Discover the 10 Largest Volcanoes in Costa Rica (3 Are Still Active)

The world is a fascinating place. The landscapes that make up the Earth we live in are beautiful and every strand, every nook and cranny can unveil a whole new discovery that was previously unearthed before. Deep down in lakes, there could be riches that we never would have imagined. We could find fascinating new rocks and formations inside mountains. The way rivers flowed in the past could be different now.

When it comes to volcanoes, these mountains have intrigued geologists for hundreds of years. They have studied them with great veracity in how the craters have erupted. The lava that oozes out is molten rock, but it has intrigued everyone of all ages, even school children.

Volcanoes exist all over the world and some countries have many of them. They are what makes each place beautiful and unique. Of course, volcanoes have also caused devastation and catastrophes. It is all part of Earth’s natural beauty. Costa Rica has (or has had) about 23 volcanoes that are either dormant, extinct, or currently active. Let’s take a look at the 10 largest volcanoes in Costa Rica, three of which are currently active.

Irazú

Located in the Irazú Volcano National Park, if you climb to the top of the mountain, it is possible to see both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (on a cloudless day). The Irazú is the highest dormant volcano at 11,260 feet tall and it is more than 850,000 years old. The last time the volcano erupted, though, was in 1994. The volcano has several craters and one of them is a green crater lake named Diego de la Haya. The mountain is home to many creatures like rabbits, foxes, owls, and armadillos. Since records started, the Irazú volcano has erupted 23 times and one of the times was in 1963 right before President John F. Kennedy arrived in Costa Rica for a state visit.

Turrialba

The Turrialba Volcano is one of three active volcanoes in Costa Rica, but that hasn’t stopped visitors from hiking up the mountain. This activity is illegal, although people regularly ignore the law. At 10,958 feet tall, the Turrialba Volcano has had constant eruptions in the past several years. The park where the volcano is located was even closed in 2020 because of the regular eruptions.

Barva

Located in the Heredia Province of Costa Rica, the Barva Volcano is dormant and it is believed that it erupted twice in the past several hundred years. That fact, however, has also been dispelled by historians. The Laguna de Barva is a lake located on the eastern side of the volcano. There are also three hills called “Las Tres Marias” on the western side of the mountain. The Barva Volcano is about 8,050 years old.

Poás

The Poás Volcano is another active volcano in Costa Rica. In recent years, the volcano has had several eruptions. In fact, it has erupted 40 times since 1828, and one of the last times, people in the area were ordered to evacuate. At 8,885 feet tall, the volcano has two crater lakes. One of them is called Laguna Caliente and holds the record of being one of the most acidic lakes in the world. The other lake is called Lake Botos, which is an inactive crater that is believed to have erupted in 7,500 B.C.

Porvenir

The Porvenir Volcano is located in the Alajuela region of Costa Rica and is part of the Cordillera Central mountain range. The range is famous for being home to several volcanoes near each other. Part of the line of volcanoes includes the Barva Volcano, the Irazú Volcano, and the active Poás Volcano. There are two lakes near Porvenir called Lake Congo and Lake Pozo Verde.

Platanar

At 7,162 feet tall, the Platanar Volcano is close to the Porvenir Volcano within the Juan Castro Blanco National Park. It is unknown when the last eruption was, but the volcano was the site of several strong earthquakes that occurred in the past 25 years. This series of earthquakes sparked interest that Platanar was going to become active, but that was not the case. Today, the western part of the mountain is used for dairy farming.

Cacho Negro

Cacho Negro means Black Horn and the volcano was renamed that because it looked like a bull’s horn. The Cacho Negro Volcano was previously called Arenal Volcano. The Cacho Negro Volcano is also located in the Cordillera Central mountain range that straddles the center of the country. Geologists believe that there are hot springs within the volcano, but they have not been able to identify where.

Miravalles

The Miravalles Volcano is a dormant volcano located in the Guanacaste Mountains. It is 6,654 feet tall and scientists have determined from rock testing that it is about 1.5 million years old. There isn’t much information on the volcano, however, the last recorded eruption happened in 1946. Although not active for more than 70 years, the Miravalles Volcano is home to the largest developed geothermal field in the country.

Congo

The Congo Volcano has an interesting name. The mountain was named as such because the mantled howler monkey (which is known in the country as the Congo monkey) makes its home in the region. The volcano reaches 6,608 feet tall and is located in the Poás Volcano National Park. Geologists have determined that the last time it erupted was about 11,000 years ago.

Rincón de la Vieja

The Rincón de la Vieja Volcano is the third of Costa Rica’s active volcanoes. Its name means “Old Woman’s Corner” because legend has it that when Chief Curabande learned about his daughter’s affair with Mixcoac, a chief from an enemy tribe, he threw the young lover into the volcano. However, she was pregnant with his child and when the son was born, she threw him into the volcano as well. The woman lived the rest of her days on the volcano.

The Rincón de la Vieja Volcano continues to spew ash every once in a while and is in constant activity to this day.

Conclusion

And there you have it, these are the 10 largest volcanoes in Costa Rica. Three of them are active and one even erupted in 2023. Some of them have caused widespread devastation and others have destroyed only what the lava found in its path. If you are lucky enough to visit the Central American country, hike up some of these mountains to witness the green beauty of the country’s wilderness. Its stunning view will surely give new meaning to Costa Rica’s beautiful catchphrase, “Pura vida!”

10 Largest Volcanoes in Costa Rica