Cordillera Central (Costa Rica) Mountains

The Cordillera Central is a central volcanic mountain range in Costa Rica that runs through provinces including Cartago and Heredia and contains several prominent volcanoes. It forms part of Costa Rica’s volcanic axis and hosts multiple protected areas and national parks.

The range includes active and dormant volcanoes that are the focus of popular national parks and viewpoints, with accessible crater areas, cloud forests and montane habitats. Key visitor sites within the range include parks around Poás and Irazú, which offer crater viewpoints, trails and interpretive facilities when conditions permit.

Formed by volcanic activity along the Central American volcanic arc, the Cordillera Central’s peaks are products of long-term volcanism and tectonic processes. Human use of the highlands has included agriculture, protected-area designation and tourism development around major volcanoes.

The range runs across central Costa Rica, crossing provinces such as Cartago and Heredia, and sits between the Central Valley to the west and lower Caribbean slopes to the east. Many peaks are accessible from San José and nearby towns by road.

• Volcanic chain: The Cordillera Central is a volcanic mountain range in central Costa Rica containing several prominent volcanoes and multiple national parks.

What to See#

• Poás Volcano: Poás Volcano area and national park, featuring an active stratovolcano with a crater lake and accessible visitor facilities when open to the public.
• Irazú Volcano: Irazú Volcano area and national park, containing one of Costa Rica’s highest volcanoes and crater viewpoints used for observation of volcanic landscapes.

Central Costa Rica’s cordillera is accessed from San José by regional roads (Inter-American Highway and mountain routes) depending on the specific reserve or town. Shuttle services and guided tours operate to popular areas like Poás, Irazú and Barva volcanoes and cloud-forest reserves.

• Hire a local guide for volcanic hikes to correctly read the terrain and for safe passage on steep trails.
• Visit coffee plantations or small towns on the range's flanks to experience local culture and microclimates.