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Parque Nacional Chirripó

12 miles (19 km) NE of San Isidro de El General § 2742-5083 @ To San Gerardo de Rivas ranger station, 2 miles (3 km) W of the park # Jun–Apr: 6:30am–5pm daily (no more than 40 people allowed at a time)

Costa Rica’s highest mountain, Cerro Chirripó (12,530 ft/3,820 m) is enfolded in the 194-sq-mile (502-sq-km) Chirripó National Park. The park is part of the Amistad Biosphere Reserve, protecting three distinct “life zones” in rugged, virgin territory where wildlife flourishes with minimal interference from humans.

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t Gazing across Lagunas de las Morenas from the summit of Mount Chirripó

EXPERIENCE Southern Zone

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t The dramatic vertical rock formations of Los Crestones were considered a sacred site by pre-Columbian inhabitants.

Best known for its excellent hiking trails, and for containing as many as 60 percent of all wildlife species in Costa Rica, the park is best visited in spring when the widest array can be seen. Most people come here to see the Los Crestones rock formations in person, and for the challenge of mounting Sendero Termometro and La Cuesta del Agua, two of the steepest sections of the 12-mile (19-km) trail that leads all the way to the summit. The trail winds through a valley of montane forests and an understory of bamboo and ferns, then up sheer hillsides where you can see the top of the canopy. Visitors must report to the ranger station in San Gerardo de Rivas before setting out to the summit. Centro Ambientalista El Páramo (2447-7476), the sole lodging on the mountains, rents out sleeping bags, blankets, and stoves.

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GREAT VIEW

From on High

Climb to the summit on clear days and enjoy staggering 360-degree views of the park, and vistas that stretch from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. The best time to see it is in the light of early morning.

Did You Know?

Páramo alpine savanna can go from freezing to as high as 30° C (86° F) in a single day.

EXPERIENCE Southern Zone

Hiking In The Park

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Most visitors take to a well-marked trail that climbs 8,200 ft (2,500 m) from the trailhead, near San Gerardo de Rivas, to ascend the summit. The 20-mile (32-km) hike to the top and back normally takes two days, with an overnight stay near the top of the mountain. Hire guide-porters in San Gerardo. An alternative route is from Herradura via Cerro Uran.

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