Fodor's Expert Review Barva Volcano

This 9,500-foot volcanic summit is the highest point in Braulio Carrillo National Park. Dormant for 300 years now, Barva is massive and easily visible from downtown San José: its lower slopes are almost completely planted with coffee fields and hold more than a dozen small towns, nearly all of which are named after saints. On the upper slopes are pastures lined with exotic pines and the occasional native oak or cedar, giving way to the botanical diversity of the cloud forest near the top. The air is usually cool near the summit, which combines with the pines and pastures to evoke European or North American mountain landscapes.

If you feel intrepid enough to make this trip, bring rain gear, boots, and a warm shirt. Stay on the trail when hiking anywhere in Braulio Carrillo; even experienced hikers who know the area have lost their way up here, and the rugged terrain makes wandering through the woods very dangerous. In addition, muggings of hikers have been reported in the park (this is the closest national park to San José and its attendant urban problems). Always go with a ranger.