Costa Rica - Cloudy Craters

 July 20

Hello everyone!

Here is a lovely view atop Costa Rica’s highest volcano…

A crater near the top of Irazú

…this is what it was like an hour before…

Cloud cover: significant

This is Irazú, one of 67 volcanoes in Costa Rica. Six of them are active. Apparently Irazú is one of them, last spouting briefly in 1994. Other volcanoes which I will go to later on this trip have erupted more recently. 

'ara' is for peak and 'tzu' is for thunder: the 'peak of thunder'

The most famous of these is Arenal

Some of the volcanoes are quite close to San Jose, making it possible to visit them in a day. Another one in the Central Valley area, Poás, erupted in 2017, forcing a large-scale evacuation of the area.

An internet picture of the 2017 eruption

So Irazú was my target on a bright Thursday morning. A bright yellow local bus goes directly to the national park in which the volcano is located. The bus struggled up some of the hills but made it after a two-and-a-half hour pleasant drive.

The bus leaves at 8am and costs $6

Farms like this are a common sight on the ascent

As you can see from the pictures, we were travelling through cloud. Occasional blue skies broke through but we were otherwise travelling in a cool mist. Unsurprising when you consider that the peak is 3,432 metres above sea level.

Irazú is the eighth highest volcano in Central
America - the highest six are all in Guatemala

I expected rain, which was consistent but light upon our arrival to the national park. I was not expecting to struggle to see beyond about 40 metres. 

These visitors were returning from the crater and didn't seem impressed

I also expected more of a hike to get to the two main craters. In reality, the walk was probably less than a kilometre from the car park to the first, smaller crater. Not that you would know…

Not exactly off-the-beaten-track...

This crater is called Diego de la Haya,
after an early governor of the area 

One of the attractions of Irazú is the turquoise-coloured lake in its main crater, which has formed since the last major eruption in 1962. About that…

The bottom of the crater is over 250 metres down

The 1960s eruption showered ash and smoke over San Jose

I thought it was down there, anyway. It was hard to see anything. I ended up walking along the wooden fence, which I assumed was stopping visitors from falling into the crater, before returning via a flat, beach-like area. The drizzle had abated by this point and the cloud was lifting, ever-so-slightly…

The beach-like area is called Playa Hermosa: beautiful beach

View of Playa Hermosa from near the beginning of the 'hike'

I had one hour and forty-five minutes before the bus was leaving. Not wanting to spend all that time staring at cloud, I went to get a cappuccino. Upon finishing the warming drink, I realised that it seemed a bit lighter. I walked back across towards the craters. Maybe this would be worth it after all?

Blue sky?!

It was certainly better second time round, with a picture emerging of this high plateau of the volcano. We weren’t at the peak (and couldn’t go up there), instead exploring a relatively vast flat plain of black sand and shrubbery. 

Now you can see the fence I was using as a guide!

As you can see from the tower, Irazú is also a
useful telecommunications site for the country

As for that crater lake? Well I couldn’t see it. Whether the angles I had weren’t helpful or if it has disappeared into the clouds, I’m not sure. 

Apparently it has disappeared before, in 2010

The sign shows you what might have been

Diego de la Haya crater didn't have water, either

Time to get that bus back down. One snag. The bus - the same one which I took from San Jose - doesn’t go back to San Jose. It instead ends in a city called Cartago, which we had passed through on the way up. You’re then supposed to get another bus back to the big smoke.

We had passed through Cartago on the way

I had a plan, so killed a couple of hours in what turned out to be quite an interesting place. Cartago was the first capital of Costa Rica, holding that honour until 1823, when a massive earthquake the year before precipitated a move to San Jose. 

It became the capital in 1563

Many buildings, such as this ruin, were
destroyed by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions

Many people will visit Cartago in the coming weeks, owing to a pilgrimage which many Catholics will undertake in the coming weeks. It connects to the story of La Negrita, a black Virgin Mary figure who essentially couldn’t be stolen as she kept reappearing in this spot. A cathedral was built around it and the site has become a place in which one can hope for miracles, specifically on August 2. It was fascinating to see people approach the altar by waddling the length of the cathedral…on their knees…

La Negrita was fund here in 1635

I don't think you're allowed to do the common football
celebration of knee-sliding to get to the front...

Many buses had come and gone by this point. But who needs buses when you can take the train? The tracks, created in the nineteenth century to transport bananas, coffee and other raw materials, are now used as a popular commuter route between the old and current capitals. One interesting aspect is that they lock the station and put gates across the train tracks until about 20 minutes before the train is scheduled to arrive.

The train takes 50 minutes and costs about $1.40

Though it wasn’t the spectacular scene I was hoping for, it was at least nice to get out of San Jose for a day. If you ever head up to see the craters of Irazú, pray to your weather god before you go!

Lake of Irazu, where are you?

Big flag for a big volcano

Love you all,

Matt