Above Alajuela, the scenic drive up Poás Volcano takes you through quintessential coffee country, with rows of shiny dark-green bushes creating artistic patterns on the sensuous slopes. Farther up, coffee gives way to fern gardens and fields of strawberries grown under black shade netting, then dairy pastures separated by forests of cedar and pine.

There are three routes to Poás Volcano National Park. All lead via Poasito, the uppermost village on the mountain and a popular way station for hungry sightseers.

Alajuela to Vara Blanca via Carrizal: From Alajuela, Avenida 7 exits town and turns uphill via Carrizal and Cinco Esquinas to Vara Blanca, a village nestled just beyond the saddle between Barva and Poás Volcanoes on the edge of the Continental Divide about 25 kilometers north of Alajuela. At Vara Blanca, you can turn west for Poás Volcano National Park, or descend northward via the marvelously scenic valley of the Río Sarapiquí to the Northern Zone. Be sure to stop in at La Paz Waterfall Gardens, just north of Vara Blanca, before continuing on your way.

Alajuela to Poasito via San Isidro: From downtown Alajuela, Calle 2 leads north through the heart of coffee country. At San Isidro de Alajuela, about seven kilometers above Alajuela, a turn leads four kilometers west to Doka Estate (tel. 506/449-5152, fax 506/449-6427, www.dokaestate.com, 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Mon.–Sat., by reservation on Sun.), at Sabanilla de Alajuela, and a great place to learn about coffee production and processing. This privately owned coffee plantation and mill offers the Doka Coffee Tour ($15; an optional lunch costs $7), where visitors are taught the age-old techniques of coffee growing, milling, and roasting. There’s a coffee-tasting room and gift store, and an open-air restaurant with magnificent views. It also offers coffee-themed folkloric shows on Thursday at 9 p.m. Also here: a Bonsairetum, or bonsai farm! The same family also runs La Casa del Café La Luisa (tel. 506/449-6035, 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Fri.–Sun.), a lovely café perched above the coffee fields three kilometers north of San Isidro de Alajuela.

Colinas del Poás (tel. 506/482-2605 www.colinasdelpoas.com), at Fraijanes, has a canopy tour (9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., $45) plus trout fishing.

Alajuela to Poasita via San Pedro: A more common route to Poás is via San José de Alajuela, San Pedro, and Sabana Redondo. San José de Alajuela, about three kilometers west of Alajuela, is a village at a major junction: west (Hwy. 3) for La Garita and northwest to Grecia, Sarchí and San Ramón. The road to Poás begins at Cruce de Grecia y Poas, one kilometer along the road to Grecia. From here it’s uphill all the way via the pretty hamlet of San Pedro.

The road merges with the road via San Isidro at Fraijanes and continues two kilometers uphill to Poasito.

La Casa del Café La Hilda (tel. 506/448-6632, 7 a.m.–5 p.m. daily), a coffee shop overlooking the coffee fields, makes for a pleasant stop.

Getting There

Buses (tel. 506/449-5141) for Poasito depart Alajuela from Avenida Central, Calle 10, at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 4:15 p.m., and 6:15 p.m. Return buses depart at 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. Buses operate hourly, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. weekends.