SOUTHERN COSTA RICA 367 Parque Internacional La Amistad Reserva Indígena Boruca Cerro Chirripó Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary Los Quetzales Parque Nacional

Parque Parque Los Los ( p389 ) ( p376 ) (farmers) work their familial lands, maintaining an agricultural (farmers) work their familial ( p378 ) p378 ( Reserva Indígena Reserva Indígena campesinos Parque Nacional Los Quetzales Parque Cerro Chirripó Cerro ( p382 ) paradise in ( p372 ) summit at de los Diablitos at the Boruca at ornithologists Rica’s greatest Bird Sanctuary Cusingos in the pristine but under-touristed in the pristine but under-touristed La Amistad Internacional glimpse of the Maya bird of a Catching Trekking to the top of Costa Rica’s highest Getting a history lesson at the vibrant Fiesta of Costa of one Following the footsteps the only one around Wondering why you’re

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

In a country where little pre-Columbian influence remains, southern Costa Rica is where southern Costa Rica little pre-Columbian is where influence remains, In a country where zone, though bypassed the southern Costa Rica’s gringo trail seems to have well-trodden southern Costa Rica offers is the country’s most iconic cloud forest, And while Monteverde In southern Costa Rica, the Cordillera de Talamanca descends dramatically into agricultural into agricultural descends dramatically southern Costa Rica, the Cordillera de Talamanca In and Afri- beans, bananas plantations of coffee with sprawling carpeted lowlands that are Here, can palms. of Costa Rica While the rest passed on through the generations. tradition that has been in life onslaught of package investment, adapts to the recent tourism and soaring foreign it has for centuries. constant, much as the southern zone remains reservations, confined to private Largely indigenous presence. you’ll find the most pronounced succeed- largely who are and Boruca, populations of Bribrí, Cabécar is home to large the region of the country races toward globalization. traditions while the rest ing in maintaining their contrary, southern any tourist appeal. On the doesn’t have region this isn’t to say that the namely Parque land, swath of protected Costa Rica is home to the country’s single largest across the border this national park extends La Amistad. Virtually unexplored, Internacional last true wilderness areas. America’s and is one of Central into Panama many equally enticing opportunities this mystical habitat. If you harbor any hope to explore quetzal, you can start resplendent by looking in of spotting the elusive the cloud forest in you Or, if you want to stand on top of the Cordillera Central, Los Quetzales. Nacional Parque Chirripó (3820m), Costa Rica’s peak. highest can climb the cloudcapped heights of Cerro Southern Costa Rica Rica Costa Southern lonelyplanet.com 366 © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © SOUTHERN COSTA RICA Reserva Biológica Dúrika Dúrika Biológica Reserva glory. resplendent offers agoodchanceofspotting thequetzalinallofits inbirdlife and rich newest nationalparkis extremely Parque NacionalLosQuetzales Parque NacionalChirripó ofincredible ecological a biologicalcorridor significance. mous bi-nationalparkisshared withPanama andprotects LaAmistad Parque Internacional tion project. andisthesiteofanongoingreforesta- two NewYorkers, thatisoperatedby ontheslopesofCerroChirripó reserve Preserve Nature Cloudbridge watching and hiking. Rica offer great opportunitiesforwildlife- of southernCosta The parksandreserves Parks &Reserves low as40°F at times). cooler temperatures year-round (getting as youcanexpectmuch however, the highlands from mid-April mid-December. through In humid year-round, withmarked rainfall zone. Inthelowlands,itremains hotand varies thesouthern considerably throughout Climate ployment inthe agricultural sector. ing toshed theirnative waysinfavor of em- their ancestrallands,andare instead choos- are finding themselves unabletosubsiston an increasing numberof indigenous youths traditional languages andcustoms.However, groups have allowedtoengage been intheir ized until 1977. were notorgan-until 1949andreservations not granted totheindigenous population dominated society.Infact,citizenshipwas were actively excludedfromtheSpanish- enous groupswere kept onthefringes and ‘civilization’ to the region. out traditionalbeliefsinanattempt tobring missionaries,whowiped gated byCatholic were later subju- outposts thatdidsurvive Thefewand enslave indigenous survivors. tribal society,plunderitsmeager wealth conquistadores Rica,theSpanishUpon arrivinginCosta 368 within Parque Internacional LaAmistadishome toan the Pacific ona andtheCaribbean clear day. highest andmostfamouspeak,whichoffers viewsofboth Given itsgeographic diversity, theclimate History In thelastthree decades,indigenous Even as late asthe 20thcentury,indig- H ODT HRIÓ • at aí al eDt &ValleTHE ROAD TOCHIRRIPÓ••SantaMaría deDota (conquerors) begantolevel ( p378 ) HometoCostaRica’s ( p382 ) This private reserve reserve private This ( p382) ( p377 ) Atinyprivate ( p372 ) Costa Rica’s Rica’s Costa ( p372) 39) hs enor- This ( p389) jumping off pointfortheOsapeninsula. transportation cangettransportation sporadiconceyou public byregular though buses, serviced cool cloudforests. Thefirst major area of tryside of redolent and coffee plantations stunningcoun- through passes mountain theroadto the southernzone,though ofdoubtedly anytripinto thehighlight Scaling thelofty of heights Chirripóisun- THE ROADTOCHIRRIPÓ José or Liberia. fromSan little lessthanUS$75foraflight ability, butusuallyyoucanexpecttopaya andavail- Prices varyaccordingtoseason (www.sansa.com) leave these major hubs. count thekilometers from San José. bered postsalongtheInteramericana, which Note thatthischapter refers to the num- orscalingChirripó. Amistad La through behind ifyouplanontrekkingyour wheels youwillhave though transportation, toleave depth iswithyourownformof private The bestwaytoexplore thepeninsulain Getting There&Around conservation. independent, sustainablecommunitythatiscommitted to can give you thecomplete picture of where ploys much of the town. processingfacilityem- since theCoopedota economic lifeblood of María, Santa especially As you’dimagine, coffee productionisthe Rican) townthatmeritsatleastaquick stop. María isacharming deDota Tico (Costa and surroundedbylavish plantations, Santa Centered on a green, grassysoccerfield SANTA MARÍA&VALLEDEDOTA largest townandmajor hub. transportation Rica’s southernCosta Isidro deElGeneral, theactiontendsley, though tocentre onSan family-runfincasdotthefertileGeneral, val- de Dota. FurthersouthintheValle deEl Tarrazú, SanCristóbalSurandGerardo MaríaCortés, Santa SanMarcos deDota, de bear sainted names:SanPablo deLeón collection of villages highland thatfamously interest or‘Saint’sZone,’a istheZona Santa Coopedota Both Major townsinthesouthernzoneare NatureAir

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sorts of adventures inthetreetops. Thefarm, Interamericana, kinds of coffee. Theco-founder andmanager –offerstantly of different tastings several the productionfacilityand–mostimpor- takes gueststoanorganic coffee farm,visits tour(US$12)that isahalf-day Experience fixcomesfrom:theCoffeeyour caffeine lonelyplanet.com E General. El beforeplace tofillyour tank SanIsidrode atthisintersection isthelast the gasstation including fancyespresso drinks. Incidentally, thefruitsofto stopandsample theregion, Km 52; if youhappentobehere when it’s open. by thelocalwomen’sassociation.It’s atreat fee drinks,aswell some handicraftsmade has homemadeicecream andspecialtycof- Amanecer Café Artesanías Interamericana at Km 58. drive María eastfromSanta orturnoff the from theday’sactivities.Toreach thelodge, style hottubisanexcellentplacetorecover and thenamesake toucanet.TheFlintstones- aswelltheresplendentsighted, quetzal leads dailytours –fruitbirdsare commonly excellent forbirdingandco-ownerGary ley andthesurroundingcloudforest are wonderful viewsof Valle Theval- deDota. offers rustichardwoodcabinswith seven country lodge thatisperched at1850mand Copey deDota;s/dinclbreakfast US$50/65; Toucanet Lodge drive about10kmsouth and west. turn off theInteramericana atOjodelAgua; El ToucanetLodge. Comingfromthesouth, Maríafrom Santa andcontinue12kmpast if youhave yourownvehicle, drive east orOjodelAgua.Copey deDota Otherwise, from fig). Thepriceincludestransportation climbing upthe tree climbing(ornotsoold-fashioned, like place isalsogreat forgoodold-fashioned creating a‘canopymaze.’ Forthepurist,this linked bysuspensionbridges andslack lines, isrigged withtreetop Cabana, platforms, La Providencia deDota;6hrtourfor2peopleUS$60) Arboreales famous forhersignature coffee drinks. competitionandislocallynational barista of thecafépreviously wonthirdplaceina If youare traveling south onthe Located inthecenter of María, Santa A great isat placetospendthenight A truetree-hugger’s paradise, h 10:30am-5:30pm) ( %

