It is just a few minutes away from the Juan Santamaria International Airport. So many travelers stay here and in surrounding cities when they arrive or just before leaving the country. From the airport to San José you can either take a cab (airport cabs are orange), take a bus just outside or rent a car and take the highway to San José.

Poás has a maximum height of 2.708 m. It is amazingly beautiful and is one of the few volcanoes that are accessible by road almost to the crater edge. Its shape is subconical The upper part has three caldera depressions. The main crater is huge, it has almost 2 km in diameter. At the bottom of this crater there is a lagoon some 350 m across. It experiences cyclical eruptions similar to those of a geyser, which consists of columns of muddy water and steam that can rise up to several kilometers. There is a trail that will take you to a lookout point for a lagoon.
It is advisable to take warm cloths and comfortable shoes. It can rain, so rainwear is also a good option.

How to get there
By car:
From San José take the Pan american Highway towards the airport. Once you have passed the Toll booth and the first street light take the exit to Alajuela just in front of the Airport and continue that road through Alajuela downtown. Once you pass the town, you will start to climb the mountains and see the coffee plantations that will lead you to the Poás Volcano National Park.

By bus:
 Buses leave from San José everyday at 8:00 am and it returns at 4:00 pm. Buses leave at 2nd Avenue, 12th and 14th Streets. Phone: 222-5325.

The town of Sarchí is famous in Costa Rica for its souvenir shops and stores, and specially for its wooden, painted oxen carts. The town is located some 30 km northeast of the city of Alajuela. Here you will fine exquisite wood crafts and all sorts of gifts. The cute little church is also a nice view.

How to get there
By car:
 From San José take the
autopista
 towards the international airport, but stay to the right and follow the sign for San Ramon. Continue on this road for some 15-20 minutes until you see a sign for Sarchí. Exit there and keep going through the countryside. As you come up over a hill you will see a large red church ahead on the left side (town of Grecia). Three blocks before the church, turn left. Continue straight for approximately 5 blocks until an intersection. Make a left. Keep driving and soon you will find some of the craft stores.

By bus:
From San José
 buses leave on 18th Street, 5th and 7th Avenues. On weekdays buses leave at 12:15.

From Alajuela
 buses leave at Zero and First Avenues, 8th Street. There are buses every 30 minutes until 10 pm, both ways.