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The geographical location of Costa Rica makes the country to be located inside the so-called belt of fire of the Pacific, that gathers most of the volcanos of the world. In our country 112 volcanos exist of which 10 have some activity like sulfataras, fumaroles and sporadic eruptions of vapor or lava in some of them. We also have one hundred thirty two craters of impressive characteristic, which is an impressive tourist resource. Our volcanos are covered in their majority of forests and great vegetation like for example the Poás volcano, Irazú, Arenal, etc. The presence of such a quantity of volcanos in our country is not the cause of the sismic movements but rather these are originated by the subduction of the badge Coco and Caribe Our country has an extensive sismologic network equipped with modern technology and with an excellent School of Geology.
The mountains of Costa Rica, within the orographic system of the Central American isthmus, are those that with more intensity capitalize the wide tourism that loves high earth, panoramas and the fresh climate of mountain ranges. 
Another country in the ístmico scope does not exist, that has as much drawn up and served route, towards mountains, are these those that offer the beautiful chlorophyllous alternatives of the forests of medium altitude, or those that blunt by above of the three thousand meters, and they are opened in an incredible series of summits covered with desert, and outlined in a glacial landscape of great geologic and scenic interest. The orographic system of the country has three powerful cordilleranas masses: the Mountain range of Talamanca with 320 kilometers in length, the Central Volcanic Mountain range with 76 kilometers and the Volcanic Mountain range of Guanacaste with 112 kilometers in length overall. In fact the mountain range mother is Talamanca, that it comes to be the prolongation towards the north of the Mountain range of the $andes, and in whose South end blunts like an arrogant challenge the highest summit of the country: the Hill Chirripó Grande with 3,819 meters of altitude. 
The other two mountain ranges are eminently volcanic, and all their formation reflects a quaternary vulcanism that still at the present time is active in the masses of the Corner of the Old one, Sandy ground, Poás, Irazú and Turrialba. These volcanos, some of which are national parks and represent one of the most powerful attractions for the tourists who visit the country, belong to the system of the Fire Belt of the Pacific, and statistically it has been proven which they are visited of all existing volcanos in the set of Central American earth. Among them the alternative most spectacular the one of Poás Volcano, point in which is born and dies all the structure of the national park of he himself name, and in which the best surrounding sample book of the beautiful forests of height is present that offers our country to the foreign visitor, anxious to be consumed in places that still conserve certain good dose of virginity. Science men from all over the world, famous experts in volcanos like Haround Tazzief, Richard Krushensky and the Japanese Murata, they have agreed and maybe one of those that maintain in more uniform form its eruptive activity.
The facility whereupon is arrived in automobile until the same edge of the crater of the Poás, is the same one that exists to reach the high summit of the Irazú to the north of the city of Cartago, the old capital of Costa Rica. This last volcano, famous by the incredible eruptions that made during period 1963-1965 and which they transformed the sky of the Costa Rican Central Valley a strange parasol gray color mouse, has several craters in its top, that at the present time only let save slight emanations of anhidrido sulfuroso and hydrogen sulfurated through their fumarolas. The main crater is of a depth that overcomes the 400 meters and it is placed on the edge of a desert escarpment, to which you arrives crossing the lunar land of Beautiful Beach", where the visitor feels the sensation of trafficking for the vericuetos of some of the mysterious seas of the Moon.
The trips to volcanos, in addition to the spectacularity of their encounter, are colorful because they cross territories of a beauty without equal, sowed fields, grass fields where a cattle raising pride of the national ones is developed. One says that only 10 people of each 3 million inhabitants in the world, have opportunity to see, during their life, some volcanic eruption. This statistical truth still more is accentuated when it calculates that only 4 people of between equal number of inhabitants, can reach to see in life, a spill of fused lava. In the Arenal Volcano, located in the Mountain range from Guanacaste to the Southeastern end of the Arenal Lake, and being adjacent with the the old forests where still the guatusos Indians live, the traveller who arrive in automobile can still observe the movement of the incredible laundries of lava taps that move towards the north and the northwest of the call "Crater C" of the building.
At the present time the call laundry 31 that has three arms according to the reports of the Project of Volcanology of the National University, move toward the north and during the day their smoky spills are noticed. When arriving the night, these spills become a stream of fused gold that advances in the middle of a cloud of sparks forming a spectacle of wonderful presence. With the help of the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism, the mountain man clubs that exist in the country or obtaining direct information in the University National tourists and with interested science men can arrive easily to the volcanos. But not only the volcanic lands make the orographic landscape magnetic of the country, but also the sedimentary Andean worlds (sic) where rise some of highest Costa Rican summits. The Great Chirripó is the ceiling of Costa Rica, and by far, the most beautiful mountain of the Central American contour. 
Years ago a German geologist of world-wide reputation, doctor Richard Weyl, discovered in Chirripó (today national park) vestiges of a last freezing. According to Weyl it does about 25,000 years approximately, this part of the Mountain range of Talamanca totally was covered with ice, and by the throats of its cavalier picks of gray rock, the Ventisqueros traveling, millimeter to millimeter were offed-hook, their masses of ice towards the small valleys in whose bottom accumulations of morenas are discovered still today. Of this glacial time the mountain is full of memories: rocks smoothed by the action of the ice, lagoons with crowd in the bottom, valleys with morenas and at least one twenty of lakes and lagoons that fill up concavities that formed at those remote times on the magmatic rock. Chirripó is like a piece of Ande. Geologically, climatologically and in its aspects of flora and fauna, the mountain is Andean until in its minimum details.