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(Interamericana (Interamericana p Actividades Actividades offers all h alovely ) sporadic) El of the year. and are therest fairlycommon throughout April andMay (duringbreeding season) ing. Quetzalsare spotted frequently every village bird- hasbecomefamous forhighland did SanGerardo. Today,thislittlefarming birders. attracting attracted the resplendent quetzal, inturn (along withtheabundantwildavocado trees) ing anglers fromSanJosé,while thelatter trees. of Theformerhad theeffect attract- and plantingappleorchards andotherfruit tivity bystockingtheirstreams withtrout family instead raised dairy cattle. the surroundingcloudforest), theChacón cattle(whichaltitudes) andbeef woulddestroy coffee (which wouldnotthrive high atthese lowed thetypicaltrend, however. Eschewing gion. That’sasfartheChacónfamilyfol- beans, atypicalsubsistence cropinthisre- the village of San Gerardo. delaMuerte –which wouldbecome Cerro afarmonthewesternestablished slopesof andtheir waysouthfromCopeydeDota and hisbrothers –driven –made bydrought area. Itwasnotuntil1952thatEfrainChacón inthis prohibitingmountains, settlement tected flanksof bythesteep theTalamanca The banksof theRíoSavegre were longpro- History p372. see mation, Rica’s newestnationalpark–formore infor- istheeasiestaccesspointtoCosta Gerardo Parque San NacionalLosQuetzales.Indeed, recently namedanationalparkafter him, partsthatthegovernmentcelebrity inthese species. Infact,theelusive quetzalissuch a isfamedforattractinghigh-altitude de Dota tended –thearea surrounding San Gerardo Birders flocktothissmalltown,nopunin- SAN GERARDODEDOTA townsto these San José. (US$2,2½hours)Six dailybuses connect (7km beyond)andSanPablo (4kmfurther). (10kmaway),SanMarcosDota deTarrazú on apaved María roadandturnstoSanta de south of asignedturnoff leadswest thestation to Empalme,almost30kmfromCartago. Just Most drivers take theInteramericana south Getting There&Away As Ricaflourished,so tourisminCosta theysupplemented dairy-farmLater, ac- In theearlydays,theyplanted cubano 369

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l a stone cabinsthatare bedecked withartwork lodge consistsof beautifulnaturalwoodand if notthewholesouthernzone,thisupscale Definitely theslickest placeinSanGerardo, 9º30'N justifiably famous lodge owned and hasbeen this on a160-hectare orchard and reserve, www.savegre.co.cr; d/steincl3mealsUS$161/217; of tropical birds. most likely befrequented bycountless species morning onyourprivate terrace, which will forest. each Aromanticbreakfast isserved provides over extraordinaryvistas thecloud isthewallofthough picture windowsthat from theowner’snative Colombia. Thekicker 2761; www.dantica.com; s/dinclbreakfast US$132/146; meals. set or ing upwholesome,country-stylecasados, the onsite serv- restaurant isamodestaffair you’re lookingforahotmeal(US$3toUS$5), in thehopeof spottingtheelusive quetzal.If byguidinghikestained tonearbywaterfalls go allouttomake sure theirguestsare enter- The accommodatingChinchilla familyalso ful of shady campsites alongsideasmallriver. thing asthisattractive propertyoffers ahand- to doalittlebitof camping,which isagood to Chirripóthenyou’re probably prepared 1038; campingperpersonUS$4; the roadfromInteramericana. Parque NacionalLosQuetzalesandare along All of thefollowingplacesoffer accesstothe Sleeping &Eating information onthepark,see p372 . lodges before out.For inSanGerardo youset ties fortouristsinthepark,soinquire atthe Unfortunately there are noinformationfacili- the area isParque NacionalLosQuetzales. The bestplacetogobirdingandhikingin BIRD-WATCHING &HIKING have sprunguparoundthevillage. of theirproductive farm,whileotherfacilities Hotel (see deMontaña below ) onthegrounds operates Savegre thewell-established deep, generations the Chacónfamily,nowseveral boxed text, p372 formore information).And and DecembertoMarch forlure-fishing (see lent: May andJuneisthetimeforfly-fishing The trout fishing intheRíoSavegre isexcel- SPORTFISHING o o Ranchos La Isla & Restaurant LosLagos LaIsla&Restaurant Ranchos 83º00'W Savegre Hotel deMontaña Hotel Savegre Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge Dantica CloudForest 9º00'N p 8º30'N ) Ifyou’re heading ( %

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) SOUTHERN COSTA RICA RICA COSTA SOUTHERN SOUTHERN COSTA RICA an ordinary car. San José and between Buses The roadisvery steep: becareful ifyou’re in the dirtroaddescends 8kmtothevillage. Km 80ontheInteramericana. From here, is near deDota The turnoff toSan Gerardo Getting There&Away able placetospendanight or two. restaurant, which are amodestbutcomfort- few cabins (US$30)inthewoodsbehind the more even hospitality so. Miriam alsorents a the foodisdeliciousandabundant andthe personal todineinaTico invitation home: isalmostlike receivingcal meals.’Eating a advertisingcozy house (about 6kmfromtheInteramericana) isthe of thefirst placesyouwillpassinSan Gerardo a stone fireplace. ings, whilerich woodenfurniture surrounds chandeliers woodenceil- hangfromthehigh Savegre suites are gorgeous: wrought-iron of Ifyouhave paradise. thecashtoburn, avocado trees, thefavorite perch of thebird since theedges of thegrounds are linedwith parts,especially propositioninthese difficult ofglimpse thequetzal.Ofcourse, thisisn’ta tion, especiallyamongbirders keen tocatch a It’s nowsomethingof Ricaninstitu- aCosta operated bytheChacónfamilysince1957. 372 La ComidaTipica Miriam fly-fishing in Río Savegre, or you can fish in the picturesque pond and pay for what you catch. See pondandpayforwhatyoucatch.See fly-fishing inRíoSavegre, oryoucanfishinthepicturesque p371 formore info. Savegre Hotel deMontaña Ranchos LaIsla Pesca RíoBlanca Deportiva Finca Madre Selva and folkwithpoorfishingkarma. This isagreat home(aboutUS$4perkilo). and youjustpayforwhattake optionforkids local spring-fed ponds,whichare with30cmto50cmtrout.Successisguaranteed wellstocked fishing tocatchandrelease. homeyourtroutfordinner,fishinoneofthe Ifyouwanttotake although thenearby Río Blancaand localanglers.Río Dotaalsoattract waters. intoCostaRican their waynorth The mostpopularspotfortroutfishingisthe Río Savegre, introduced toCentral Americanrivers bytheUSmilitaryinPanama andthehealthyfishmade trout –are nolesstasty. and thecoolairofcloudforest are adelightfully tranquilsetting,andthefish–here, rainbow the CordilleradeTalamanca offer adifferent offishingexperience. The kind crystal-clearwaters flocktothecoastforthrillofbigcatch,mountainrivers ofWhile mostsportfishers TALAMANCA TROUTFISHING bring yourcatchbackandhavethestafffryitupfordinner.bring another localspotthatispopularamongTico families. trout pond as well as hiking trails–goodforafulldayoffun. trout pondaswellhiking H ODT HRIÓ • aqeNcoa o utae THE ROAD TOCHIRRIPÓ••Parque NacionalLosQuetzales In ordertomaintainhealthypopulations,fishersare stronglyencouragedtolimitstream Interestingly, thetroutthatpopulate theserivers are notendemic. Supposedly,theywere first ( % ( % 2740 1038; San Gerardo de Dota) Borrow equipment to fish in the river andponds,then deDota)Borrowequipmenttofishintheriver 2740 1038;SanGerardo comida tipica,

