Chirripó National Park
ENTRANCE FEE: Resident 4'520 colones / Foreigner 20.34$
In the top 3 of the most beautiful treks to be made in Costa Rica, the ascent of its highest peak, Cerro Chirripó, is a testing experience both physically and mentally. The village of San Gerardo de Rivas is some twenty kilometers from the peak, which rises to 3820 meters above sea level, with a positive vertical drop of 2500 meters - an experience for seasoned sportsmen and women!
Located northeast of the town of San Isidro de El General, the Chirripó National Park, created in 1975, covers 50,150 hectares and straddles 3 cantons: San José, Cartago and Limón. It plays a major role in preserving the ecosystems of the páramo and high-altitude oak forests, as well as evidence of past glacial activity. It is also the second highest peak in Central America.
Entry is limited and demand is high, so ascencion must be organized several months in advance!
AN UNFORGETTABLE SUNRISE
The Chirripó, “Land of Eternal Waters” in Cabécar, is one of the country's most emblematic spots, from where you can admire the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean on a clear day, as well as Panama's Turrialba, Irazú, Poás and Barú volcanoes.
Only the most adventurous hikers leaving the Base Crestones hut in the middle of the night will be able to witness the memorable spectacle of sunrise at the summit.
LOS CRESTONES, A NATIONAL SYMBOL
Cerro Chirippó is not the only site of interest in the park; it is also part of a group of 19 peaks over 3,400 metres high and 5 valleys, a mountain range known as the “Macizo del Chirripó”.
While an excursion to the foot of the imposing Los Crestones rock formation (listed as a national symbol since 2011) is an option for enjoying the last rays of sunshine before spending the night at the refuge, it is also possible to discover the Valley of Lakes and Moraine Valley, home to over 30 glacial lakes, the Lion Savannah or the Valley of Rabbits.
PARAMÓ VEGETATION
Above 2,700 meters altitude, the páramo dominates. It is characterized by scrub-like vegetation, mainly composed of small plants and shrubs no more than 4 meters high. Rare in Central America, paramó is found only in Costa Rica and Panama. Among the dominant plant species are the chusquea, a dwarf bamboo, and the cañuela Batamba, which play a key role in this unique ecosystem, resistant to extreme conditions.
LIFE-SAVING BIODIVERSITY
From the cloud forests, home to the quetzal, jaguar, ocelot and mountain goat, to the vast expanses of the páramo, where the luckiest can spot coyote, eagles, tapir, margay, peccary and puma, the park is a veritable sanctuary, home to an extraordinary diversity of animals.
Fans of epiphytic plants and mushrooms will be equally enthralled by this long hike, where they can observe these fascinating species covering the trunks and branches of trees. As for the flora, the park is home to a multitude of trees, including various species of oak, aguacatillo, ira rosa, sweet cedar and Indian cedar, forming an endless list of species that enrich this unique ecosystem.
