Irazu Volcano derives its name from Iztarú, an Indian word meaning "mountain of tremors and thunder." Rising 11,260 ft (3,432 m), Irazú´s prime distinction is that it is one of the worlds few volcanoes that can be viewed up close with ease. During its last eruptions in 1963-65 the volcanos power traumatized the region, affecting farming in San José, Alajuela and the Heredia provinces. The volcano poured five inches of ash on San José in 1964 and devastated its province of Cartago. But it also has had a beneficial effect: the very ash that wreaks devastation is also responsible for the fertility of the soil.