This is a cool, relaxing area boasting clean, fresh air and lush forests. The area surrounding its four craters is barren and rocky, a result of its last eruptive cycle 35 years ago. It is still possible to find ash in attics of older structures in the valley. On clear days both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, as well as a large part of the country, can be seen. It is usually cold and windy and often rainy at the summit.
Vegetation is very sparse around the craters.
The most prolific plants are Myrtle and the easily recognized giant-leafed Poor Man's Umbrella, and various diminutive plants like clover, mosses and lichen. Away from the crater rims there are areas of open and stunted vegetation, secondary forests, and further down the slopes some remaining primary forest. Much of the fertile slopes is farmed, and views from the road reveal the patchwork of cultivation mingling with dense areas of forest. The ruins of a never-completed cathedral, destroyed by a major earthquake in 1910, are a popular landmark and attraction. Every year in August thousands of Costa Ricans walk to the Basilica in Cartago from all corners of the country on a pilgrimage to honor Costa Rica's patron saint the Virgin of Los Angeles.