Although we prepared for a possibility of rain and cold before touring the Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall gardens last Sunday, we got lucky once again and explored nature on a gorgeous, sunny day. First we ventured to the Poas Volcano early in the morning. This Volcano is located Northwest of San Jose and has the largest active crater in the world! The park is actually 13,800 acres, or 16 times as big as Central Park in New York City. We prepared for the hike up to the top of the volcano. After we enjoyed the view of the crater and learned about the history of the Poas Volcano, we hiked up to the top where we saw a beautiful turquoise lake. The hike was filled with luscious trees and distinctive sounds of birds. Poas is active, however the most recent period of eruptive activity ended in 1954. We learned that eruptions in the past have killed many of the inhabitants and affects the agriculture. The lower slopes of the Poas volcano are covered with fruit farms and huge ornamental flower farms.
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| Lake at the top of Poas Volcano |
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| Poas Volcano |
After our lovely hike at the Poas Volcano we made our way to La Paz Waterfall gardens. Here we enjoyed lunch in the pretty environment filled with humming birds, waterfalls, and other crazy animals. We got to see monkeys, tucans, butterflies, snakes, a jaguar, and more. Mario, our awesome tour guide, told us everything he knew about these species and showed us the breath taking waterfalls. In total La Paz has 5 waterfalls and it receives about 14 to 15 feet of rain each year. We were lucky to walk around and enjoy just the splashes of refreshing water coming from the waterfalls.
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| La Paz Waterfall |
The sound and the view of the waterfalls are amazingly peaceful and I felt as though I could stay there and explore forever! I also really enjoyed seeing all of the different animals and just walking through the rain forest. They have over 100 species of animals and claim that they are all rescued from the wild. A couple of us were thrilled we had the opportunity to hold Tucans. It is awesome that they can serve as an educational source for people and curious tourists of Costa Rica. We went here to learn more about the species of animals that are living in this extraordinary country and to experience more of the wonderful nature it offers.
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