Irazu

2,309 hectares protects this active volcano, the highest in the country at 3,432 meters. It is set in a bleak, purplish moonscape of its own creation. Like Po s, it is virtually drive-in. It is possible to peer right into the main crater which is filled with green, sulfurous water. The tiger cat, coyote and cotton-tail rabbit are among the few animals that can bear to live here and even the vegetation is sparse, consisting primarily of stunted miconias and black oak. By contrast, the farmland that covers the lower slopes and surrounding area, is beautifully green and fertile. Irazu's last eruption was on the day of President John F. Kennedy's visit in 1963. Ash showers followed by rain left the Central Valley covered in black soot and sludge for months. Distance from San Jose: 52 km