Costa Rica National Park ~ Day Trip San Jose CR
Costa Rica Parks, Poas Lodge, La Paz Restaurant, Botanical Gardens
Costa Rica National Park : Poas Lodge visitors center was a stop on the Volcan Poas crater and La Paz waterfalls day tour from San Jose Costa Rica. The Botanical Gardens, tropical birds aviary and butterflies conservancy were a bonus!
Costa Rica parks tour first stopped for breakfast at a coffee plantation with coffee beans growing, and included lunch here at La Paz Waterfalls restaurant. Our guide had related the tale of the terremoto, and now we better appreciated our surroundings. See pictures of another Costarican National Park at Irazu, also a day tour from San Jose.
Costa Rica National Park at Poas - Day Tours from San Jose 
The thing about Poas and La Paz volcano is that it sits right at cloud level, and the mists you see in the picture are the norm.
This area had been blanketed in fog for the past two weeks, with a drizzly rain falling much of the time.
Tours try to get here as early as possible for the best chance of clear weather.
The boardwalk (photo) took us on a curving path down the hillside past a lush garden area to one of the aviaries and the butterfly conservancy.
Team of Oxen Pull Colorful Cart at Poas National Park in Costa Rica 
Wood wheels on pavement announced the arrival of this painted cart pulled by two oxen.
This area is below the gift shop and restaurant. From here, paths take you to the water falls trail, a museum and the snake house (herpetary). I didn't go in the snake house.
I was glad I hadn't when another tour group member said they'd arrived at feeding time and it wasn't pretty.
Feeding time at the zoo' is not just an expression, apparently. And the living food was offputting. Thank heavens it was After Lunch :-)
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La Paz Waterfall Gardens Restaurant stop on Poas Costa Rica Day Tour 
This large buidling is a Visitor Center and restaurant. Ramps lead from here to the boardwalk and gardens in the top photo.
Our tour had gone directly from the coffee plantation to Volcan Poas crater, hoping the clouds would lift so we could see the lagoon.
Here at the Gardens, we admired these tropical plants, some with spikes and thorns. I wondered aloud the name of one of them.
"That's a Leverite," said J.R, from Utah.
"A Leverite?" I challenged.
"Yep, as in 'Leave 'er right there," he replied. "And that one's a Canardly."
"You Can 'ardly tell what it is."
And so the tone was set for a delightful lunch.
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Delicious Lunch stop at La Paz Waterfalls Gardens Restaurant Costa Rica 
Inside the restaurant, open to the gardens at the front, buffet tables were filled with all sorts of tasty dishes.
A seriously good lunch: Thin crust pizzas, lasagna, veggies, salads, fresh juices, fruits, beef, chicken, pastas and desserts.
After our hike to the crater and back, then down to the waterfalls AND back up, in the rain and wind, we tucked into our food much as I imagine the snakes had done to theirs.
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Veranda at La Paz Waterfalls Restaurant, Poas Costa Rica 
In this picture, you can see the heavy mists filling the valley. The buildings, though, were lovely to explore, as were the birds, hummingbirds feeders and butterflies.
I learned later that the day AFTER I was here, the skies cleared, and the views into La Paz crater were wonderful.
Arenal, another very active volcano north east of Poas, is similarly capricious in showing off its fireworks.
No one had seen the famed Arenal for the better part of a month due to bad weather.
Though January, when I was here, is in the dry season (November to May), the weather had been unusually chilly and very windy. Some blamed the cold and storms from North America, while others said January is always very windy.
For me, this Poas Costa Rica National Park tour was one of the best, because bad weather or not, there is much to see, and much of it out of the elements.
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- Good food!
Add A CommentKaren - March 21, 2010, 10:13 am
Hi Teena,
Thanks for your kind words!
And I like your food pictures, too!
I really liked Costa Rica, and can see why so many people move there.
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