Poás Volcano National Park

Poás Volcano National Park, in Spanish Parque Nacional Volcán Poás, is a National Park in Costa Rica that covers an area of approximately 65 square kilometres (16,000 acres); the summit is 2,700 metres (8,900 ft). It was established on 25th January, 1971. Until recently visitors could usually walk all the way to the edge of the main crater, but on April 13, 2017 the park was closed to visitors due to an explosive eruption on the evening of April 12. Still further eruptions, including Easter, April 16, have closed the park until further notice.

The volcano is located in the Central Volcanic Conservation Area located in the Alajuela Province near the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, which encompasses the area around the Poás Volcano. The main crater is 290 metres (950 ft) deep and is quite active with frequent small geyser and lava eruptions, however the last major eruptions were during 1952-54. Two more craters make up parts of the park, the extinct Von Frantzuis crater and the Botos crater. Botos is a beautiful cold, green water crater lake with a diameter of 370 metres (1,200 ft). The Botos crater has not erupted for about 7,500 years. Well-marked trails lead to the two inactive craters, conditions permitting.

The park has been frequently closed to visitors because of sulphuric gas emissions. Over the last decade there were a number of indications that the volcano was slowly building up towards a new...