Visiting The Poas Volcano National Park, Costa Rica

My family and I were in Alajuela, Costa Rica, and decided to go on a day trip to Poas Volcano National Park. After we got picked up we drove through coffee plantations, strawberry fields and lush green slopes filled with cattle and enjoyed the beautiful scenery that this area has to offer. After we got there but before the actual tour started we saw a beautiful, scale model of the Poas Volcano and took some time to enjoy a hot cup of authentic Costa Rican coffee at the visitor's center.

Right after that we started our walk up to the crater of the volcano which took around ten minutes. And again the walk was very scenic. I couldn't believe how beautiful the crater was when I saw it. It has turquoise blue gurgling steam and occasionally it burped sulfurous mud and sprayed hot steamy water high into the sky. I was so glad we got there early because the clouds were starting to obstruct the view of the crater s we started our way back.

Back at the visitor's center we were so excited that we wanted to get a little more hiking done so we started walking up another trail which leads to the old, beautiful and extinct crater. The way up is a trail between a high altitude rainforest where I had a great time looking for some wildlife.

On the way back to our hotel we stopped at Freda Fresas for lunch. This Costa Rican restaurant serves dishes with all kinds of fresh produce from the region. We decided to order the Casado. I was quite surprised when I first saw it, it consisted of rice and black bean, picadillo, fried plantains, farmers cheese with corn tortillas and chicken in a tomato sauce. It is the most typical lunch there is in Costa Rica by the way. And to top it all the desert I asked for a cake called "tres leches" or three milk cake and a cup of hot Costa Rican cappuccino. It was all great.

This is a great day trip for anyone, so if you are in San Jose or Alajuela you can't miss this adventure.

Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com

About the Author

Marina K. Villatoro, has lived in Central America - Costa Rica and Guatemala for over 10 years. She's traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. With her first hand experience, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

by: Marina K. Villatoro

Total views: 2 Word Count: 371 Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 Time: 3:16 AM - 0 comments

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