National Park General Information   Size: 2,309 hectares Distance from San José : 54 Kilometers  Trails: Very limited. Dry Season:  December through April.

Irazu Volcano

Irazu, or "the Powder Keg of Nature" as it has been called, is an active strato volcano with an irregular sub conical shape.  It towers 3,432 meters above sea level and spreads over 500 square kilometers.

There are four craters at the summit of Irazu, the main crater, anotherone named Diego de la Haya, and two small craters located on the northwest and southeast areas of the park.
The vegetation has undergone considerable alteration due to the eruptions.  Today it's possible to see areas with sparse plant growth within the rim of the craters.  Elsewhere its possible to find of secondary forest and patches of primary forest.

Wildlife in Irazu is very scarce.  Some of the mammals that have been seen near the summit are the eastern cottontail (species of rabbit), coyotes, armadillos, porcupine, weasels and tiger cats. As far as birds is concerned, hummingbirds woodpeckers and mountain robins are a common sight, unlike the eastern meadowlark, and long-tailed ptinlogonys that have small recorded populations.