2224 6388; Copey de Dota) A popular local fishing spot that is home to a well-stocked 2224 6388;CopeydeDota)Apopularlocalfishingspotthatishometoawell-stocked (meals US$3-6; ( % ( % 2740 1028; San Gerardo deDota)Thislodgeprovidesequipmentandguidesfor 2740 1028;SanGerardo 2541 1818, 2541 1816; Copey de Dota) Near Santa María deDota, thisis 2541 1818,1816;CopeydeDota)NearSantaMaría p or‘typi- ) One Santos, wasmadeofficial in2005honorof The park,formerlyknown Los as theReserva PARQUE NACIONALLOSQUETZALES guan and squirrel monkey. black tapir, cies, includingthe jaguar,Baird’s other endangeredpark ishometoseveral spe- favorites. Inadditiontotherare quetzal, the great tinamouandsootyrobin are somebird call thisparkhome. Trogon,hummingbird, quetzal isonlyoneof themanyspeciesthat is extremely rich inbirdlife the –indeed species in Rica.Costa approximately 20%of alltheregistered bird biodiverse –theSavegre watershed contains relatively smallarea, thisregion isremarkably townofcoastal Savegre. itcovers Although a tudes before pouringintothePacific nearthe streamstain andglaciallakes atarange of alti- delaMuerte, moun- feeds several the Cerro the slopesof theCordillera de Talamanca. hectares of rainandcloudforest thatliealong tude of 2000mto3000m,the park covers 5000 along bothbanksof theRío Savegre, atanalti- gion of Ricaonthetouristmap.Spread Costa the Maya bird of thatfirst paradise putthisre- te turnoff. the candropyouoff at San IsidrodeElGeneral As thepark’s newnameimplies,thisarea The RíoSavegre, upon whichhigh starts lonelyplanet.com and alpine plants. Rica),ishometomassivein Costa oaktrees endangeredbeing thesecond-most life zone andpremontanemontane forests (thelatter land forests. Thepark,which isclassifiedas in thelow- different fromwhatyouwillsee take noticeof thefactthatfloraisvery Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels se p155. see Valley.the Central Formore information, which iseasilyaccessiblewhen traveling from Nacional Tapantí-Macizo de laMuerte, Cerro Rica, it’sbesttoavoid driving at night. the road.As inmostplacesruralCosta landslides maypartiallyorcompletely block tially life-ending. During therainyseason, can make overtaking treacherous andpoten- whichtwists andturnsaroundthemountain, ispavedThe roaditself andsmooth,butit Orientation Parque Nacional Chirripó ( p378 ). many of speciesfoundinnearby thesame is extremely rich in wildlife andishometo southern zone. ThisAndean-stylelandscape typicalofshrub andtussock grasshabitat the ernmost extent of the in almost immediately. moment, asthefogundoubtedly rollsback Cordillera deTalamanca –butonlyfora offers exquisite panoramicviewsof the When thefogclears thisarea however, one of themostdangerous Rica. inCosta climbs intotheclouds,isstillconsidered which fog-shroudedthe steep, highway, moniker before theroadwasbuilt,though ofcalled ‘Mountain Death’received this famed pointalongtheInteramericana, the highest the passes thehighway Isidro deElGeneral, Along thestretch EmpalmeandSan between CERRO DELAMUERTE in get difficult parts. these directions before outasthegoingcan youset it’s worthinquiringlocallyformore specific waterfall. est toaspectacular Withthatsaid, where lushfor- atrailwillleadyouthrough toitsend,from low theroadtoSanGerardo tours. Ifyouwish toexplore onyourown,fol- offer deDota hikingandbirding San Gerardo alloftourists, although thelodges around While hiking through the higher altitudes, thehigher While hikingthrough This area isactuallypart of theParque delaMuerte alsomarks thenorth- Cerro The park does nothaveThe parkdoes anyfacilitiesfor Cerro delaMuerte Cerro páramo, (3491m).Theso- THEROAD TOCHIRRIPÓ ••CerrodelaMuerte ahighland guaranteed between Novemberguaranteed between and April. hills year-round, are butsightings virtually beauties reside bright forestedthese inthese also includeanearly-morning ‘quetzalwalk’– (and electricheaters warm themup).Prices cozycabinsthatlinethe farm’sridgeeight brighten upthe walls andcolorfulcurtains west of theInteramericana. Painted wood value lodgingoptionislocated about1km farm,thisexcellent- known asEddieSerrano’s cabin perpersonincl2mealsUS$45; Km70; costarica.com/mirador/quetzales.html; Interamericana notice. advance order gourmetdinnerisalsoavailable with magnificent viewsof LosCruces.Amade-to- ties toindulge inbird-watching andsome offer 5kmof hiking trails,ampleopportuni- Thegrounds ‘HummingbirdCabin.’ secluded cabins, themostcharming of which isthe couple. There are fourspacious, light-filled comer isrunbyalovely, loquaciousCanadian spotted onthegrounds,thisrelative new- ps tolomuco.com; Km118;dinclbreakfast US$70; Interamericana allow for excellent bird-watching. vantage of nearly11kmof onsite trailsthat indigenous Guestscantake ad- tapestries. cultivated woodare brightened bycolorful ecofriendlytaurant, cabinsbuiltentirely from fillet, andfresh-brewed theres- coffee. Below complement localspecialtieslike friedtrout that offers panoramicviewsthatperfectly windowed-restaurant (mealsUS$3toUS$6) the ‘Viewof theValley Lookout’boastsa personUS$12; s/d US$41/47,extra Km119; www.ecotourism.co.cr/vistadelvalle; Interamericana meals a day). homemade Tico-style meals(US$10forthree lead toapicturesque lake, aswelldelicious Guests alsohave access to6kmof trailsthat worthyoftion thatiscertainly yoursupport. woman, thisisanextremely impressive opera- isrunbyoneTicaConsidering thateverything tic lodge andquaintcoffee shop,allinone. cloud-forest (admissionUS$5),rus- reserve the Bribrílanguage, IyökAmiisaremote son US$30-40; Km71;rperper- Interamericana .co.cr/iyokami/index.htm; trails andopportunitiesfor birding. All thelodges inthisarea offer accesstohiking Sleeping &Eating Mirador deQuetzales Mirador Bosque delTolomuco Mirador Vista delValle Vista Mirador Iyök Ami ) Named for the sly tayra (tree Namedfortheslytayra otter)

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Avenida 2 2771 3235;Av Centralbtwn h (btwn CallesCentral 8am-8pm Mon-Sat, discerning budget travelers, here you’llfind Central atAv 14;s/dUS$30/40,withair-conUS$40/45,extra Inside, functionalroomsfeature modern tothe road-wearytraveler.welcome sight aclimbing vinesoutside,which isindeed is decked withbloomingflowerboxes and in a variety in avariety of specialties. doctors hasprivate btwn Avs 8&10)Thismedicalservice Pcfc region. Pacific officewithinformationaboutthesouthern Sat) Tourist Adventures. AlsohousesofficesforCostaRica plane tickets. Trekking area hotelsandbuying & 1:30-6pm)Usefulforbooking Calle1btwnAvscostarica.com; 2&4; & 1;s/d/tr/qfromUS$15/20/25/30; Chirripó Hotel IN TOWN Sleeping Mountain Lodge ( opposite ). atTalari Rica. Itisbased to birdinginCosta His website provides anexcellentintroduction English, Spanishandmanydialectsof bird. tours inhisnative Dutch, butheisfluentin www.aratinga-tours.com) Pieter Westra runs Tours Mar Selva Post office details. for p381 see – forthemountaintophostelatChirripó reservations make tion aboutParque Here iswhere youcan NacionalChirripó. Dispensesaminimalamountofinforma- 1-4pm Mon-Fri) [email protected]; Calle2btwnAvs 2&4; office parkservice Minae Clínica ElLabrador far asbusiness destinations go. all Indeed, ing thatSanIsidro isfairlyunderstated as hotel, which issurprisinglyswish consider- Elegance’ istheboast of thisupscalebusiness 4; d/tr/q/steUS$35/55/60/75; place running efficiently. the better thatkeep bytheattentive this staff furnishings andfixtures, which are madeall person US$10; traveling foralittle while longer. you canpinch afew penniesandkeep on knowingthat atnight easy you’llsleep though surroundings, stark otherwise lobby brighten few floweringplantsandafestive muralinthe ren butsurprisinglydirt-andgrime-free. A bare, whitewashed rooms thatare utterly bar- Hotel Diamante Real Diamante Hotel LosCrestones Hotel ( (Calle1btwnAvs 6&8) % pa

