Barva Volcano

One of three massive volcanoes close to the capital city of San José, Volcán Barva (Barba) is a complex volcano with multiple peaks and flank vents. Three peaks visible from the Central Valley give it the common local name of Las Tres Marías. The voluminous andesitic-to-dacitic Tiribí Tuff, exposed in the Central Valley, was erupted about 322,000 years ago. The summit area is dominated by a 2 x 3 km crater open to the ESE. One of the cones on the upper N flank contains a crater lake. Cones are also found on the S flanks, along with lava flows. The Los Angeles flow, one of the most recent, descends nearly to the city of Heredia. A large Plinian eruption occurred during the early Holocene. Eruptions were reported in 1760 or 1766, 1776? (also a mudflow), and 1867, but later visits to the summit did not provide evidence for recent activity.