This weekend we take you to Central America’s largest volcano by volume : Volcán Barva , just 35 km from San José! With foggy trails, crater lagoons and lush jungle, it’s the perfect spot for a challenging and refreshing day of hiking 🥾
Our Experience at Volcán Barva 🌫️
We stopped for homemade ice cream in Barva (a must 🍦), then kept going until we hit the gravel road that leads to the park.
Once parked, we grabbed a cup of hot chocolate at the little stand near the entrance. The park ranger gave us a quick rundown of the routes and off we went.
☁️ Fog, Berries & Dense Forest
1 km in, we took a left to the Vara Blanca viewpoint. Along the way we saw wild blackberries and a forest so dense it felt like a tree tunnel. At the viewpoint: only fog.
So we pushed forward toward Laguna Barva, the park’s largest lagoon. But halfway there — torrential rain 🌧️
We threw on our jackets and arrived frozen to the lagoon deck. Good thing we had hot chocolate. It helped us warm up while waiting for the rain to stop.
🦌 Return via Cacho de Venado
The sky began to clear, so on the way back we took the longer, shadier Cacho de Venado trail. We rejoined the main road and reached the entrance just as the others were arriving — we were already soaked, tired, and happy.
📏 Summary
- Total hike: 11.2 km
- Time: Just over 2 hours
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate
- Altitude: 2700 masl