2771 4582,4579;www.exploring ( % Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels ( 2771 0529;Av 2btwnCallesCentral % ) Thissharpmotorcourt andspecializesinbird Aratinga Tours

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% ‘Executive 8am-noon & ) 2770 6324; Central &1;dishesUS$3-5; south –er,northof the border. with shinyblacklacquerfurniture tocomplete quarters are painted yellowandfitted bright this farflungcornerof Rica. The classy Costa which makes intouch in staying easyeven telephones withvoicemailandwi-fi access, the expected amenitiesare here, including Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels of Mexico andfestive kindsof Photosguacamole andseveral salsa. nachos andfajitas, nottomentionhomemade aswellburritos, tacos shop)fortasty (taco come change of pace,stopbythis Taquería MéxicoLindo Eating &Drinking road fromSanGerardo de Rivas. get here, drive 7kmsouthof SanIsidroonthe 2km of theforest. trailsthatwindthrough To prolific birdlife onthegrounds,aswell forest, thereal though attractionhere isthe in simplewoodencabinsontheedge of the San Isidroistheirson.Accommodationsare tours –Pieter Westraof AratingaTours in for treks toChirripóandcustomizedbird accommodating, alsooffering arrangements couple whoruntheplace. Theyare ever- amount of theDutch-Tica charm, asdoes lodge mountain exudesanincrediblesecluded s/d/trinclbreakfast.co.cr; US$39/59/79; Rivas; Isidro inthebarrio(district)of San Rafael. turn off theInteramericana 5kmnorthof San blooms andbirds.Toreach theproperty, linens, whilelovely gardensare filledwith are decorated withwoodfurniture andbright downtown SanIsidro. sparklingrooms Eight fordable luxuryandquieter surroundsthan is foryou,especiallyifyou’re lookingforaf- Talamancas Princesa soundsappealing,La hot tubwatching thesundropbehind the d/qUS$35/45; .com; SanRafael; LaPrincesa Hotel AROUND SANISIDRO the executive package. Selva Mar...... Brunc@ NetCafé...... Banco Coopealianza...... Clínica ElLabrador...... Ciprotur...... BTC Internet...... (see 15) Banco Coopealianza...... (see8) Post Office...... Minae ParkServiceOffice...... INFORMATION Talari MountainLodge

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2 SOUTHERN COSTA RICA RICA COSTA SOUTHERN SOUTHERN COSTA RICA bok south. block Central &2; at the Calles Central&2) counters) inthe head fortheinexpensive this funkyplacereceives a stream of regulars. gourmet dinners andplentyof coffee drinks, featuring excellentbreakfasts, lunches, light kitchen Withamenu andshady gardenseating. rooms decorated witheclecticartwork,anopen this bohemian caféfeatures painted brightly US$4-10; the burgers and each other. spend qualitytimegetting toknowthebeer, pub grubattractplentyof localyouth,who ing musicvideos,andanextensive menuof screens show-well-stocked bar,massive TV restaurant byday,trendy The barbynight. Calle 2&Av 2;dishesUS$4-8; 376 Travelers watching theircolonesshould o LaCascada Restaurant/Bar The followingdaytripsare great waystofillafree dayinthearea. Not todisparageElGeneral,butthere’s nopointinhanging aroundtownifyoudon’thave to. DAY TRIPSAROUNDSANISIDRODEELGENERAL

H ODT HRIÓ • a sdod lGnrl THE ROAD TOCHIRRIPÓ••SanIsidrodeElGeneral Gerardo deRivas. accessible) are onsite. The ranchois7kmfromtheInteramericana alongtheroadtoSan swimming pool.Arestaurant andafew cabins(doubleincludingbreakfast US$61;wheelchair oraraftaroundthe aroundthelake forallages,whetheryoupaddleakayak entertainment petroglyphs. with pre-Columbian Therethe famous‘IndianRock,’anancientstonecarved is at9amandleadsto sugar farm.Trailstraverse departs thegrounds,andadailyguidedhike visiting groups. Ciprotur( Forinformation,contact p374 ). to live withalocalfamilyandworkatthereserve; thiseducationalfacilityalsohaslodging for Fudebiolfarm (alwaysatreat forkids). offers fortravelers volunteer whowant opportunities trails,somewithrewardingextensive lookoutspots,acoolingpondandbutterfly hiking Fudebiol isacommunityreserve alongtheRíoQuebradas. Its750-hectare groundsinclude Rancho LaBotija Fudebiol Reserve h ee (p374). here 5km throughGeneralViejo, thenturneasttoQuizarrá.AratingaToursleadsbirdingwalks ontheroadtoSanGerardodeRivas.drive Turn 8kmnorth andcontinue rightatRivas home isduetoopenasamuseumdedicated tohislife TogettoLosCusingos, andwork. and meditatingonthemysteries ofnature, asDrSkutchoften did.The great scientist’s open tothepublic. forwatchingwildlife, The groundsare wanderingthetrails wonderful birds ofthetropics. Muchofhisworktookplaceatthis78-hectare reserve, whichisnow Guide totheBirdsofCostaRica, once hometothegreat ornithologist DrAlexanderSkutch.Author ofthebirder’sbible, h Los Cusingos BirdSanctuary h Supermercado Central 8:30am-5pm Tue-Sun) 7am-4pm Tue-Sun) h Kafe delaCasa Kafe 7am-8pm) 7am-9pm Mon-Sat,8am-2pm Sun) , while self-caterers can shop , whileself-caterers Set inanoldTico Set house, Mercado Central Mercado

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% Pleasant Pleasant (Av 4btwn (lunch 2200 5472;www.cct.or.cr; Quizarrá; adult/childUS$10/5; , one h 7:30am, 12:30pmand3pm. 3pm. and and 2pm. San Vito San José 10:30am, 2:30pm,4pm,7:30pm and 9pm. Paso Canoas Palmar Norte Neily Avenida Central. on theInteramericana, justsouthwestof You willfind From TracopaTerminal packed, sobuy tickets early. near theInteramericana andare frequently leave buses distance fromvariouspoints Avenida nearbyvillages. Long- 6and serves In SanIsidrothelocalbusterminal ison BUS Getting There&Away 7:30pm. 9:30am, 10:30am,11am, 1:30pm,4pm,5:45pm and 8am-4pm Tue-Sun) US$5, six hours, depart 4:45am,7:30am,12:30pm US$5,sixhours,depart US$2.75, three hours, depart 7:30am,8am, US$2.75,three hours,depart US$2.75, three hours, depart 5:30am US$2.75,three hours,depart US$4.50, five hours, depart 8:30am, US$4.50,fivehours,depart US$2.75, three hours, depart 4:45am, US$2.75, three hours,depart Tracopa busterminal North ofElGeneral, North lonelyplanet.com (

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ad 4pm. and from thelocalterminalonAvenida 6 at 2pm. fromParque Centralat5amand US$2.50, 2½hours,depart Palmar Norte Dominical south of theTracopa terminal. Terminal Quepos From Terminal Quepos Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels road that isbumpy,narrow andsteep.The after thetownof itisa gravel Rivashowever, The roadispaved forthefirst 10kmorso; way 22kmupthe valleyof theRíoChirripó. deRivaswindsits The roadtoSanGerardo Orientation &Information way to the summit. don’t have thetime(orenergy) togoallthe ( right ) isaperfect alternative who forthose the clouds–Cloudbridge Nature Preserve to beablewalkaroundwithyour headin youdon’thavecourse, toclimbthemountain alpine sceneryandbountifulbirdlife. Andof name, which ischaracterized bybreathtaking Río Chirripóandtherockypeakof thesame backdrop tothisvillage sceneistherushing hasitsownmerits.The sible, SanGerardo to press ontotheparkasquicklypos- restnight’s and/orahotmealbefore the trek. getand (perhapsmostimportantly) agood the park,pickupafew lastminutes supplies foraccommodationswithin make reservations entrance tothenationalpark.Here, youcan quil townof deRivasmarks the SanGerardo Chirripó, thenfear not–thetinybuttran- If youhave plans toclimbthesummitof SAN GERARDODERIVAS on yourfinal destination. US$20andUS$25depending cost between deRivaswill toSanGerardo A 4WDtaxi TAXI forParque NacionalChirripó deRivas, San Gerardo Buenos Aires Isidro. alloriginate inSanThe followingbuses Uvita Quepos Jiménez Palmar Norte/Puerto From OtherBusStops 5am to 5pm from north ofTerminal5am to5pmfromnorth Quepos. 6:30am depart and 3pm. ad 3pm. and Although hikersAlthough are understandably keen US$1.50, 1½ hours, depart 8:30amand4pm. US$1.50,1½hours,depart US$3, three hours, depart 7amand1:30pm. US$3, three hours,depart US$2.50, 2½ hours, depart 7am,8am,1:30pm US$2.50, 2½hours,depart (Gafeso) US$1.50, one hour, depart hourly US$1.50,onehour,depart (Gafeso) US$2.75, three hours, depart 6:30am US$2.75,three hours,depart (

