New infrastructure in Irazú Volcano National Park was inaugurated by the Costa Rican government on Friday. New access control points, parking areas, exhibition room, and the Potrero Cerrado Viewpoint are some of the new facilities available for tourists.

The total investment was of $872,809.00 USD and it was executed by the Tourism Program Strengthening Project consolidated under a loan contract by the Costa Rican Government and the Inter-American Development Bank. This project has the objective of improving the current touristic infrastructure and the development of new construction projects in different protected areas that have a high potential and that are part of priority zones to promote tourism in the country.

“With this new infrastructure, the Environmental Administration expects to attract more visitors, and with this have higher income and financial sustainability for the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) and in particular for the Protected Wildlife Areas. All these improvements translate into a social-economic and environmental benefit for the municipality and the nearby communities”, stated Mario Coto Hidalgo, Executive Director of SINAC.

The Irazú volcano is the highest volcano in Costa Rica, standing at 3,432 meters above sea level, has easy access and is close to the city (31km or 20miles from Cartago) , it has five different craters and impressive views. In clear days, both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans can be seen from its peak. With the use of a telescope the Nicaragua Lake can be spotted.
The area known as Prusia has 16 kilometers (10 miles) of natural trails that can be explored.

The average temperature here is of 5 to 9°C (41-48°F), several rivers originate in these mountains. It is also an strategic point for the country’s telecommunications due to its altitude and position.