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Volcano Tourism – Central and South American Examples 95

Table 7.1 Main volcano national parks in Central and South America

Volcanic national park Country Description
Nevado De Colima Mexico Two volcanoes are located within the boundaries of this 55,500-acre park. The dormant
National Park 4335m Nevado de Colima is visited frequently by European mountaineers. The foothills of this
volcano are covered with pine, fir and oak forests inhabited by falcons, hummingbirds and
many species of reptiles. A second volcano with active vents, Volcán de Fuego (3600m) is also
located within the park.
Pico De Tancítaro Mexico The Tancítaro volcano is the main attraction in this 73,290-acre park. Forests of pine and fir
National Park situated on steep slopes offer beautiful scenery and ample opportunities exist to hike or rock climb.
Pacaya Volcano Guatemala In June 2001 the Pacaya volcano was made a national park. Located 50km to the south-west
National Park of Guatemala City, it is close enough for a daytrip yet far enough for a wild natural adventure.
It has four peaks: Cerro Chiquito, Cerro de Agua, Cerro Chino and Pico Mackenney. The active
crater is at the top of Pico Mackenney and is always throwing ash, water vapour and lapilli
(small stones) up into the sky, and at least once a year it pours out lava. Since the volcano was
included into the Pacaya National Park a trail to the summit has been opened, with rest areas,
direction signs and trash bins along the way. Park rangers are employed, meaning that it is
becoming ever more safe for climbers without guides.

Masaya Volcano Nicaragua Masaya is a large basaltic volcanic caldera located 20km south of Managua, the capital of
National Park Nicaragua. It is Nicaragua’s first and largest national park (1979), and one of 78 protected areas
in the country. The park has an area of 54km and includes two volcanoes and five craters.The
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park consists of a complex volcano with three craters that have formed one larger boiler. These
are in constant activity and present lava outflows at different times. The park area contains
various species in danger of extinction and is a representative sample of a Tropical Dry Forest.
Arenal Volcano Costa Rica Arenal volcano is the most spectacularly active one in Costa Rica. Many people visit this park
National Park at night to watch the lava flows and red hot boulders ejected from the volcano glow in the
darkness. Although eruptions are the main attraction, visitors should be aware that even in the
dry season the clouds sometimes obscure the top of the volcano, and the chances of seeing a
pyroclastic display are lessened in the rainy season.
Irazú Volcano Costa Rica The park that includes the Irazu volcano covers 2309ha, its highest point being 3432 metres
National Park above sea level. The park is remarkable because of its surreal lunar landscape. There are two
main craters, one is called the ‘Diego de la Haya’ and contains a strangely coloured lake (some
days it’s light green and others it’s red) and the other is 300 metres deep. Irazú has erupted
frequently in historical times — at least 23 times since its first well-recorded eruption in 1723.
Its most famous recent eruption began in 1963 and continued until 1965. It is easily visited
from the capital San José, with a road leading right up to the summit craters and a weekly bus
service to the top. It is thus a popular tourist spot.
Poás Volcano Costa Rica The park covers 5600ha, and the Poás basaltic volcano stands at an altitude of 2708m above
National Park sea level. It is one of the few volcanoes that people can drive almost all the way to the rim –
(Figure 7.1) within 300m of the edge of one of the world’s largest active craters (1.5km wide). The viewing
terrace gives a bird’s-eye view 320m down into the volcano, with its greenish sulphuric pool.
The volcano has had a long history of eruptions, going back as much as 11 million years. On
25 January 1910, it ejected 640,000 tons of ash, and in the period 1952–1954 it bombarded
nearby areas with ash and rocks. Since then, Poás has maintained a low profile, but in 1989
the park was closed because of dangerous sulphurous gas emissions. Its geyser-like eruptions
of muddy water and steam have also given it the reputation as the world’s largest geyser.

Rincón De La Vieja Costa Rica Rincón de la Vieja (1895m), an active volcano in a period of relative calm, is the largest of five
National Park that make up the Cordillera de Guanacaste. It is composed of nine separate but contiguous
craters, with dormant Santa María (1916m) the tallest and most easterly. Its crater harbours a
forest-rimmed lake popular with quetzals, linnets and tapirs. The main crater,Von Seebach,
sometimes called the Rincón de la Vieja crater, still steams. Lake Los Jilgueros lies between
the two craters. The last serious eruption was in 1983 though lava and acid gases were
ejected on 8 May 1991, causing destructive lahars.

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