How frequent are earthquakes in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica has a high level of seismic activity. Based on data from the past 25 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 2,800 quakes on average per year in Costa Rica. Costa Rica has had at least 20 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 5 to 10 years.

How many earthquakes occur every year in Costa Rica?

On average, Costa Rica has about 1,400 quakes of magnitude 3 or higher per year (Mag 4+: 183 quakes per year, Mag 5+: 7.7 quakes per year).

Volcanoes, Eruptions and Earthquakes in Costa Rica

Volcanoes of Costa Rica

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Significant volcanic eruptions: Costa Rica

In historic times, at least 6 volcanoes have been active in Costa Rica, including Poas, Turrialba, and Rincón de la Vieja volcanoes. A total of 116 eruptions have been witnessed and documented since 1723.
The table below lists the most recent volcanic eruptions, significant eruptive episodes or related events in Costa Rica since around 2010.

Date	Volcano	VEI	Region	Deaths	Damage
2021 Jun 28 - ongoing	Rincón de la Vieja	2	Costa Rica
2023 Dec 1 - 2024 May 5	Poas	1	Costa Rica
2023 Aug 2 - Aug 11	Poas	1	Costa Rica
2022 Jul 17	Turrialba	1	Costa Rica
2022 Apr 6	Poas Crater lake - Fumarola Naranja	1	Costa Rica
2021 Nov 3 - 2022 Feb 28	Turrialba	1	Costa Rica
2021 Jun 13 - Jul 23	Turrialba	1	Costa Rica
2020 Jan 30 - Dec 13	Rincón de la Vieja	2	Costa Rica
2020 Jun 18 - Aug 24	Turrialba	1	Costa Rica
2015 Mar 8 - 2019 Dec 7	Turrialba Cráter Central, Cráter Oeste	3	Costa Rica
2019 Feb 7 - Sep 30	Poas	2	Costa Rica
2018 Jul 28 - 2019 Jun 11	Rincón de la Vieja	1	Costa Rica
2017 May 23 - 2018 Mar 15 ±3 d.	Rincón de la Vieja Crater lake	1	Costa Rica
2017 Apr 12 - Nov 6	Poas Laguna Caliente Crater	1	Costa Rica
2016 Jun 5 - Aug 16	Poas Lake in summit crater	1	Costa Rica
2015 Jun 16 - 2016 May 1	Rincón de la Vieja Crater lake	1	Costa Rica
2014 Oct 29 - Dec 8	Turrialba West Crater	2	Costa Rica
2014 Sep 17 - Oct 24	Rincón de la Vieja Crater lake	1	Costa Rica
2009 Nov 16 ±15 d. - 2014 Oct 13	Poas	1	Costa Rica
2013 May 21 - Jun 4	Turrialba West Crater	1	Costa Rica
2012 Oct 17	Rincón de la Vieja Crater lake	1	Costa Rica
2012 Feb 19 - Apr 14	Rincón de la Vieja Crater lake	1	Costa Rica
2012 Jan 12 - Jan 18	Turrialba West Crater (SE flank)	2	Costa Rica
2011 Aug 22 - Sep 27	Rincón de la Vieja Crater lake	1	Costa Rica
2011 Jan 14	Turrialba West Crater	1	Costa Rica
1968 Jul 29 - 2010 Dec 16 ±15 d.	Arenal W flank & summit	3	Costa Rica
2010 Jan 5 - Mar 7 ?	Turrialba SW crater	2	Costa Rica
2000 Aug 23 (eruption 1968 Jul 29 - 2010 Dec 16 ±15 d.)	Arenal	3	Costa Rica	2		Info
2000 Aug 23: A guide and two tourists were engulfed in a pyroclastic flow 2.3 km from the summit; the guide died that night, and one of the tourists, a young girl, died of burns about two weeks later. (reference #9675) Cited references #9675 Siebert, Lee, Tom Simkin, Paul Kimberly (2010): Fatalities & Evacuations, Volcanoes of the World, Third Edition, Geoscience Press, Inc., University of California Press, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., p. 329-347. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1968 Jul 29 (eruption 1968 Jul 29 - 2010 Dec 16 ±15 d.)	Arenal	3	Costa Rica	80	light	Info
1968 Jul 29: 80 (+/-5) killed in first 3 days; many by pyroclastic flows, but perhaps half by ballistic blocks. Village of Tabacon nearly obliterated by impact craters. One source reports 78 killed in pyroclastic flows. Other sources give total ranging from 76 to > 100. (Ref #1412) An explosion with burning clouds and lava flows made Pueblo Nuevo disappear and left about 200 victims. It affected the agricultural areas of Tilaran and San Carlos. Estimated damage losses of 100 million colones. (Ref #13481) NOTE: It is unclear if the amount of damages reflects the entire eruptive period and if the value of the colon is based in 1968 or 1989. Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. #13481 La Republica (Costa Rica) (1989): Lluvia ácida podría causar pérdidas millonarias. Published 19 February 1989. Link. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K

