The Latin America country of Costa Rica sits along the famous "Ring of Fire", a region surrounding the Pacific from Japan to Alaska and South America and distinguished by volcanic and seismic activity. As you fly into Juan Santamaria International Airport, , you'll possibly pass over three active volcanoes: Poas Volcano, just miles from the airport; Irazu Volcano, known for erupting the day in 1963 that Presidenta John Kennedy visited Costa Rica; and Irazu's sister volcano, Turrialba.
All are favourite Costa Rica attractions for the thousands of tourists visiting this little country every year.
With occasional exceptions, Turrialba has been essentially dormant since the mid-19th century when it erupted so furiously that ash spread as far north as Nicaragua. However, it's beginning to show signs that it may be awakening. Within the last few months, , it suddenly shot volcanic ash ash into the atmosphere and showed enough seismic activity that seismologists issued an evacuation alert for a few dozen people living along its slopes.
Found about 27 miles from San Jose, Costa Rica's capitol, it commands a lightly populated area of farms and cattle ranches.
Its mountainous slopes are also home to a wide selection of plant and animal life, including many exotic birds and animals.
It is one of only a handful of active volcanoes in the world where travellers are generally permitted to walk within its crater. However, just reaching the volcano itself is often an adventure in itself because the only way to get to the summit is by a poorly maintained road (more of a rut-filled trail really) which is often impassable during the rainy season.
Below Turrialba is the mysterious Lost City of Guyabo, now a national monument and one of just two places in Central and South America that have been designated an International Heritage of Civil Engineering---the other being Machu Pichu. Nobody knows the true name of the lost city or virtually anything of its residents except that they lived in the area for centuries or more, then mysteriously vanished about the time that Christopher Columbus landed along the Caribbean coast and named the wonderful area he saw "Costa Rica."
The only traces they left behind were wide, paved roads (now leading into impenetrable forests ), aqueducts that still hold water after 500 years of disuse, and beautiful stone petroglyphs carvings.
Though lightly visited, Turrialba and Guyabo are Costa Rica attractions you ought to think about taking in on your next Costa Rica vacation.
And, one more thing, if you have a hankering to experience the only volcano on the planet where you can drive to its summit and see the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at the same time (on a clear day), visit Turrialba's sister, Irazu.
About the Author:
With winter right round the corner, it is time for some tropical fun and now you've got a chance to win a free Costa Rica vacation. While there, take a walk on the wild side, visit pretty Turrialba Volcano.
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