Poás Volcano National Park, Active volcano national park in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica
Poás Volcano National Park is an IUCN category II national park in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica. The active crater holds a turquoise acid lake surrounded by fumaroles that constantly release steam into the air.
The government declared the area a national park in 1970 to protect the volcano and surrounding vegetation. A decree in 1994 expanded the protected zone to more than six thousand hectares.
The surrounding communities of Poasito, Fraijanes, Varablanca, and San Pedro de Poás maintain traditional agricultural practices and local food preparations.
Access to the crater viewing platform is time-limited and visitors must purchase entry tickets online in advance. Weather changes quickly at this elevation and warm clothing is necessary even on sunny days.
The lagoon shifts color from bright turquoise to greenish gray depending on volcanic activity and mineral concentrations in the water. Occasionally the volcano ejects plumes of steam that rise several hundred feet into the air.
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