There are numerous volcanoes near San Jose, Costa Rica. For those looking for a Poas Volcano day trip from San Jose, it’s an easy one and it’s typically combined with the La Paz waterfall and a coffee farm. If you have limited time, this can be great since you can see a lot in a short amount of time.
As I worked my way back home from an extended trip in South America, I had about 36 hours in Costa Rica. It wasn’t enough time to leave San Jose, but it was enough time for a day trip. Since I had been to Costa Rica before, I looked for somewhere I hadn’t been to before and I picked this day trip. It had a lovely variety and I would absolutely recommend it.
Here’s what to expect on a day trip to the Poas Volcano and the La Paz Waterfall.
Poas Volcano Day Trip from San Jose
Several companies will offer a similar tour, but I booked my trip online the night before through Viator. From what I understood, nearly ten people had signed up for this tour, but the company split us into two groups. That was greatly appreciated as I will always prefer a slightly smaller group for a day trip.
Our tour also included pick up at our hotels, which is another huge bonus. Since I stayed at an airport hotel in Alajuela, I was the last passenger picked up and the first one dropped off at the end of the tour. No complaints from me!
Now, let’s get into the actual tour.
Hacienda Coffee Farm
Our tour started at the Hacienda Coffee Farm. Years ago, this was one giant coffee farm but it’s since been divide and split into multiple farms managed by different businesses. One of those plots is now managed by Starbucks and some tours will explicitly take you to this coffee farm. We didn’t visit the Starbucks farm but instead spent a little time in one of the adjacent farms.
This is not my first coffee tour in Costa Rica, so a lot of the information felt like a repeat of my coffee tour in Monteverde. However, it had been over six years since that tour so I didn’t remember everything.
Our guide taught us about the growing and harvest season. I was visiting in June so it was between seasons and there wasn’t a lot of action in the fields. That said, our guide still managed to find a few ripe coffee beans (the other tourists and I tried and failed) so he could show us all of the different layers of the bean.
There’s more to coffee than just planting and growing the beans. You’ll still need to process everything so the beans can be used to make the coffee drink so many people love, but the rest of that talk would be covered later in the tour.
We went to the farm’s small shop and were given the option to try a little bit of coffee. Specifically, it was a coffee liqueur. I skipped this since I don’t drink coffee or alcohol, but I did pick up a small bottle as a gift for my dad since two of the girls on my tour said it was delicious (and my dad agreed!).
Poas Volcano
From the coffee farm, it was onward to the Poas Volcano. We had a bit of time in the car which didn’t bother me at all. After five months of busing around South America, I was enjoying a more relaxed ride on Costa Rica’s roads.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that we were climbing higher and higher in elevation. By the time we reached the parking area, we were at over 8,300 feet of elevation. This was no big deal for me since I’d been at high elevations for most of the last three months, but I was not expecting it.
From the parking area, you’ll have to walk to the main crater viewing area. It’s about a half mile walk along a paved trail. It’s not hard, but if you’re not used to being at 8,300 feet of elevation, you’re sure to feel it. It’s a little bit uphill, but it’s still completely manageable. In fact, I didn’t really notice going uphill at all while we walked.
Hopefully you have a clear day because the view is great. You can look down into the crater of the Poas Volcano and see the smoke rising. It’s not what I expected when I booked my tour, but it was still so cool to get this kind of a view. It seemed like my other volcano experiences were more focused on seeing the volcano (like at the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica or the Osorno Volcano in Chile) or hiking to base camp (like Cotopaxi Volcano in Ecuador).
The visit to the Poas Volcano should always be in the morning. If you’re looking at a tour and they have you visiting the Poas Volcano in the afternoon, find a different tour. Mornings are usually clearer and you’ll have a better chance of enjoying your visit. If it’s not clear, it doesn’t pay to visit the Poas Volcano.
Luckily for me, we had a clear day, but clouds were moving in fast. By noon, the top of the volcano was covered and you couldn’t see anything.
From the main mirador, there’s another walk you can do. It’s a half mile, but it’s uphill. It’s not strenuous, but since you’ll gain another 300 feet of elevation, you can notice that you’re walking uphill. I had no problems, but your guide will be silently assessing you as you go to the main mirador. Our guide had three of us go the second viewpoint but stayed behind with one other tourist that he didn’t feel would make it.
So why hike to the second viewpoint? For the view of the lagoon. This lagoon formed in the base of a now dormant volcano and the view is great. It reminded me of a much greener version of the Quilotoa Lagoon in Ecuador, but this lagoon I didn’t have to hike to, which was a win in my book.