Remark:

Our list of volcanic eruptions closely follows the database of eruptions of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Project (GVP), the internationally most recognized data source for volcanic eruptions, but also includes significant eruptive episodes or related volcano events. "Volcanic eruptions" are usually to be understood as sequences of individual eruptive episodes that can follow each other, or even overlap (if several vents are involved), and can last many years, decades or even longer. For example, the current activity of Stromboli volcano is understood as a single eruption that has been ongoing since 1934.

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K | Global Volcanism Project / Smithsonian Institution

Costa Rica FAQ

+When was the last volcanic eruption in Costa Rica?

The last volcanic eruption in Costa Rica was from Poas volcano during 2023 - 2024.

+When was the first documented volcanic eruption in Costa Rica?

The first historically documented eruption occurred 1723 from Irazu volcano.

+How often do volcanoes in Costa Rica erupt?

Since 1723, Costa Rica has seen at least 116 historically documented eruptions. This means that a volcano erupts on average every 2.6 years.

+How active are the volcanoes in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica is volcanically extremely active: Since 1900, at least 6 volcanoes in Costa Rica have been active. Almost every year, at least one volcano has erupted in Costa Rica. The last volcano to erupt in Costa Rica was Poas volcano. Its was active from 2023 until 2024 and ended 13 months ago.

+When was the largest volcanic eruption in Costa Rica?

The largest eruption in Costa Rica in historic times was from Turrialba volcano. It occurred during 2015 - 2019. It ranks as a "vulcanian" eruption with a magnitude 3 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale.

Latest earthquakes: Costa Rica

In the past 7 days, Costa Rica was shaken by 2 quakes of magnitude 4.0 or above, 31 quakes between 3.0 and 4.0, and 51 quakes between 2.0 and 3.0.

A Magnitude 3.3 earthquake occurred in Provincia de Guanacaste, Costa Rica .

Magnitude 3.3 Earthquake Provincia de Guanacaste, Costa Rica -

Date and Time	Mag / Depth	Nearest Volcano / Location
May 19, 10:44 am (Panama)	3.9 6 km	38 km (24 mi) S of Baru	28 km west of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, Panama I FELT IT - 1 report	Info
Sunday, May 18, 2025 GMT (2 quakes)
May 18, 04:45 pm (Costa Rica)	3.8 22 km	94 km (58 mi) SW of Poas	Costa Rica I FELT IT - 1 report	Info
May 18, 08:42 am (GMT -6)	4.4 10 km	126 km (78 mi) SW of Mombacho	94 km SSW of Masachapa, Nicaragua I FELT IT	Info
Friday, May 16, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
May 16, 02:36 am (GMT -6)	3.5 2 km	135 km (84 mi) SW of Orosí	North Pacific Ocean, 120 km west of Liberia, Provincia de Guanacaste, Costa Rica I FELT IT	Info
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 GMT (3 quakes)
May 14, 06:17 am (GMT -6)	3.8 5 km	129 km (80 mi) SW of Orosí	North Pacific Ocean, 68 km west of Tamarindo, Costa Rica I FELT IT	Info
May 14, 11:35 am (Universal Time)	3.5 24 km	122 km (76 mi) SW of Orosí	North Pacific Ocean, 99 km west of Nicoya, Provincia de Guanacaste, Costa Rica I FELT IT	Info
May 14, 05:24 am (GMT -6)	4.5 10 km	415 km (258 mi) SW of Orosí	34 km NW of Tamarindo, Costa Rica I FELT IT - 2 reports	Info

See Recent Quakes

Significant Earthquakes in Costa Rica since 1900

The deadliest earthquake in Costa Rica since 1900 was a strong earthquake (magnitude unknown) in

Costa Rica, Provincia de Cartago on Apr, 13, 1910. It resulted in 1,750 fatalities and an unknown number of injured people.
Most casualties and damage resulted from the tsunami that followed the quake. The height of the tsunami waves reached 3 m (10 ft). This was the most disastrous quake in Costa Rica ever recorded. Between 100-1,000 houses and other buildings were destroyed and an unknown number damaged.

