Orosí Volcano

The highest mountain of the Orosi Volcano complex is the Volcán Cacao. The summit crater of Cacao, 5.5 km southeast of the actual Orosí is broken on the southwest side shown here due to a landslide.

The Orosi is a complex of extinct volcanoes layer in the northwest of Costa Rica. It is located in the Guanacaste National Park, near the border with Nicaragua. The actual Orosi has a conical shape with, however, heavily eroded flanks. The complex consists of the layer volcanoes Orosi, Orosilito, Pedregal and Cacao. The highest mountain is 1659 m high Cacao, 5.5 km southeast of the actual Orosí. The age of the last volcanic activity Orosí is not known. According to historical reports, the Orosí to be broken in 1844 and 1849, but even at the time of the first volcanological observations at the end of the nineteenth century the Orosí was overgrown with large trees, and the eruptions were most likely take place on neighboring Rincon de la Vieja. The most recent volcanic activity on occupied Orosí produced 3,500 years ago lahars. The area around the volcano is a popular tourist destination mainly because of its rich biodiversity.

At the foot of the mountain, the Maritza Biological Station, a research facility that performs studies on tropical ecosystems is. It was founded in 1989 with the help of the Stroud Water Research Center in Avondale, Pennsylvania.