With all of your photos taken, it’s time to head back to the van. It’s nearly one mile from the lagoon viewpoint back to the parking area.
A Stop for Souvenirs
It wouldn’t be a day trip if there wasn’t a shopping opportunity. As we drove from the Poas Volcano to the La Paz Waterfall, we made a stop at souvenir shop. I think it was under the guise of sampling some more local treats, but the whole point was for us to spend some money on Costa Rican souvenirs.
For once, I was actually in the market for souvenirs as I had to pick up some chocolate for a friend so I didn’t mind the stop. We had about 20 minutes here which is enough time to look through your options and pick up your treats.
Now I can’t say for certain that this is the best place for souvenirs, but our guide also bought stuff at this store as a treat for his mother, so I’m led to believe that this is a pretty good place to do your shopping.
La Paz Waterfall
The La Paz Waterfall is not what I expected. I expected it to be a stop similar to the Poas Volcano where we would stop and walk a path out to the waterfall. Instead, we stopped on the road and the waterfall was right there. It’s not inside a park or anywhere with an entrance fee. It’s just a waterfall that’s along side the road.
What’s cool about this waterfall is that you can walk behind it which reminded me of visiting Seljalandsfoss in Iceland. Take careful steps as it can be slippery, but you can walk behind it (while staying mostly dry) to get a unique view.
I think the Poas Volcano was a more interesting stop, but I’m glad that the stop at the La Paz Waterfall was included in our trip.
Lunch
After our stop at the La Paz Waterfall, it was time for lunch. The meal was included and we were brought to a traditional Costa Rican restaurant for lunch. Expect rice, beans, a small salad, and some kind of meat.
Was it the best meal I’ve ever had? No, but it wasn’t bad and it was included with the price of my tour. The fact that lunch was included at all was a huge win for me.
Finishing the Coffee Tour
Across the street from the restaurant was a small shop where we finished our coffee tour. Here’s where we learned about the processing of coffee. The beans are harvested in the fields, but then they have to pealed, processed, roasted, and ground before you can get your cup of coffee.
Our guide walked us through each step. Since this tour runs often, they have beans in every step of the process, so you can see every step of the process up close. The beans left out to dry from your tour help the tour that’s coming in the next two days.
The final step is to brew the coffee and you’ll get to sample it. I’m not a coffee drinker so I can’t say if it’s good or not, but after all that learning, I’m sure it’s great to actually drink the coffee instead of just talking about it.
After the coffee tour, it’s back in the van and back to San Jose where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel.
Tips for Your San Jose Day Trip
I don’t have many tips for your San Jose day trip, but there are two important things that come to mind.
Be Strategic About Your Day
While this post is all about my experience visiting the Poas Volcano, it’s not the only volcano that can be reached from San Jose. In fact, if you’re looking for a day trip from San Jose and you want to include a volcano, I recommend letting your hotel’s location be the deciding factor.
I was staying at a hotel near the airport in Alajuela and the Poas Volcano is north of the city. So, I got to avoid all of the traffic near San Jose. If you’re staying on the southern side of San Jose, look into visiting Irazu Volcano which is south of San Jose. Basically, you’ll want to try to avoid as much San Jose traffic as you possible can.
Both volcanoes can be visited on day trips and are often combined with nearby attractions (since the volcano visit itself won’t fill up a full day).
Prepare for Rain and Cold
Weather near the volcano crater can be very different than what you will experience at your coffee farm tour. Bring layers to prepare for different weather changes.
When I booked my tour, I was told to bring a rain jacket. While I did bring one, I never had to use mine. The weather was clear and it was warm enough that we didn’t need it. That said, it was noticeably cooler near the volcano rim than at the coffee farm.
Final Thoughts
This tour to the Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall was a nice and easy way to spend a day in San Jose. I had the luxury of visiting Costa Rica before so this was just something different. But, if you are visiting Costa Rica for the first time, I think that this tour can be a worthwhile experience. Get a glimpse of some of Costa Rica’s great nature and its famous coffee.
Continue Your Adventure
Costa Rica: For first time visitors, try this 9 day Costa Rica itinerary. Spend some time near the Arenal Volcano, crossing Lake Arenal on a Jeep Boat Jeep tour, enjoying the many activities in Monteverde, and relaxing in Manuel Antonio National Park. Learn even more in my Costa Rica Travel Guide.
