Barva Volcano

What do you get when you combine beautiful Costa Rican scenery with a towering volcano? The Barva Volcano in Braulio Carrillo National Park, of course! Measuring approximately 62 square miles, this massive mountain provides San Jose Costa Rica car hire travelers with hours of outdoor excitement, including some of the best hiking trails in the country. So why waste another day holed up inside your San Jose hotel? Get out and explore this amazing natural attraction with a little help from your San Jose Costa Rica car hire.

A history of the volcano

While the Barva Volcano may look intimidating, it's really just an illusion. The mount has been dormant for more than 3,000 years. Reports of a minor eruption date back to 1772, but these lava flows are now believed to be the result of a massive earthquake, rather than a full-out eruption. With that being said, the volcano is considered a safe tourist attract for San Jose Costa Rica car hire travelers to frequent.

Go take a hike

The Barva Volcano is known far and wide for housing some of the best hiking paths in the San Jose area. Visitors will find four major trails snaking through the Braulio Carrillo National Park's Barva section: Stag Horn Path (also known as the Sendero Cacho Venado), the Barva Lagoon Path, Copey Lagoon Trail, and the Vara Blanca Lookout Path. San Jose Costa Rica car hire travelers that are interested in tackling these paths are encouraged to take advantage of the park's early 7:00am opening time. The most common hiking route begins at Stag Horn Path (1.5 hours) and hooks onto the Barga Lagoon Path (1 hour). From there, you can easily hop onto the Copey Lagoon Trail (2 hours) before connecting to the Vara Blanca Lookout Path (1 hour). The full Barva Volcano hike, with picnic lunch, takes about 6 hours to complete.

What you'll see during your visit

San Jose Costa Rica car hire travelers will discover a wide variety of flora and fauna while visiting the Barva Volcano. Wildlife- and bird-watching are two extremely popular park pastimes – hikers and scientists have reported seeing 23 mammal species, 75 bird species, and nine arachnid species. San Jose Costa Rica car hire travelers should keep an eye out for species like the resplendent quetzal, the golden-browed chlorophonia, the flame-throated warbler, and multiple kinds of hummingbirds. Animals like pumas, jaguars, ocelots and deer are also commonly spotted along the four major Barva Volcano trails.

How to get there

San Jose Costa Rica car hire travelers can access the Barva Volcano section of the Braulio Carillo National Park via Heredia. Travel north through the towns of Barva, San Hose de la Montana, Paso Llano and Sacramento. The road from Sacramento to the Barva Sector ranger station is about 2.2 miles long. Be careful – this section of road is very rocky and potholed; best to reserve an all-wheel drive vehicle from Avanti if you're planning on making the trip!

Facilities at the volcano

The Barva Sector ranger station offers San Jose Costa Rica car hire travelers tons of local information as well as camping facilities. It's worth noting that the Barva Sector is the only area in the Braulio Carrillo National Park that permits camping. San Jose Costa Rica car hire travelers should plan to bring plenty of supplies with them when camping at the Barva Volcano. Temperatures are known to drop below freezing at night, and the rains can come on quite quickly. Always remember to pack suitable hiking gear and emergency supplies in your San Jose Costa Rica car hire. The Barva Sector of the Braulio Carrillo National Park is open from 7:00am to 4:00pm. The feee to visit the park is $8 a day. For more information on the Barva Sector, please contact the Barva Sector Ranger Station at 2261-2619.