Published on Thursday, April 11, 2024

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Admission to the Poás Volcano National Park in Alajuela Province was closed after a strong eruption registered on Thursday, announced the National System of Conservation Areas (Sinac).

According to Sinac, the official entity in charge of managing Costa Rica's national parks and wildlife reserves, today's eruption suggests that a more strong eruption is possible, endangering the safety of visitors, park rangers, and staff.

Authorities have not determined how long the park will be closed to visitors.

The Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (Ovsicori) reported the most recent eruption on Thursday at 9:15 a.m. There was recorded a continued column of gasses over 1,600 feet above the crater. During the eruption, tremors with frequency ranging from 1.5 to 4 hertz were recorded. There were no reports of solid-material outbursts in recent hours.

This is the second closing this month. Last week, officials restricted entrance to the park for five days before reopening it on Monday.

Tourists who purchased an entrance ticket for one of these two days may apply for a refund or reschedule their visit to the park.

Those affected by the closure may submit an email to poas.info@sinac.go.cr. To reschedule the trip, customers must provide the preferred date and time to access the park.

If the visitors want a refund for the cost of the ticket, they must send the request to the same email address, including a copy of the ID, a copy of the ticket, a copy of the bill or proof of payment, and the bank account number where they want to receive the refund.

Sinac has set up a Spanish-language hotline (506) 2522-6500 to solve tourist inquiries.

Due to the nonstop eruptions, authorities issued a Green Alert, which covers the cantons of Alajuela City, Poás, Grecia, Sarchí, Zarcero and Naranjo in Alajuela Province.

In March, specialists at Costa Rica's Volcanological and Seismological Observatory (Ovsicori) reported a steady increase in the number of eruptions from the Poás Volcano.  

Recently, Cyrill Müller, a volcanologists expert, explained their strategy to continue monitoring the eruption levels in a video filmed from the point closest to the crater.

The volcano's national park covers an area of approximately 16,000 acres. Its summit is 8,900 ft. Depending on conditions, visitors can walk to the edge of the main crater.

The main crater is 950 feet wide and highly active, with regular minor geyser and lava outbursts. There are two additional craters: Von Frantzius and Botos. 

The Botos Crater is a popular tourist attraction since it is a covered freezing green lake with a diameter of 1,200 feet.

The park protects a diverse range of natural plant and animal species, including various bird species such as the clay-colored robin, dazzling quetzal, hummingbirds, tanagers, flycatchers, and toucans. The park's mammals include coyotes, rabbits, and marmots among others.

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