Volcan Irazu looms over both Cartago and the Reventazon Valley, rising to the north as steadily as the line created by a logarithmic equation. For anyone with a head for heights, a drive to the top offers sublime rewards. On clear days, the view takes in the shimmering waters of both the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Volcan Irazu is an active volcano and made international news when it erupted the day that President John F. Kennedy arrived in Costa Rica for an official visit. A resulting mud storm left highland dwellers ankle-deep in volcanic mud, obliterating the coffee crop but enriching the countryside for years to come.

The volcano is the centrepiece of its namesake national park, created in 1955 and encompassing 2,300 hectares of primary forest, including cloud forest. As you climb upwards, the views grow ever more panoramic until it is all you can do to keep your eye on the serpentine road.