% 2771 2550) isonthesidestreet US$4.50,fivehours, THE ROAD TO CHIRRIPÓ •• San Gerardo deRivas THEROAD TOCHIRRIPÓ••SanGerardo

hectares Chirripó,this onthesideof Cerro h below thesoccerfieldonroadfromSan boulder, lending aFlintstones ambienceto telry intothesideof isbuiltright agiant just opposite thesoccerfield, thishiphos- Conveniently located inthecenter of town 7218; campingperperson US$5,rfromUS$25-40; o Sleeping &Eating soda, witha will leadyouanother1kmtoahouse sion bridge over theriver. Aswitchback trail andtake thericketyroad. Turnright suspen- left forkandwalkforabout1kmonapaved the ranger theroadforks;take the station about 2kmnorthof SanGerardo. Justabove 8107; Herradura;admissionUS$3; ate asoakinthe another hike, youwillundoubtedly appreci- it’sasteep but otherwise rewarding hike. You candrive uphere ifyouhave a4WD; on thereforestation programatCloudbridge. to inquire ifyouare interested involunteering many othercloud-forest species.Also,besure ald toucanet,theendangered blackguanand amazing birdlife, includingthevibrantemer- to theentrance. some Youare boundtosee the magnificent available. Hike totwowaterfalls, including is easytoexplore independently;mapsare of trailstraverses partof theproperty,which Yorkers Giddy.Anetwork IanandGenevieve project, spearheadedbyNew and preservation isanongoingreforestationprivate reserve mission bydonation; ( mystical, magical Chirripó youwillfindtheentranceto About 2kmpastthetrailheadtoCerro Sights &Activities confirm andpayyourfee before out. setting Crestones hostel ( mountaintop p381 ), andto to check forspaceandavailability atLos Isidro. Stopbyhere (theearlierthebetter) along this road. family-run farmsandcabinasthatare strung there’s notmuch tothisvillage –justthe (corner grocerystore) opposite. Otherwise, merely of thesoccerfieldand % ‘center’ of –asitisconsists SanGerardo If you can’t stand the thought of thethought goingfor If youcan’tstand The 6:30am-noon &1-4:30pm) in theUSA which istheentranceto the springs. Chirripó rangerstation Chirripó Hotel y Restaurant RocaDuraCafé yRestaurant Hotel

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SOUTHERN COSTA RICA RICA COSTA SOUTHERN SOUTHERN COSTA RICA 500m further crosstheunsigned RíoJilguero Isidro atthesouthern endof town.About the Interamericana andcross theRíoSan Any of the hotels can callataxi for you. field at7amand4pm(US$1,two hours). toSanIsidrodepartfromthe soccer Buses Getting There&Away Chirripó. for trance isabout1kmsouthof thetrailhead pressive networkof hikingtrails.Theen- is surprisinglygourmet,aswellitsim- with itsdecidedlymodernrestaurant that lodge alsolures innonguestsfull-service style bathroomsandpicture windows.This nished withlacquered wood,American- the spaciousstonecabins,which are fur- Talamanca Indiansculptures among pose creature at2500m.Ominous comforts,even catersreserve toguestswhowanttheir pi forUS$4 casados to US$8. restaurant onsite thatwhipsupfairlytasty for amodestmeal,there isasmallbarand whimsical woodpieces.Ifyou’re looking owner, alate-blooming artistwhosculpts isthegalleryofthe propertyhowever the overlook of theriver valley.Thehighlight collection of butspotlessroomsthat spartan simple butfunctionalbudget lodge hasa About 300mbelowtheranger this station, US$30/60, rperpersonwithoutbathroomUS$10; hitting the slope. Chirripó, sofeel free topickhisbrainbefore owner loves hikers sending off ontheirwayto andaccommodating packer Theaffable set. store andlaundryfacilityallcater totheback- snooze, whiletheonsite restaurant, grocery ing shapes andsizesare perfect forarestful Chirripó. Budget-friendly roomsof vary- of aninstitutionforhikers headingto/from youthhotel issomething this no-nonsense US$10/25; town, er, village. outonthestop forlocalslookinganight here, theupstairs restaurant isapopularpit forested hillsides.Even ifyou’re notstaying tree-trunk furniture andfixtures andviewsof est stonerooms,whilepricierroomshave the quarters. Wallmuralsbrighten thesmall- 378 Hotel ElPelicano Hotel Driving fromSan Isidro,headsouthon Talamanca Reserve Urán Albergue AQENCOA CIRP PARQUE NACIONAL CHIRRIPÓ ) Thissprawling1600-hectare private p ) Just 50mbelowthetrailhead, ( %

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) km lie above 2000m. the parktop3800mandmostof its502sq Rica, itisnotunique:twootherpeaksinside andmostfamoussummitinCosta highest national park above isthefocusof level, thispopular sea peak, highest Chirripó,at3820mCerro Rica’slands are toaccess,Costa difficult remote. Whilemostof theTalamanca high- Talamanca longest isthehighest, andmost dilleras length of thecountryinfour distinct Rica’s Costa spinerunsthemountainous CHIRRIPÓ PARQUE NACIONAL need a 4WD. or toCloudbridge youwill Nature Preserve, of deRivas,toAlbergue SanGerardo Urán mended. Ifyouare drivingpastthevillage buta4WDisrecom-cars inthedryseason, andgraveled.steep toordinary Itispassable paved asfarRivasbutbeyondthatitis road fromtheInteramericana. Theroadis this turnoff is not marked. about 300mbeyondtheJilguero. Note that and take thefirst, turnuptotheleft, steep Gerardo Gerardo de Rivas. intheareasand coffee plantations near San est isbeingencroached by agricultural fields climate. thelow-altitudecloudfor- However, up thetrunksof larger trees –thrive inthis Epiphytes plantsthat grow –thescraggy ergreens, laurels andlotsof undergrowth. over thecanopy, which alsoconsistsof ev- trees (some more tower than 50mhigh) 2500m and3400m.Oak the hillsidesbetween lushness of thecloudforest, which dominates waters’). ‘eternal the parkitsiconicname(Chirripómeans offeed aseries glaciallakes thatearned barrenpunctuate theotherwise hillsand facadeofthe unmistakable LosCrestones, of wildlife. highland Rockyoutposts,such as grasslands, andsupports auniquespectrum páramo, rain forest. Above 3400m, the landscapeis respite fromtheheatandhumidityof the National Park isanentirely unexpected The bare The ranger isabout 18kmupthis station Like atinychunk of theAndes,Chirripó (ranges) of which the Cordillera de which ismostlyscrubbytrees and . Ofcourse, whileChirripóisthe páramo Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels contrasts vividly with the contrastsvividlywiththe cor- have tobeprepared forthecoldandattimes of Rica. Youwill Costa deniable highlight fromsuch loftyCaribbean isanun- heights challenging, over watching thesunrise the thetrekkingAlthough routes are longand lonelyplanet.com and payment confirmation). Youcanalso before toconfirm(bring your reservation youmuststophere theday a reservation, space onthefollowing day.Even ifyouhave first thinginthe morning –toinquire about hostel islimited, soit’sbesttoarrive early – US$10 foreach additionalday).Spaceatthe pay yourentryfee (US$15fortwodays,plus availability hostel and atthemountaintop to climbChirripósothatyoucan check & 1-4:30pm) ranger station thatyoustopatthe It isessential INFORMATION Cuerici and maps3544IV the ranger tothesummitof station Chirripó, maps3444II maps, soyouneed at thecornerof 1:50,000-scale fourseparate San José( p534 ). Frustratingly,Chirripólies Nacionalin from theInstitutoGeográfico topographicalmapsaredetailed available are more finefor themaintrails.However, conditions. weather de Rivasisagoodplacetocheck onthe colder. Theranger inSanGerardo station areas, even exposed windsmake high itseem bagare sleeping In three-season necessary. (including hatandgloves), rainwearanda sowarmclothesbelow freezing atnight, temperaturesing. Inanyseason, candrop raininthemorn- ing asitusuallydoesn’t areof therainyseason stillgoodforclimb- inMay,park isclosed buttheearlymonths hostel isoftenand themountaintop full.The the parkiscrowdedwithTico hikinggroups weekends, andespeciallyduringholidays, est months, itmaystillrain.On though Chirripó. February andMarch are thedri- April) isthemostpopulartimetovisit (fromlate DecembertoThe dryseason ORIENTATION Rica thatCosta ing vistas can offer. be rewarded withsomeof themostsweep- will yourefforts wet slogtothetop,though and 3544III The onlywayuptoChirripóisbyfoot. The mapsavailable attheranger station tocover otherpeaksin the massif. atleastonedaybefore youintend

