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​Today kids were supposed to play soccer at the local club but since it was cancelled last minute we decided to see an active volcano instead.
Poas Volcano is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Costa Rica, and for a good reason. Even the drive to see Poas is breathtaking, moss covered roads lead us to a completely different climate. The shade of green changes from dark green to light moss, the temperature changes from hot to cold, the air from heavy to crisp and cold. You see large white cows graze on mossy hills, hiding from the rain between the trees. Strawberries grown in volcanic soil are for sale everywhere and taste perfectly delicious, super sweet and crunchy at the same time.
We arrived to the Poas National Park around 9 am, the clouds were still very light but we were worried about not being able to see the view so we rushed through the first leg of the  hike. We were lucky, the clouds stayed out of the crater. The view was spectacular. After you see the volcano, you hike to see Lake Botos that fills an inactive crater. It is cold and clear, and is surrounded by a cloud forest located within the Poás Volcano National Park.
The hiking trails in the park are purely magical. While on the walk it feels  tough the woods are hugging you, you breathe the cold mountain air. You become part of the cloud forest as if you were a mountain creature living here surrounded by nature. We did all the hikes even though the rain was brutal at the end, it still was fun.

Tips on visiting Poas:
1. Go early, as early as you can to avoid the crowds. This is a magical place and the magic disappears when you hear multiple conversations in English around you.
2. Buy the strawberries on the road.
3. Bring sweaters and rain ponchos if you are going in the rainy season. We got soaked on the hike and since our raincoats were short our legs were freezing.
4. Plan to stop for lunch on the way back. Lots of good restaurants with amazing views.
5. After the lake view take the long way back (going up) there is a lot of educational tablets that are fun to read.