BRAULIO CARRILLO NATIONAL PARK

The highway from San José to Limón runs right through this park. The 4400 hectare nature park, the second largest in Costa Rica after La Amistad, is a unique area with rugged mountain slopes, primary forest, dormant volcanoes, roaring waterfalls, deep gorges and almost permanent fog or rain. The park has three entrances, with information centers and trails; two of them are on the main road and the third on the slope of the Volcano Barva (see volcanoes page) by a dirt road that is only passable in the dry season. You can take a five-hour walk through the volcanic landscape to the crater lake Danta and with a bit of luck you will see quetzals along the way. The Braulio Carrillo park has an enormous diversity. Along the border with the reserve of La Selva (a research center on the conservation of the tropical forest, if you want to visit it, you must book it in advance) in the north of the park, at an altitude of 200 m, there is a warm, humid rainforest, in contrast to the southern part (around the main road) of the park, which is at 1500-2000 m altitude, with the top of the Volcano Barva (2906 m) as the highest point. Oaks, cypresses, cedars, magnolias, and mosses grow in this more accessible, high-altitude area, which attract a variety of birds such as king vulture, black eagle, and quetzal, as well as coyotes, agoutis, and wild cats. During a walk there is a good chance that you will see owls, butterflies, squirrels, cuckoos and flycatchers. Watch out for the huge spiders (tarantulas), take rain and low temperatures into account with your clothing.