Around Chirripó, for the lovers of the mountain climbing, are summits of capricious forms that they suppose a always present challenge for the lovers of this type of sport. Ventisqueros, Urán, Crestones, Durika, Kámuk, Truncado and Weyl are some of the names that have these mountains whose height overcomes in all the cases the 3,000 meters of altitude. But also there are alternatives to reach mountains of Costa Rica without greater efforts, and only exercising muscles with small long walks from the points at that it can be arrived in automobile. One of these greater mountains is the Hill of the Death, point in which the Inter-American Highway of the South, that communicates to Costa Rica with Panama, reaches its greater altitude in America Center.
Other famous mountains to observe the birds are the Cerro de Las Vueltas and The Jaboncillo, both in the same route of the Highway lnteramericana of the South and arising after incredible closeness of oaks. In the Ojo de Agua, a point in that the travelers usually stop to buy, in the rustic sale of The Chespiritos", black Moors of the contour, typical viandas and you plant, some half hidden sabanetas exists among forests in that it is visible one of the strangest botanical associations in all America: the goads of Andean court, almost missing in our continent, and the hills that some botanists consider that they come from the diluvians ages.
For their scenic beauty, for the proverbial peace of the country, for the democratic climate that one breathes, the easiness of establishing official or friendly contacts and the total absence of annoying steps, special permits or paper works, they are the Costa Rican mountains, easiest to reach in all the geographic game of Central America. Besides the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism, we recommend contacts with the National Geographical Institute, Club de Montañeros de Costa Rica y Club de Alta Montaña de Cartago, OVSICORI of the National University and the SINAC.  Irazú Volcano Located their craters to a height of 3.432 mts., the Irazú forms, together with the Poás, the visited volcanic couple in the country; and their fame, accentuated by the recent active period that you beginning in the year 1963, it is magnet so that ticos and foreigners are arrived with avidity to their summit. However, the Irazú sleeps nowadays, after the innumerable problems that caused, in more than half of Costa Rica, during several years. Because the Costa Ricans remember the name of the Irazú very especially so much for the ashes that whipped, to the field, -with the ruin of many cultivations - as the cities, especially San José. Their skirts are relatively soft toward to the south and west but strong toward the north. The group of the solid one is lingering with address E. N. E. approximately. In the skirts of the volcano there are numerous properties of milk companies and it is also cultivated eagerly, specially the potato. Poás Volcano Among those already extinct volcanos "El Viejo" one toward the west and the Barva direction east, and I eat culminating point of one of the most imposing summits in the Central Mountain range, he/she is the volcano Poás of 2.708 mts. of height. Their main crater, grandiose pot that stays active in permanent form, it attracts to visitors' thousands, which can arrive until the border of the enormous boiling pot, one of the biggest of the world as many experts affirm, in their automobiles. Barva Volcano With its 2,906 mts. of height, the Barva is between the high tops of the central volcanic mountain range, with its "same types" Irazú, towards the east and Poás, to the west. Also known this volcano like Cerro La Tres Marías, are very familiar to the inhabitant of the center of the country, because it is the culmination of an ample wall of the north of the Central Valley in which there is numerous towns and infinity of property, in a always green landscape, splashed of pines, cypresses and great variety of trees that, like forest of first growth, crown the volcanic hill. The dense forest covers the environs of the crater extinguished of the Barva. Arenal Volcano Until year 1968, the Arenal ground had been considered like pacific volcano from inmemorables times. Some of the no activity is data during the colony nor in the later years. Until the Thirties its top was not trod and was when an expeditionary group verified activity of fumarolas. At the moment the Arenal ground keeps in constant readiness, without representing no danger for the visitors, and giving the opportunity to appreciate the great scenic resource of its environs like the Laguna del Arenal and the park of the same name; also it is possible to be enjoyed thermal waters, for which there are specialized bath. Turrialba Volcano Turrialba Volcano is the last one of the Central Volcanic Mountain range in the northeast direction; and as it occupies the same base that the Irazú, it can say that these two volcanos are "twin almost identical", although the Turrialba are been inactive many more years than the other, the Irazú, more familiar to ticos and foreigners, since it is possible to be arrived at the own crater in automobile. In order to raise the old "Torre Alba", as the Spaniards called, it is necessary to walk during several hours. Viejo Volcano If you are on the edge of the active crater of the Poás Volcano, and it takes a look toward the northwest, will be able to see, in the first place, of "Bajos del Toro"; and much more toward the west the hills of "Palmira". Then, in a point that is confused with the common and current mountain, is the demolished crater of which it was a volcano, whose activity must have taken place does thousands of years. The height of this volcano of the Central Mountain range is of 2.060 mt, according to the report of the National Geographical Institute. Their access can be made by the mentioned population of "Bajo del