Is Poás Volcano open?

Can you visit Poás Volcano right now?

Yes. The park is open in late October 2026 under the reduced-capacity rules set on 28 August 2026, and you can still walk to the crater viewpoint.

The Tico Times reported the new rules the day after an eruption at about 2:36 a.m. on 27 August 2026. The park was never closed for it. The national emergency commission (CNE) declared a green alert for the park on 28 August, and Delfino reported that the measures apply "sin suspender su operación", without stopping the park's operation.

Since then the news has been quiet. On 9 October 2026 a tall white plume over the crater was visible from the Central Valley, and OVSICORI, the volcano observatory, said it was ordinary degassing rather than an eruption (Teletica, 9 October 2026). Nothing closed. We searched the Costa Rican press up to 26 October 2026 and found no newer change to the rules.

What are the Poás visitor rules since 28 August 2026?

A daily cap of 1,064, turns of 56 people for 20 minutes at the viewpoint, mandatory helmets, two open trails and online tickets for a fixed time slot.

The rules came from MINAE through SINAC, with OVSICORI and the CNE watching the volcano. The open trails are the paved main trail to the crater viewpoint, about 700 m and 15 to 20 minutes from the car park, and the short Sendero Sombrilla de Pobre, named after the giant poor man's umbrella leaves. Helmets are required on both. The official notices do not say who supplies them, so ask your tour operator, and if you drive yourself, email the park before your date.

The 20-minute turn is the whole show. Cloud usually fills the crater by 10:30 or 11:00, so the slot you book matters more than anything else you pick. Stay behind the rail, too: since 30 April 2026 Law 10,861 fines anyone entering the crater or other restricted ground CRC 1,386,600 (volcano-guide.com).

Officials can tighten these rules, or close parts of the park, if activity rises. They can also relax them, as SINAC did in February 2025 when it dropped the helmets and the 20-minute limit after a quiet spell (La Nación).

What happened at Poás Volcano in 2026?

A bridge closure in January, a crater-wall collapse in April, small eruptions through the year and a stronger one on 27 August that brought back the limits.

The only full closure of 2026 had nothing to do with the volcano. On 21 January the transport ministry shut the Quebrada Tigre bridge on Route 120 at Poasito for "imminent risk of collapse", and the park closed the same day (Tico Times). It reopened on 29 January, with a nine-tonne weight limit on the bridge (Delfino).

The volcano kept busy. On 10 April part of the crater wall collapsed into the lake, the lake rose about 3 m in days and ash reached Sarchí (Tico Times). Eruptions on 27 and 28 April led to a CNE green alert on 6 May, with no closure. Small eruptions followed on 4 July (CRHoy) and late on 24 July, when rock was thrown about 200 m up and fell back into the crater (Teletica). The full eruption story, including 2025, is in our post on the 2025 and 2026 eruptions.

How do you book a Poás ticket under the new limits?

Online only, through SINAC, for a named person and a fixed time slot. Foreign adults pay US$16.95 including VAT; book the 8:00 or 8:30 entry.

Tickets are sold on SINAC's SICORE system (serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr), never at the gate. Each one carries the visitor's name and passport number, and you enter at the half-hour slot you booked. Foreign adults pay US$15 plus 13% VAT, so US$16.95; children 2 to 12 pay US$5.65; parking is extra, about US$4 to US$6. Our ticket guide walks through the form.

With the cap halved, the early slots go first, and weekends are tighter than weekdays. Don't take the 11 a.m. slot if you can avoid it: you would likely be staring at white cloud. The day tours here with park entry listed book the ticket for you, which is the easy way round the passport form. The volcano, waterfall and coffee day trip is the most-reviewed option, with hotel pickup in San José.

Pickup in San José, the crater first, then La Paz Waterfall and lunch at Hacienda Alsacia. Park entry is included.

★ 4.7 · 1 day · from $139

Explore the volcano, waterfall and coffee day trip → Tour details

What happens to your ticket or tour if Poás closes?

SINAC does not refund for weather, but after an official closure it reschedules by email. A tour cancelled by the operator is refunded; you can cancel most tours yourself up to 24 hours before.

Fog and rain are your risk. SINAC gives no refund if you arrive to a white crater. An official closure is different: when the bridge shut in January 2026, SINAC told ticket holders to reschedule by writing to [email protected], and it offered no refunds.

Tours bought through GetYourGuide are easier. Most tours on this site have free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and when an operator cancels because the park is shut, GetYourGuide refunds the booking. If you drive yourself, the resold park entry ticket also has a 24-hour free cancellation, which SINAC's own ticket lacks. Read its activation steps: the voucher alone does not get you in.

Where can you check if Poás is open before you go?

Check SINAC for the park, OVSICORI for the volcano and the CNE for alerts. Look the evening before and again on the morning of your visit.

Three sources, three different jobs. SINAC runs the park and its ticket system and posts closures and rule changes. OVSICORI, the volcano observatory at the Universidad Nacional, publishes the activity level and weekly bulletins (level 2 of 4, Advertencia, through 2026). The CNE issues the colour alerts for the park and nearby towns.

For a quick read in English, the Tico Times usually covers any change within a day. If a big eruption happens overnight, your tour operator will know before you do. Keep your phone on in the morning, and plan the day so that a closure costs you a waterfall swap rather than your only free day.

Frequently asked questions