Volcán Barva and Laguna Barva

Tip

Start early, wear waterproof boots and bring a rain jacket: it rains here most days. The park fee is about US$12, so check the current price and ranger station hours.

Be careful

Fog and mud make navigation tricky: keep to the marked trail and turn back if the weather closes in. Carry water and a charged phone.

Getting there

Point is the Volcán Barva ranger station (trailhead). Access is by a narrow, bumpy road from San José de la Montaña; the sector may close in bad weather.

Places nearby

• Restaurante ChubascosFood & CoffeeGarden restaurant on the way up to Poás volcano known for typical Costa Rican plates such as gallitos chubascos, strawberry juice and smoothies from local farms, hammocks and a pretty garden.
• Hacienda Alsacia (Starbucks Coffee Farm)Food & CoffeeStarbucks' working coffee farm and research centre on the slopes of Poás: guided tours (reserve online) walk through the nursery, plantation and processing, and end with a tasting, with a café overlooking the farm.
• La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature ParkParks & WildlifePrivate cloud-forest park with a trail down past five waterfalls, plus a large wildlife sanctuary (cats, birds, frogs, snakes), a butterfly garden and a hummingbird garden.
• Hacienda DokaFood & Coffee · takes 1 h · from $14Historic coffee estate on the slopes of Poás Volcano offering guided tours of its plantation and traditional water-powered mill.
• Restaurante Mirador del ValleFood & CoffeeHillside restaurant above Alajuela with sweeping Central Valley views, a big buffet-style spread of Costa Rican food, plenty of parking, and a pleasant lit-up terrace at night; close to the airport.
• Britt Coffee TourParks & Wildlife · from $25Walk through Café Britt's working coffee farm near Barva volcano, from cherry to roast to a guided tasting, with a butterfly garden and a lunch restaurant on site.