Toro" -o "Toro Amarillo" - or for the area of "Palmira". There is an old path, that opened many years ago an industralist to remove pumice stone, that used in the soap elaboration. By that reason the neighbors of the area call "La Mina" to the Volcán Viejo. Their skirts are covered with cypresses and cedars. It belongs to the National Park Juan Castro Blanco. Tenorio Volcano The Tenorio is located in the province of Guanacaste to 1,916 m.s.n.m., divided by a colorful and very fertile valley, known like Bijagua. From this population the real population can be tried up, although there are no drawn routes. It is the volcano more to the east of the Guanacaste Mountain range. It consists of four volcanic picks and two twin craters (one sometimes called volcano of Montezuma). it is covered for savanna in the low parts, rainy forest in the averages and cloudy forest in the discharges. From the skirt west the Tenorio river flows and from the south the Tenorito and the Martyrdom. From his top it is possible to be observed the plains of Guatuso and San Carlos, the Lake of Nicaragua, the Reserve of Caño Negro and the Lake Arenal. From their skirts it winds the Frío River. A legend exists on an eruption in 1816, but the volcano was observed with dense forest in 1864 and it is not considered that it has had an eruption in historical time. From 1989 it has been in feasibility study to determine their geothermal potential. In 1998, the proximities of the volcano suffered a tremor of regulating intensity. From 1995 the volcano is part of the National Park Tenorio. It is known by their thermal waters (with temperatures of up to 94°C) and bubbling pots. To the feet of the Tenorio big macadamia plantations extend. Miravalles Volcano To 15 km of Bagaces, in the course of the north, and from waved lands of volcanic origin, white color and with a meager vegetation, it is possible to be admired already in all its body, the Miravalles, volcano extinguished in its cone, that is covered with forests, but that still maintains stony ground activity and solfataras, those that are known commonly by "hornillas". Behind it is the thin vegetation and the cattle properties where the stone prevails, when entering to the near area to the volcano, the earth becomes black and fertile, the waters are plentiful and the vegetation is green the whole year. All the zone bordering to the base of the hill has vestiges of volcanic activity. The superior part, according to reiterated information, not only of old ascents but of recent trips, does not offer activity. Cacao Volcano It is located in the Mountain range from Guanacaste to 1659 m.s.n.m. It has a crater to the southwest of which there are not activity registrations. In their sheer hillsides, there is numerous nascent that flow toward the Lake of Nicaragua and the Gulf of Nicoya, like it is the case of the Tempisque river. In one of its skirts, to a height of 1050 m.s.n.m. is the Biological Station of Cocoa. In the near area has been a great quantity of petroglifos. Rincón de la Vieja Volcano The height of the Corner of the Old one, is of 1905 mts. When arriving to the top one is with a "donkey back" of extremely dangeroussince, since there is not place insurance to stand up. To the left this the crater and to the right an abyss as of 500 mts. Volcán Orosí The near lands to the base of the Orosí Volcano has been taken advantage of in cattle raising works and agriculture. From the magnificent property the Hacienda los Inocentes, the mass of the volcano is appreciated with all its conformation. Old laundries of lava are observed in many places bordering to the rivers that have their springs in the hill: the Sábalos, among other, beautiful tributary of the Lake of Nicaragua that slow slips between the Hacienda los Inocentes and Hacienda Alemania. More toward the north this the Sucio river or Mena, in whose borders banks toss roots a population of farmers: Santa Cecilia. |
The
tourist that arrives on the edge of the immense valley, is amazed before the
scene that opens up to his eyes, and sometimes the eruptions of magmatic gases,
vapor of water and ashy that leave of the gigantic mouth--some of type
geyseriform--they surprise the spirit with his cyclopean force.
More than thirty laundries of lava it has spilled this Costa Rican volcano of
1.635 mts. of height, since it made their catastrophic explosion, with the help
of ardent clouds, in the year of 1968.
The foreign tourist finds in Costa Rica companies specialized in trips that do
possible to arrive until the magnificent summit, in horse routes which they
cross dense forests, floods of tropical botanical species and infinite varieties
of orquídeas, until ending in the gelid extension yellow-straw of the Andean
deserts.
The Hill of the Death is full of opportunities for the observers of birds and
wild animals. The affluence of people is constant who arrive at those high
summits to watch some of the most representative units of the winged fauna of
the country, to the time which they can see the incomparable scene of the
Pacific Ocean towards a side of the mountain and the Atlantic towards the other.
For the people who love La Paz; and it dreams about the dumb placid valley
contemplation quiet summits, full forests of songs of birds and fresh and
tonificante climate, the Costa Rican tourist industry has been installing
special places in the mountains that surround to the Central Valley. In Monte de
la Cruz, to the north of San José, it is El Castillo, a rustic club with track
of skids on ice, fields of sports, covered swimming pool and wooded areas for
the hiking, and also hotels in the skirts of the Irazú exist, near the town of
San Juan de Chicoa, and in San José de la Montaña, as well as in Monteverde,
place in which exists one of the most beautiful forest reserves of Costa Rica,
and where still pervive, like an incredible light winged litmus, the bird
Quetzal.