turrialba volcano

This protected area is located in the canton of Turrialba in the province of Cartago, in the easternmost part of the Central Volcanic Range, 24 km northwest of the city of Turrialba.

The Turrialba volcano forms a single system together with the Irazú Volcano. It is an oval-shaped stratovolcano and its formation is due to explosive and effusive lava events, it has three craters with the presence of lava flows on its flanks. Two possible cones were developed on its slopes: Cerro Tiendilla at 2971 m a.s.l. and the Armado at 2750 m asl, where it is possible to find two life zones, according to Holdridge’s classification: Tropical Humid Forest and Very Humid Premontane Forest.

It has a maximum elevation of 3,340 m above sea level, being the second highest volcano in the country, registers an average temperature of 16 ºC, as well as an average rainfall of 3,000 mm to 4,000 mm. The Turrialba Volcano National Park was created by article 6 of Law No. 1917 of July 30, 1955, published in La Gaceta 175 of August 9 of that same year, indicating that its perimeter is given by two kilometers in diameter around of the active crater, which gives a total of 1256 hectares.