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Home to the Turrialba Volcano, the Parque Nacional Volcan Turrialba is one of the least visited national parks in the country. Last having erupted in 1866, over 130 years ago, the stratovolcano or composite volcano is the main highlight of this park and offers some wonderful exploration opportunities for the adventurous traveler. With all three of its craters easily accessible and safe to roam, the Turrialba Volcano presents some wonderful summit scenic vistas, weather permitting, of the lush surrounding landscape including the Poás, Irazu and Barva Volcanoes in the distance.
With its slopes lush and green and well populated with traditional dairy farms, near the summit of the volcano you will find a verdant montane cloud and rain forest, which plays host to a number of birds, wildlife and rich foliage including ferns, bamboo, and bromeliads. The second tallest volcano in Costa Rica after the Volcan Irazu, the Turrialba Volcano was named Torre Alba or white smoke by the first colonial Spanish settlers, who used to see plumes of smoke arising on a regular basis from the volcano’s summit. Now mostly dormant, the only sights of activity from this volcano can be seen in the largest crater where sulphurous fumes rise from the crater floor.
Definitely worth a visit, it is unfortunate that the Parque Nacional Volcan Turrialba is not well developed like its other counterparts. However, if one takes a bus to Santa Cruz, from here you can head on up 18 km to the summit. Paved for the first 10 km after which the road is mainly a dirt track, this route is the official path to the park. If you wish to explore this volcano, the Volcan Turrialba Lodge near the park offers organized tours.
Located in Cartago Province in the beautiful Central Valley, the Turrialba Volcano National Park sits 40 miles east of San Jose city and is few miles northwest of Turrialba.
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