The Irazú Volcano (Spanish: Volcán Irazú) belongs to places that rank among places worthy to see when you are in Costa Rica. Today I would like to share with you our recent experience with one day trip to this interesting Volcano.

 Let´s start with some basic information. It is Costa Rica´s highest volcano with the height of 3,432 meters. It is also one of the most active, with a history of frequent eruptions. The last noticeable activity came in 1996, and since then Irazú has been a quiet giant.

The volcano has several craters, two of which are the principal attractions. The smaller crater, Diego de la Haya, has a beautiful unusual lake with bright greenish yellow coloring that is caused by rainfall dissolving the minerals along craters walls. I believe this lake really contributes to the attendance of this place since it is really amazing.

The wildlife there is often difficult to see because of the constant volcanic activity, but many small animals make their home within the parks perimeters.  We were lucky and see at least one. 

 When to visit:

To avoid the wettest months, the best time to visit is during March and April, although cool temperatures and high winds are common year round. The park is open 7 days a week from 8 am to 3 pm and it is recommended to visit early in the morning as swirling clouds are known to overwhelm the summit later on in the day.

How can you get there?

Irazú National Park is an easy day trip from most locations in the central valley. The drive up through the hills provides an excellent opportunity to see the Central Valley below.

We took a bus that stops in Cartago once a day in the morning and goes from San Jose. You pay something about 4 dollars for return way bus ticket and the entrance is around 10 dollars for non residents of Costa Rica.

We had a chance to visit the Irazú Volcano few days ago and can recommend this place for a day trip. This is the picture of the smaller crater, Diego de la Haya, and its beautiful  lake.

(By Marketa Sobotkova - Marketing Intern)

About two months ago I started my marketing internship with Tropical Adventures and during this time I have already had many chances to go and visit many of our volunteer projects and also explore a bit better the beautiful country of Costa Rica. This weekend I took advantage of a free Monday, so called Guanacaste day celebrating the annexation of this region to Costa Rica. I had heard many positive things about a jaw-dropping beauty of a Costa Rican place called Manuel Antonio  which is a national park and a beach resort at the same time and I decided to spend these three days there.
The trip took about 3 hours from San José and I was very kindly welcomed in a hostel named Backpackers Manuel Antonio right on a half way from Quepos to Manuel Antonio. This position offers a very good chance to get fast to both places, during the day by very frequently going buses and at night by quite cheap taxis. And trust me – you don’t want to be too far from Quepos since it offers you many more chances to enjoy a night life as well as you enjoy the day at Manuel Antonio.

As I said, I was welcomed very friendly and met many other backpackers really fast. We together visited a national park which is open from the early morning until 4 pm. A very interesting thing about this park is a fact that you are crossing a rain-forest, observing wild animals and after a few other steps you end up at a beautiful beach with limpid water. This combination is truly extraordinary and you will have no problem to spend a whole day there without even realizing it. The entrance is also quite affordable – a foreigner enters for 10 dollars, locals pay much less as usual here in Costa Rica.

Manuel Antonio  became a very favorite resort among foreigners as well as locals. Nevertheless, it is not losing any of its beauty and it definitely one of the most magical places I have visited in Costa Rica. You can find beaches with a lot of privacy as well as beaches with a lot of life, bars and restaurants where you can spend more than a few moments sharing a few glasses of Piña Colada and still feel the sensation of being at a beach, not at a crowded mall. You neither have to worry about ruining your wallet. If you are a backpacker traveling on a budget you can find a lodge for as low as 12 dollars, for example the one I stayed in - Backpackers Manuel Antonio. The ticket from San José costs 7 dollars and as I said – the entrance to the Manuel Antonio National Park about 10 dollars. Of course, the most important thing there – the beach is for free :)

It doesn’t matter if you go on your own, with a group of friends or with your family - Manuel Antonio is still a place you shouldn’t miss once you are in this marvelous country.

(By David Kolesa – Marketing Intern)

What do you imagine when someone says adventure? Rappelling down a 200-feet waterfall? Rafting in a wild river? Hiking through a rainforest and being exposed to a pure nature?

And what about combining all these things together and coming to Costa Rica for the Arenal Volcano 4-Day Super Adventure tour?

Tropical Adventures, a voluntour provider, together with Desafío, expert in all kinds of adventures in the region of Arenal, prepared a 4-day tour full of adventure and of course – fun. And if I say expert in adventure I mean it. Last week Desafío was ranked as one of the BEST 10 adventure tours providers in the world by TripAdvisor travelers and editors. At the same time, it is the only place and company from Costa Rica which made it to the Top 10.  
The experience is truly thrilling but don’t worry, it is also totally safe, the staff is absolutely professional and the tours are organized splendidly. To be able to provide an honest review I went to try it on my own.

Standing on the top of 200-feet waterfall I wasn’t feeling very confident at first. But my worries turned out to be unnecessary very soon and I started enjoying it together with other adventurers of all ages. You really don’t have to be a sportsman in his best shape to be able to do it, you just have to find a little bit of courage. 

The full 4-day package includes private transportation, 3 nights in a beautiful hotel with a marvelous view of the Arenal Volcano and 4 great adventure tours. It doesn't include a round-trip air. To see the full program have a look here. There is also a chance to gain a volunteer experience during your trip and participate in helping to a local community. Please let us know if you are interested.

And we have one more surprise for you - the price has changed dramatically. There is a very special opportunity because Tropical Adventures now offers this tour for $599 per person (double-occupancy) with a single supplement of $249 which is 33% less than the normal price. Well, if you book by September 1. You can do it either by calling 1-800-832-9419, Ext 302 or by emailing to info@tropicaladventures.com.

We hope to make this great tour affordable for more people.

(By David Kolesa - Marketing Intern)

I spent my spring break volunteering in Bambu, Costa Rica with Tropical Adventures. On the flight over, I was nervous and excited because this was my first time travelling out of the country by myself and excited to meet everyone in Bambu and experience Costa Rica. When I arrived in San Jose, I was greeted by Manuel who drove me to my hostel, Casa Yoses. The hostel was both clean and friendly, and I enjoyed my night there. The next day Manuel picked me up and drove me to the bus stop where I caught a bus to Puerto Viejo. Isaac picked me up in Puerto Viejo, and we ate lunch and discussed what volunteering in Bambu would be like. His biggest piece of advice was to "go with the flow," and it turned out to be excellent advice.   

Bambu was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I stayed with a family, which really added to the experience. During the days, I volunteered at the retirement center and the school. The people at the retirement center were really appreciative of the volunteers, and it was great spending time with them and getting to know each individually. The school was fun too, and the children were very excited for their English lesson!

After volunteering, it was great to return home to my family and eat lunch with them. After lunch, I either participated in a tour or spent time with my family. I did the Panama Waterfall Tour on my first day in Bambu, and it was a great introduction to the week. Ito and I took a boat ride out to the waterfall and spent a couple hours swimming there. It was beautiful!

I was sad to leave my family at the end of the week, and I would love to return one day. I only spent a week in Bambu, but the people were so friendly and open, that by the end, I felt as if I belonged there. Likewise, I was very happy to volunteer through Tropical Adventures because they really took care of me. Susan practically organized the whole trip- all I had to do was book my flight! Tropical Adventures booked my transportation, housing, and meals; they made it easy for an outsider to get an inside look at Costa Rica.  

 We worked hard at the ASIS animal rescue center. The work we did was really needed, not some tourist made up projects. I became the segunda madre a tres mapachitos - 2nd mother to three little raccoons. I miss them and am going to have to go back to be sure they continue to do okay.     

This was my second Tropical Adventure trip and I defintely be back for another next year!”