(Sinac; Dúrika PARQUE NACIONAL CHIRRIPÓ ••Orientation % Fila Norte tocover thearea from 2200 5348; h and3444I 6:30am-noon San IsidroSan Chirripó Chirripó signed at kilometer.every after 10am.Insidethepark thetrailisclearly enter; nooneisallowedto begin theascent from 4amto10am toallowclimbers to the ranger Themaingate isopen station). deRivas(about4km from in SanGerardo trailhead lies50mbeyondAlbergue Urán mended departure timeis5amor6am.The pending onhowfityouare: therecom- 10km fromthetrailheadtohostel, de- top andnotechnical climbing is required. to-follow 16kmtrail leads allthewayto up!Aneasy- the summitis2.5kmstraight which lies1350m above fromhere level; sea deRivas, The parkentranceisatSanGerardo Climbing Chirripó HIKING near Crestones Lodge.Base feeding attherubbishbins coyote can beseen recent or duskifyousee tracks;atnighttime, sostake out themuddyedges atdawn season, lagoons,mainlyintherainy various highland dusk tomove gravitate tapir to about;Baird’s areassavannah thetrailsatdawnand anduse maximize yourchances: pumassticktothe proposition,hereguaranteed are few tipsto the coyotes thatfeed on them. –Dice’srabbitand elevations and –athigher spidermonkey, tapir, capuchinpuma, Baird’s alligatorlizard.Mammalshighland include reptiles, such asthegreen spiny lizardandthe is alsohometosomeunusualhigh-altitude highlands. Rica’s hummingbird, which isfoundonlyinCosta large-footed finch andtheendemicvolcano antees volcanojunco,sootyrobin, slatyfinch, and tinamou.TheAndean-like cluding thethree-wattled bellbird,blackguan birdsin- highland see youmight highlights, Marchtween andMay). Even besidesthese the resplendent quetzal(especiallyvisiblebe- gered species,includingtheharpyeagleand endan- the nationalparkishometoseveral Particularly famousforitsextensive birdlife, versity of faunain Parque NacionalChirripó. The varyingaltitudemeansanamazingdi- WILDLIFE-WATCHING luggage while you hike. (about US$25for14kg)ortostore your make arrangements here tohire aporter Allow seven to14hours tocoverAllow seven the In additiontotheprolificbirdlife, thepark Although spottingrarerAlthough a animalsisnever páramo

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379 SOUTHERN COSTA RICA RICA COSTA SOUTHERN SOUTHERN COSTA RICA and return way,but there thesame are several Most trekkers followthemain trailtoChirripó the lodge.base exploring thetrailsaroundsummit and/or worthwhile tospendatleastone extra day recuperation orexploration.Itisdefinitely the summitandback,leaving no timefor to from theranger inSanGerardo station from watch thesunrise the summit. campat3amtoarrivethe base intimeto the foreground. Readers recommend leaving green hillscarpettheValle delasMorenas in Oceans. Thedeep-blue lakes andtheplush- stretches toboththeAtlanticandPacific Fromthesummitonaclearday,vista case. rain gear, justin water, snacksandaflashlight hours ifyouare fit,butcarryawarmjacket, the last100misvery allowatleasttwo steep): 6km onrelatively flatter terrain (although From there thehike tothesummitisabout Lodge Base at 3400m. fore makingthe2kmascenttoCrestones then enjoy2kmwithgravity inyourfavor, be- is apreliminary crest thatreaches 3200m.You Faith’; thisclimbisnotforthefaintof heart) Sin Fe for emergency not use, overnight stays. There isshelter andwater, butitisintended way up,isagoodplaceforlunch break. 380 Ohr Trails Other The open-sidedhutat A minimumof toclimb twodaysisneeded Reaching thehostel isthehardestpart. About 6kmfromthetrailhead, before youheadoff: highestmountain.ChecktheChirripóchecklist CostaRica’s without thenecessitieswhenhiking mightbeinthetropics,butChirripóliesatsomechillyaltitudes.Costa Rica Don’tget caught CHIRRIPÓ CHECKLIST

camera(photographicevidencethatyoureached thetop!). compassandmap(especially ifyou are oneofthelesser-used planningtohike trails) flashlight(there’s formuchoftheevening noelectricity atthemountaintophostel) andmuchoftheroute isnotshaded) sunblock(itmaybechillybutthesunispowerful, plasticbags(toprotect yourclothingandpersonalitems fromtherain) raingear(even whenit’snotraining,thesummitismisty) goodsleepingbag(alsoavailabletorent atthelodge) gloves warmjacket, andhat(temperatures candipbelowfreezing) food(includingsnacksforthehike) water bottle(there isonewater stopbetweenthetrailheadandbasecamp) AQENCOA CIRP • Tus PARQUE NACIONAL CHIRRIPÓ ••Tours (which without translates as‘Mountain Llano Bonito , half- Monte Monte through the through local Cerro Ventisqueros Cerro alpine scenery.Peak-baggers willwanttovisit that offers contrasttotheotherwise astark Sabana delosLeones around forafew days,theglorious,grassy that adornmanypostcards.Ifyouare hanging as via summit goes lodgelonger andthe thebase route between camp.Analternative,by trailsfromthebase other attractive destinationsthatare accessible if youprefer organized adventure. Thiswell- 4582; www.chirripo.com) though ther independently orbyhiringalocalguide, Most travelers prefer toaccess theparkei- TOURS tion tour. Alternatively, the contact (see below ) can make arrangements forthis RicaTrekkingat alltimes.Costa Adventures and youmustbeaccompaniedbyalocalguide San Gerardo. Thistriprequires bushcamping cent of Chirripóandthendescendthrough ascend páramo a dayortwotraversing cloudforest and loop trek thatbeginsinHerradura andspends route isto take aguidedthree- orfour-day ing aboutconditionsbefore out. setting butit’sworthinquir-fairly well-maintained, a day’swalkof Crestones. trailsare These Los Crestones For hardcore adventurers, analternative ( % Cerro Urán Cerro ontheslopesof FilaUrán.Hikers 2771 1199) Costa Rica Trekking Adventures Adventures Trekking Costa Rica , themoonlike rockformations

(3812m),which isalsowithin (3600m)before thefinalas- in Herradura, which isrun pulpería Cerro TerbiCerro isapopulardestination is highly recommendedis highly . (3760m),aswell lonelyplanet.com guides’ associa-

