Costa Rica is known for great views at a few of its volcanoes. Poas is one with a wonderful view of the crater (if you happen to be there when there isn’t complete cloud cover). After checking out the crater, you can also hike up through an awesome, fairy-tale-like path to the lake at even higher elevation than the crater.

If you want to see either the lake or the crater, however, you’d better cross your fingers. When I arrived at the crater I literally couldn’t see 3 feet in front of me because the clouds were so thick (see the pic above). We decided to hike up to the lake and it was the same there. We had some patience and stuck it out for about 20 minutes, however, and everything cleared and we were able to get some great views. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always clear and numerous people have told me that they never got to see anything at Poas. It’s definitely worth a quick trip if you have the time, but be prepared for it to be a bust if it’s not a clear day.