Date	Mag	Region	Deaths	Damage
2009 Jan 8	6.1	La Paz	23	heavy	Info
1991 Apr 22	7.6	Limon, Pandora; Panama	90	very heavy	Info
1973 Apr 14	6.5	Tilaran, Arenal, Rio Chiquito	26	unknown	Info
1955 Sep 1	5.8	Costa Rica	10	moderate	Info
1952 Dec 30	?	Costa Rica	29	unknown	Info
1910 May 4	?	Cartago, San Jose	700	heavy	Info
1910 Apr 13	?	Cartago	1,750	moderate	Info

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K

All Quakes in History

Map

Oldest quakes (until 1960) are shown in yellow, most recent (from 2000) in red.

[quakes -] [quakes +] [smaller] [bigger]

Significant Earthquakes in Costa Rica FAQ

+Which was the deadliest earthquake in Costa Rica since 1900?

The deadliest earthquake in Costa Rica since 1900 was a strong earthquake (magnitude unknown) in Costa Rica, Provincia de Cartago on Apr, 13, 1910. It resulted in 1,750 fatalities and an unknown number of injured people.

+Which was the earthquake that caused most damage in Costa Rica since 1900?

The earthquake that caused most damage was the magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Costa Rica, Provincia de Limon on Apr, 22, 1991. It caused 90 fatalities and estimated $510 million US Dollars (today's equivalent) in total economic damage.

+How many people were killed by earthquakes in Costa Rica since 1900?

Since 1900, at least 15 earthquakes claimed an estimated total of 2,658 fatalities in Costa Rica.

+How much damage did earthquakes cause in Costa Rica since 1900?

There were 22 damaging or deadly quakes during this period that caused economic losses of approx. $644.7 million US Dollars combined.

Volcano List

Arenal

(Stratovolcano 1657 m / 5,436 ft)

Arenal volcano (image: Michael Beck)

Arenal, a major tourist attraction in Costa Rica, is one of the most active volcanoes of Central America. Since a major eruption in 1968, it has been in near-continuous activity building a lava dome and displaying mild explosive activity from the summit crater. [more info]

Barva

(Complex volcano 2906 m / 9,534 ft)

[more info]

Cerro Chopo

(Pyroclastic cone 402 m / 1319 ft)

[more info]

Cerro las Mercedes

(Pyroclastic cone 190 m / 623 ft)

[more info]

Cerro San Miguel

(Lava dome 414 m / 1358 ft)

[more info]

Cerro Tilaran

(Shield 634 m / 2080 ft)

[more info]

Durika

(Lava dome(s) 3257 m / 10686 ft)

[more info]

Irazu

(Stratovolcano 3432 m / 11,260 ft)

Irazú (3432 m) immediately east of the capital San José is Costa Rica's highest and one of its most active volcanoes. Tephra fall (ash) during the last major eruption of Irazú in 1963-65 caused heavy damage to infrastructure and life in San José and its surroundings. [more info]

Isla del Coco

(Shield 575 m / 1886 ft)

[more info]

Laguna Poco Sol

(Explosion crater(?) 789 m / 2589 ft)

[more info]

Lomas de Colorado

(Shield(s) 229 m / 751 ft)

[more info]

Lomas de Sierpe

(Shield(s) 311 m / 1020 ft)

[more info]

Los Perdidos

(Caldera 1357 m / 4452 ft)

[more info]

Miravalles

(Stratovolcano 2028 m / 6,653 ft)

Miravalles volcano (image: Michael Beck)

[more info]

Orosí

(Stratovolcanoes 1659 m / 5,443 ft)

[more info]

Platanar

(Stratovolcanoes 2267 m / 7,438 ft)

[more info]

Poas

(Stratovolcano 2708 m (8,884 ft))

Poás is one of Costa Rica´s most active volcanoes, and one of its most frequently visited and prominent ones. It contains a green acid crater lake and during some of its frequent phreatic eruptions, water from the lake is ejected like a geyser. [more info]

Rincón de la Vieja

(Complex volcano 1916 m (6,286 ft))

Rincón de la Vieja is the largest volcano in NW Costa Rica and one of its most active ones. [more info]

Tenorio

(Stratovolcanoes 1916 m / 6,286 ft)

Tenorio volcano (image: Michael Beck)

[more info]

Tortuguero

(Pyroclastic cone 119 m / 390 ft)

[more info]

Turrialba

(Stratovolcano 3340 m (10,958 ft))

Turrialba volcano seen from Irazu

Turrialba (3340 m) is the easternmost of Costa Rica's active volcanoes. It is a large stratovolcano with a complex of 3 summit craters and its flanks mostly covered by farmland and forest. vegetation. After its previous eruption in 1866, signs of unrest started in 2006 and new ph... [more info]

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Volcanoes of Costa Rica

Map showing Costa Rica's most active volcanoes and the location of the plate boundary between the subducting Pacific and the overriding Carribean plate. (Base map created using Jules Verne UNAVCO map tool featuring Face of the Earth (TM)).