Irazú and Turrialba, the volcanoes above the old capital

Costa Rica's Central Valley, where most of the population lives, is a high, fertile basin ringed by volcanoes. Its climate is mild all year, often described as a land of eternal spring, and its rich volcanic soils grow some of the best coffee in the world. The capital, San José, lies in its western part. But for the first three centuries of Spanish rule, the capital was at Cartago, in the east of the valley, beneath the volcano of Irazú.

Cartago, the old capital

Cartago was founded by the Spanish in 1563 and remained the capital until 1823, when, after a short civil war following independence, the government moved to San José. The city's history has been shaped by the ground beneath it. Earthquakes destroyed much of Cartago several times, most severely in 1841 and 1910. The great church of Santiago Apóstol, in the centre, was damaged so often that after the 1910 earthquake it was never finished. Its roofless stone walls now stand in a garden as a monument to the city's misfortunes.

Cartago is also the religious heart of Costa Rica. Its Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels houses La Negrita, a small dark stone statue of the Virgin found, according to tradition, by a young girl in 1635. She is the patron saint of the country. Each year, around the feast day of 2 August, enormous numbers of pilgrims walk to the basilica from all over the country, some of them covering the last stretch on their knees.

Irazú

Above Cartago rises Irazú, at more than three thousand four hundred metres the highest active volcano in Costa Rica. A road winds up its slopes, through dairy farms and fields of potatoes and onions, almost to the summit, which makes it one of the most accessible active volcanoes in the world. At the top, a landscape of grey ash and stunted vegetation surrounds several craters. In the main crater, a lake has at times filled the bottom with strangely coloured water, though it has dried out in recent years. On rare, very clear mornings, both the Pacific and the Caribbean can be seen from the summit.

Irazú has a famous history. In March 1963, it began an eruption that lasted more than two years. Ash fell on San José and the Central Valley, covering roofs and streets, damaging crops and blocking drains. The eruption began just as President John F. Kennedy arrived in Costa Rica for a summit of Central American leaders. Early morning is the best time to visit, before the clouds roll in.

Below Irazú, the Orosi Valley is one of the prettiest corners of the Central Valley, a green bowl of coffee plantations, rivers and small towns. The town of Orosi has one of the oldest churches still in use in Costa Rica, a simple whitewashed colonial building of the eighteenth century, which has survived the region's earthquakes. Nearby are the ruins of another colonial church at Ujarrás, and the valley's coffee farms offer tours.

Turrialba

Irazú's neighbour, Turrialba, lies to the north-east, above the town of the same name. It was quiet for more than a century, and visitors used to be able to walk down into its crater. Then, from 2010 onwards, it came back to life, with a series of explosive eruptions that scattered ash across the Central Valley and at times forced the closure of San José's airport. Access to the summit has been restricted for long periods since. The town of Turrialba below, in a valley of coffee and sugar cane, is a base for white-water rafting on the Pacuare River, often counted among the most beautiful rafting rivers in the world.

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Explore Worldwide's Upgraded Costa Rica Wildlife, thirteen nights, includes Irazú volcano and the Turrialba valley with Tortuguero, Arenal, Monteverde, Dominical, the Osa Peninsula and Corcovado. Explore Worldwide's Costa Rica Wildlife Tour, fourteen nights, includes Turrialba and the Pacuare River.

The summit of Irazú is cold and often windy, even in the tropics, so take warm clothes. And check the current state of both volcanoes before going. They are still very much alive.