Turrialba Volcano National Park, Active volcano national park in Cartago Province, Costa Rica.
Turrialba Volcano National Park covers 1,577 hectares at the eastern end of the Cordillera Volcánica Central. Its namesake volcano, Costa Rica's second highest at 3,340 meters, has three notable craters. The park protects tropical wet forest and very humid premontane forest, with oaks and encinos among the trees.
Turrialba Volcano National Park was created on 30 July 1955 by law 1719, covering 1,577 hectares at the eastern end of the Cordillera Volcánica Central. Its last major eruptions occurred in 1864 and 1868, with milder activity from 2001 and increased volcanism from 2014. Eruptions forced the park to close in 2012; it reopened on 4 December 2020 after shelters were built and the visitor centre renovated.
The name Turrialba is often traced to the Spanish Torre Blanca or Torre Alba, though others link it to an indigenous word Turru or Turu, or simply to the town of the same name nearby. Visitors still reach the park by Route 417, the historic main access road.
Access is mainly via Route 417, though a landowner dispute has led to an alternative route being signposted. A phone reservation is required in advance, and visits run only from 06:00 to 10:00 as part of a guided group. A two-kilometre perimeter closure around the crater remains in force.
The park's main access is Route 417, but since December 2020 a dispute has arisen: farm owners want to declare the road private, and the government has signposted an alternative route along the way. Visitors should watch for the detour signs before reaching the entrance.
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