Poas

The Poas Volcano, which has the largest active crater in the world, is about an hour drive or 2 hour bus ride from San Jose (leaves at 8:30am from the bus station in front of Parque la Merced), making it a great day-trip that will have you back by 4pm. You can also catch the direct bus from the stop 3 blocks from the central park in Alajuela. Entrance is $7 for foreigners.

The park is extremely well maintained, with paved paths all the way to the crater viewing area, which even has a loft set up to give guests a better vantage point for photo taking. The clouds seem to whip by at this altitude of over 8,000 feet. So if you arrive and find yourself surrounded by white, be patient as they will most likely move right along giving you plenty of chances to view the mile-wide crater and nearby lake. A more strenuous side trail weaves through a mysterious looking cloud forest on the way to the Botos Lake.

The Visitor's Center at the entrance to the trails offers a souvenir shop, coffee shop and a small museum. Remember to pack in layers for the trip, as the weather can get quite chilly at the top, especially when you aren't moving. If you take the direct bus, they will make a pit stop for food. Although there are warning signs about not eating around the viewing areas, no one seemed to notice or care.