Photo essay: a day in the Central Valley of Costa Rica in June
Some strange things happen in the wet season. We went to see a volcano expecting to find a crater(s), a lava flow(s), a desolated land… Instead, we found bucolic landscapes filled with lush greenery, misty trees and shy cows. As for the volcano, it decided to hide behind a shroud of clouds. There were no views of craters or rocky formations. The reward came in a series of unexpected photos of a mysterious foggy land perfectly suitable as a backdrop for some fairy tale.
For geography buffs: the Irazú Volcano (Spanish: Volcán Irazú) is an active volcano situated near the city of Cartago. It measures 11,260 feet (3,432 m) above the sea level, which makes it the highest volcano in Costa Rica. On a clear day, it is possible to see both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans from the top of Irazú. However, the clear days are quite rare and the summit is covered with clouds almost all year.