Poas. In this city continue on the regional road No. 146 to Poasito. From there follow Highway No. 120 to the Poas Volcano. Secondary Route: Take the National Highway No. 1 San Jose to Juan Santamaria International Airport. At the intersection, take a right regional highway 124 through the city of Alajuela to find the regional road 130, hence, drive to San Isidro de Alajuela and continue on Route 12 to tertiary Fraijanes: hence continue on Route 146 Poasito up in Poasito Route 120 takes you directly to the volcano. Alternative route: besides the above there is a path with amazing panoramic views. This is to take Route 3 San José-Heredia, head Barva, on Route No. 126 via Carrizal and finally Route No. 120 Vara Blanca-Poasito-Poas Volcano. .