If you’re looking for adventure (and maybe a delicious cup of fresh coffee), the Poás Volcano, La Paz Waterfall and Coffee Plantation Tour was made for you. Learn how Costa Rican coffee beans are cultivated at the Doka Estate Coffee Plantation, where you can also taste-test the richly flavored final product. Afterwards, you’ll visit the La Paz Waterfall Gardens, so named for the five falls and gorgeous greenery that flourishes there.
Overview
If you’re looking for fun activities to do while visiting San José, the day-long La Paz Waterfall, Poás Volcano and Coffee Planation Tour is a great way to learn more about Costa Rica while witnessing the country’s amazing beauty.
Friendly guides can take you along gorgeous garden trails, where you have the chance to photograph the flora and fauna of Costa Rica’s famous biodiversity, to the famed waterfalls for which the La Paz Waterfall Gardens are named.
You’ll also get a peek at the rich agriculture that yields fragrant Doka coffee at the Doka Estate Coffee Plantation, from seedlings all the way to brewing. With so much to see, hear and taste, you may end up wishing the day would never end.
Picking Coffee at Doka Estates
The Poas Volcano, Doka Estate & La Paz Waterfall Combo Tour begins with transportation from San José to the Doka Coffee Plantation via air-conditioned coach. Before you embark, be sure you’re wearing closed-toed shoes suitable for hiking and comfortable clothing you can easily move around in.
Since the Poás Volcano & La Paz Waterfall Gardens are in a cloud forest, it’s also recommended to bring a raincoat, as the chances of a mid-afternoon shower are high. If you forget, no need to panic – raincoats and other gear are available for purchase at the Gardens.
Doka Coffee Plantation
Is there any better way to start a tour than with a complimentary breakfast? Upon arriving at the Doka Coffee Plantation, you’ll be treated to a tasty breakfast spread accompanied by fragrant Doka coffee. Once you’ve completed the most important meal of the day, a guide will accompany you on a mountain hike and then around the plantation.
You’ll have the opportunity to learn not only how the Doka Estate grows its prized coffee beans, but also the history of its agricultural technique. Here, coffee beans are traditionally cultivated with natural crop protection. After seeing the preparation and roasting process, you’re welcome to have your own cup of the Tres Generaciones Coffee to taste the result of all that hard work.
Poás Volcano
The crater of Poás Volcano is over a mile across and over 1000 feet deep. The two small lakes at the bottom formed when craters filled with rainwater. The water interacts differently in each with the geological properties of the volcano. One crater is highly volatile while the other is inert.
On the active crater, the water has a pH level close to zero making the liquid acidic and toxic. It still has a bright blue color that contrasts sharply against the rock.
Hot geysers are frequent resulting in heated rocks on the floor of the volcano expand and contract to form underground chambers. Moisture from rain sinks down through these cracks and becomes trapped. Geothermal heat evaporates underground water and creates pressurized steam bursting through the rock throwing plumes of mud and debris. Some of these spectacular explosions are as high as 800 feet.
La Paz Waterfall Gardens
The second part of the tour commences with lunch at La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Named for the five waterfalls it contains, this park boasts a number of trails and educational exhibits you won’t want to miss, including:
- Butterfly Observatory
- Aviary
- Trout Lake
- Ranarium
- Serpentarium
With breathtaking views and unique wildlife, La Paz Waterfall Gardens is a brilliant example of the beauty Costa Rica has to offer.
