Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
view. If the summit is cloudy, hike to the other craters and return to the cauldron later -
winds shift and sometimes the cloud cover is blown away.
Near the entrance there's a visitors center with a souvenir shop, a cafe, a small museum
and informative videos that play hourly between 9am and 3pm.
Be advised that overnight temperatures can drop below freezing, and it may be windy
and cold during the day. Also, Poás receives almost 4000mm of rainfall each year. Dress
accordingly.
Getting There & Away
Numerous local companies offer daily tours to the volcano (US$40 to US$100). However,
it's much cheaper and nearly as easy to visit the volcano on the daily bus from Alajuela
(see below). The downside to both of these options is that they typically reach the summit
at around 10am - right when the clouds start rolling in.
To beat the clouds and crowds, your best bet is to hire a car (per day from US$40) or a
taxi (around US$30 from Alajuela, US$50 from San José) and arrive up top near the park's
8am opening time. If you're driving, the road from Alajuela to the volcano is well signed.
Coopetransasi
( 2449-5141)
runs a daily bus to the summit (round trip US$4.60, 1½
hours each way), leaving Alajuela at 9am and returning from the mountaintop at 2:30pm.
If you're coming from San José, catch a local Tuasa bus (US$1.10, 45 minutes) no later
than 8:15am from Tuasa's terminal on Av 2 between Calles 12 and 14, then upon arrival in
Alajuela walk one block south to the Volcán Poás bus stop.
West to Atenas
From Alajuela, a narrow, paved highway leads 25km west to the lovely mountain town of
Atenas. It's a nice day trip, with a perfect climate and a charming rural atmosphere.
La Garita
In an area that attracts scientists who research maize, it is not surprising that this town -
spread out along the road that connects Alajuela to Atenas - is lined with restaurants
whose specialty is corn: corn soup, cornbread, tamales and
chorreadas
(savory corn pan-
cakes) to be exact. It's located 11km west of Alajuela and worth the pilgrimage if you are
