Irazú Volcano National Park - Costa Rica

This is one of my favourite places in Costa Rica. I have been there many times and always want to come back. The Irazú is an active Volcano, 1.5-2hrs away from San José by car (you will pass the city of Cartago on your way). You can drive almost to the crater itself...and enyoy the "lunar" surface.t The craters are just a 5 minute walk away from the parking lot. The summit is at 3432 meters above sea level, and on some occasions you can see both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans (however such a day is extremely rare). Please note that even though this is an active volcano, you won't see any lava like in Arenal Volcano , however this doesn't mean that you are danger-free. There could be an eruption, so go with caution, which translates to: DO NOT CROSS THE SECURITY FENCES. Entrance fee is just like any other National Park - Costa Ricans : 1000 colones adults / 300 children. Anyone else: $10 adult / $1 kids. Kids are 12 or under. Get a jacket - it is usually cold up there. There is a small souvenir shop where they also sell coffee, dougnuts, and some other snacks.
First picture: Diego de la Haya crater (inactive). Second picture: Main crater (active).










>Update: Pictures from my latest visit in mid-february (note how the color of the chemicals in the crater changed):