( % 2771 o year. of pendant onthesizeof thepartyandtime that pricesare negotiable, andultimately de- a four-day trek aroundtheUránloop.Note ing fromaone-daytrek toLlanoBonito guided excursions aroundChirripó,rang- companyoffersestablished different several Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels of ElBosque,there Cabinas isfree transpor- From opposite theranger infront station, ( p377 ) for directions onhowtoget here. deRivas under SanGerardo details See GETTING THERE &AROUND park. the Urán –notatCrestones oranywhere in else only ataspecialdesignated area nearCerro their ownprovisions. isallowed Camping water, butnofood.Hikers mustbringallof you willbeabletohike the following day. 6:30am –theearlieryouarrive, themore likely Theranger opensat station the dryseason. ing holidayperiodsandonweekends during you wish tohike. Spaceisatapremium dur- that there will bespaceavailable onthedays most travelers, there although isnoguarantee ing day.Thisisthemore practicaloptionfor andareGerardo ready tohike onthefollow- fortravelersper night whoshow upinSan on thedaybefore you out. set deRivas at theranger inSanGerardo station andpaymentconfirmation your reservation Youmustpresent confirm thereservation. be required topaybycredit cardinorderto in SanIsidro. Ifspaceisavailable, youwill office the tocontact itis necessary however, Rica. Ricaarrival inCosta OnceinCosta beforeimpossible tomake your reservations travelingthose independently,itisvirtually foryou;but will likely make reservations Crestones Lodge. Base Yourtourcompany a few dollars per day. kets, cookingequipmentandgascanisters for variety of bags,blan- gear includingsleeping sporadic heatforshowers. Thelodge rents a provides from6pmto8pmand electriclight The basicstonebuildinghasasolarpanelthat housing Chirripó isat The onlyaccommodationinParque Nacional SLEEPING &EATING Crestones Lodge provides Base drinking are at absolutely necessary Reservations Fortunately, the lodge reserves 10spaces Fortunately, thelodge reserves

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up to60peopleindorm-stylebunks. 2771 3155;fax3297;[email protected]) Crestones BaseLodge Crestones THEROAD TOLA AMISTAD ••BuenosAires (dm US$10) Minae ,

% zation thatworkstoincrease thecapacity Asociacíon Regional Aborigen del Dikes delDikes Aborigen Regional Asociacíon pointisthe agoodstarting the reserves, beers tohelpbeat the tropical heat. are alsoavailable onthe premises, asare cold thatch-roof rancho. Cheapand heartymeals whitewashed cabinssurroundingaseveral of amakeshift-business of hotel comprised US$15; ways grab aroomat BiológicaDúrika the Reserva helps travelers at tostay make reservations Dúrika Another goodplacetostopisthe projectthe Borucahydroelectric ( p383 ). tion toculturaltourismactivismagainst Aires region. range fromreforesta- Efforts of indigenous communitiesintheBuenos groups. indigenous center for theUjarrás, Salitre andCabagra asanadministrative Buenos Aires serve does the townmore thanapassingglance,though pineapple rings,there islittlereason togive a goodpriceontruckloadof sweetened unlessyou’reOf course, interested ingetting pineapples are bigbusinessin Buenos Aires. Del Monte processingplanttorealize that All ittakes isaquickglanceatthetown’s BUENOS AIRES derness of epic scale. Parque atruewil- Amistad, International La ing thethrillingroadforchance tovisit de Talamanca. Ofcourse, it’sworthendur- to theprohibitive presence of theCordillera mote areas –somenearlyinaccessibledue roads leadtosomeof thecountry’smostre- this stretch, of aseries narrow,steep, dirt towering asmuch as3350mabove. Along tions backed facades, bystrikingmountain geography of rollinghillsand coffee planta- somegloriousits waysoutheastthrough From SanIsidro,theInteramericana winds AMISTAD THE ROADTOLA for portation their guests. hotels offer early-morningtrailheadtrans- tothetrailheadat5am.Also,several tation If youget youcanal- stuckforthenight, If you’re planningonvisitinganyof 2730 0289;www.aradikes.org) pa

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) . 381 SOUTHERN COSTA RICA RICA COSTA SOUTHERN SOUTHERN COSTA RICA www.durika.org) from the opportunities volunteer are available. available for large groupsandstudents, and grown foods.Note thatdiscounted rates are organic vegetarian mealsmadefromlocally people. As anaddedbonus, rates include cabins of twotoeight varioussizessleeping (from US$35perperson) isalsoavailable in exploringthegrounds.Accommodation wise power)andother-community’s hydroelectric checking outlocalwaterfalls (which fuelthe home, participatinginthelife of thefarm, tional healing methods. ontradi- communities,andfocuses several Shaman Tour medicinal plantsshould inquire aboutthe a stronginterest inindigenous cultures or Ujarrás forays tothe indigenousCabécar village of range daylong shorthikes intothereserve, made fromchili peppers. Guestscanalsoar- culture thatDúrikaemploys,such asfertilizer ofthe principlesandprocesses organic agri- inspiring social experiment. any travelers interested intheir inpartaking Since 1992,Dúrikahasopeneditsarmsto of indigenous culture.and thepreservation naturalmedicine mitted tolocalconservation, Ticos andresident foreigners whoare com- home toasmallbutthrivingcommunityof is action, this7500-hectare biologicalreserve A perfect example of tourism in sustainable RESERVA BIOLÓGICADÚRIKA heads to Aradikes. thecenter and forkbypasses theright Central; heads intothecenter of town,neartheParque and theFundaciónDúrikaOffice passes forks about 1kmsouth of town:theleftfork to BuenosAires. Thismainroadintotown Monte plant–apaved roadleads3kmnorth the Interamericana justsouthof theDel Buenos Aires canbereached byturningoff driver won’tstop for you. be sure thatyouare thebus visibleotherwise thereHowever, isnomarked busshelter, so can flagthemdownontheInteramericana. without stoppinginBuenosAires, you though San Vito,IsidroandJosépassby 382 If youhave yourowntransportation, thattravelBuses Palmar between Norte, Reservations andinformation are available Reservations Tours of theworkingfarmdemonstrate Visitors to are closer alsowelcometostay H ODT A AITD • eev ilgc úia THE ROAD TOLA AMISTAD BiológicaDúrika ••Reserva , and/ormultidaytreks. Travelers with Fundación Dúrika , a week-long journeythatvisits , aweek-long inBuenos Aires. Ifpossible, itis

office

( % 2730 0657; when visitingindigenous communities– beparticularlysensitive please any case, tinuing onwithoutmuch distraction.In reasons whytraditionalBorucalife iscon- the touristtrade,which isoneof themain townshardlycater towork. Infact,these theirhandi- aside fromafew selling artisans townsfromatypicalTicoate these village, Interamericana, andBoruca,8kmnorth. Rey Curré,which bytheCarretera isbisected tion islargely confinedtothesmallvillages of theentireToday however, Brunkapopula- Península inpre-Columbian deOsa times. territories stretchedwhose allthewayto Quepos, Turrucaca,BurucacandAbubaes, ent indigenous groups,includingtheCoto, Brunka have outof evolved differ- several thatthepresent-dayHistorians believe of enous reserve Brunka (Boruca)peoples. fortheindig- de Térraba isthe setting The picturesque valleyof theRíoGrande RESERVA INDÍGENABORUCA while you’re at staying the reserve. to five passengers) andwatch over yourcar (US$30forup arrange transporttothereserve drive toDúrikaina4WD,theoffice caneasily itispossibleto Although season. in thehigh possible sinceaccommodation fillsupquickly asearly thatyoumakeadvised reservations Galería Namu Galería delDikes Aborigen Regional Asociacíon of the the arebags. Exhibits sometimesondisplay in masks andwovening theirhandmadebalsa postsignsoutsidetheir homesadvertis-sans handicrafts.InBoruca, local arti- that sells a small the Interamericana. Drivers canstoptovisit about 30kmsouthof BuenosAires, on right Rey Curré(usuallyjust‘Curré’onmaps)is Orientation &Information changing world. theirculture tomaintain struggling amidsta human zoos,butratherlivingcommunities places tovisit,indigenous villages are not theycanbeincrediblyAlthough interesting tographs of peoplewithout askingpermission. always dress modestlyandavoid pho- taking Av 7btwn Calles5&7,SanJosé; perpersonday about homestaysandlocal tour guides. % At first glance, it is difficult todifferenti-At first glance,itisdifficult 2730 0289; www.aradikes.org; BuenosAires) Inquire2730 0289;www.aradikes.org; museo pulpería cooperative , athatch-roof rancho 100mwest ( % . 2256 3412; www.galerianamu.com; 2256 3412;www.galerianamu.com;

( h 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 2-5pmSat) 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, lonelyplanet.com (Aradikes; (Aradikes;

Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels required totake to payafee for theright spect theirtraditions. Touristsare generally welcome visitors, theyrequest thatguestsre- While theBrunka events. Curré duringthese and inCurréfromFebruary 5 to 8. in BorucafromDecember31toJanuary 2 thebattle. Thisfestivalcostume, lose isheld Spaniards, represented byamaninbull againsttheSpanishconquerors.fight The tumes playtheroleof thenatives intheir masksandburlapcos- ing woodendevil theopposingsides.Villagersbetween wear- tion of thefestival isachoreographed battle or ‘danceof theculmina- thelittledevils,’ Sometimes calledtheDanzadelosDiablitos, the Spanishandindigenous population. thatsymbolizes the event between struggle The For more information, see p107 . toBorucaisnotincluded. and storytelling. Transportation demonstrations handicraft towaterfalls, homestay, hiking –canarrangetourstoBoruca,whichinclude enous art US$45) ThisSanJoségallery–whichspecializesinindig- Festivals &Events Many outsiders descendon Boruca and dignity. this politicallyandemotionallycharged issuewillbehandledwithbothcompetence and there isnocut-and-dry Hopefullytal conservation, answerthatwillappeasebothparties. proposal totheBrunka. aconcreteto commencingandtheICEhasacknowledgedthatitcan’tproceedwithoutmaking by2015.Ontheotherhand,therefunctional iseven islittleevidencethatconstruction close wassteadily oftheICE,project movingspokesperson forward,withplanstohave thedam against them. have beenactively campaigningagainsttheICE’sinitiative, thoughtheoddsare clearlystacked result, organizations the like companythathasanincredibleelectricity amountofweight andcapitalbehindthem.As a feel helplessandhopelessinthefaceofICE:agovernment-ownedbut manyoftheBrunka oftheInteramericana.construction of theircommunity,somethingtheyhave already experienced–toasmallerdegree –withthe Furthermore, recognize theBrunka thatrelocation wouldinevitablyresult inthephysicaldivision dependence onplantsformedicinaluse,butalsoduetothepresence ofancestralburialgrounds. indigenousgroup. the majorityofwhichare membersoftheBrunka especially sinceitwouldflood25,000hectares oflandaswelldisplacethousandsresidents, America. Needlesstosay,theproposalforBorucadamhascausedquite thecontroversy, the Río GrandedeTérrabathatifcompleted, wouldreportedly bethelargest daminCentral Rey Curré specifically,a220mdamacross istheproposedsite project, ofahugehydroelectric THE BORUCADAM Fiesta delosDiablitos Like allissuescenteredLike onthefinelinebetweeneconomicdevelopment andenvironmen- At thetimeofresearch, itwasdifficulttosaywhichsidewinning. Accordingtotheofficial cannotgoforwardwithouttheconsentof residents, project In theory,thehydroelectric The have strongtiestotheirland,notonlyduesubsistenceBrunka fromagriculture and isathree-day Brunka THEROAD TOLA AMISTAD IndígenaBoruca ••Reserva Asociacíon Regional Aborigen delDikes consists of five basicroomswithprivate a home-stay through through a home-stay style, it’srecommended thatyouarrange ofstanding theBrunkaculture andlife- on the reservation. help youarrange a widerange of activities Moralescan alocalexpert,Señor certainly ( bathrooms. cold-water ( is attheTico-owned The onlyregular inthearea placetostay Sleeping &Eating companies dancingandcostumes. (mainly drummingandbambooflutes) ac- Conception. Traditionalindigenous music celebrates theVirgin of theImmaculate of week December, held duringthesecond program. the able) tourists are notallowedtointerfere with isallowed,and raphy orartificiallighting photographs orvideo. Noflashphotog- % % However, foramoreHowever, in-depthunder- The lesser-known . Asoft-spoken Brunkaartistwhois 2730 2454;dfromUS$10) 506-362-2545; [email protected]; prices negoti- prices 506-362-2545; [email protected]; (Aradikes; see p381 ) Bar Restaurante Boruca Bar Restaurante Fiesta de losNegritos Pedro RojasMorales in Boruca,which 383

SOUTHERN COSTA RICA RICA COSTA SOUTHERN SOUTHERN COSTA RICA Sat) spheres the best sites inthecountryto see Interamericana. the Banco Coopelianza Palmar Norte youcangrab somecashatthe Palmar Suristhelocale of theairstrip. In Costanera Sur(Pacific CoastHwy),while tion of theCarretera Interamericana andthe Palmar Norte, clustered aroundtheintersec- beyondthebridge.right Mostfacilities are in Grande deTérraba bridge, thentake thefirst Interamericana southbound over theRío from Palmar Norte toPalmar Sur,take the plane or change buses. more time here than ittakes toget the off traveler, there islittlereason tospendany banana-growingtant center, fortheaverage asanimpor- thetownalsoserves Although Dulce (formore information,see p394 ). as agateway peninsulaandGolfo totheOsa of Palmar hubthatserves isatransportation major theunremarkable highways, village At theintersection of thecountry’stwo PALMAR and a4WD is recommended. thegoingisslow, Boruca fromCurré,though it’sabout 8kmto look forthesign.Intotal, Interamericana about3kmsouthof Curré– Buenos Aires toBorucais about US$20. relying from Ataxi onpublic transportation. which foradaytrip makes Borucadifficult road. Thebusreturns thefollowingmorning, daily, traveling toBorucaviaavery poordirt market inBuenosAires atnoonand3:30pm (US$1.75,1½hours)Buses leave thecentral Getting There&Away textiles. other colorful, naturalcottonbags,placematsand pre-Columbian backstraploomstoweave dyes andacrylics.Brunkawomenalsouse or cedar,andsometimescolored withnatural frombalsa mous foritsornate masks,carved handicrafts fortourists.Thetribeismostfa- digenous peoplehave begunproducingfine make theirlivingfromagriculture, somein- of their survival culture. Whilemostpeople their traditional artplaysaleadingroleinthe The Brunkaare celebrated craftspeopleand Shopping 384 Drivers willfindabetter roadthatleaves the Palmar isactuallysplitintwo–toget Lack of Lack charm aside,Palmar isone of the or H ODT A AITD • amr THE ROAD TOLA AMISTAD ••Palmar , or Banco Popular esferas depiedra,

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( 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, % 2786 7033) alegacy of pre- , bothon granite granite Río Corredor, on thenorthside of the 5am, 6am,7am,9:30am,noon,1pm,2:20pm & 4:50pm. 8:30am, 11:30am,2:30pmand 4:30pm. BUS you canboarditifthere’s space available. Palmar through Norte–Sierpe busgoes Sur– theinfrequentSierpe. Otherwise, Palmar about US$3toPalmar Norte andUS$15to to payaroundUS$100to/from San José. andavailability, youcanexpect though season to thePalmar airstrip. Pricesvaryaccordingto .com) Departing fromSanJosé, AIR bus. morning breakfast spotifyouare catching anearly Palenquito open-airrestaurant.a pleasant The are clustered aroundaswimmingpooland is insun-filled, cleansweptbungalowsthat .cr; s/d/trUS$25/30/35; Lodge Brunka you miss aconnection,goodoptionisthe Interamericana. the of thepeach-colored the largest andmostimpressive are infront town, includingattheairstrip –someof 2m indiameter. Theyare scattered allover in tourist appeal. agricultural center thatisdecidedly lacking Palmar, Neilyisamajor transporthuband atmosphere of aruraltown.Much like largest ‘city,’ Neily hasretained thefriendly Rica’ssecond- itissouthern Costa Although NEILY 11:30am, 2:30pmand 5:30pm. Sierpe San José San Isidro Neily is inside the Palenquito. the town’smainstreet. Thebusticket office or SupermercadoTérraba ablockaparton leave frominfrontof Panadería Palenquito east sideof theInteramericana. Otherbuses toSanJoséandIsidrostoponthe Buses 7:45am, 10am,1pm,3pmand 4:45pm. Getting There&Away Columbian cultures –someof which exceed Neily sitsonthe westbankof the Taxis andcharge incomingflights meet You’ll notwanttolinger inPalmar, butif and (Transportes Térraba) US$1.25, 1½ hours, depart Térraba)US$1.25,1½hours,depart (Transportes US$1, one hour, depart 4:30am,7am,9:30am, US$1,onehour,depart (Tracopa) US$5,fivehours,5:25am,6:15am, (Tracopa) (Tracopa) US$2.75, three hours, depart US$2.75,three hours,depart (Tracopa) Sansa (Transportes Térrababusstop) (Transportes

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resort inaquietresidential partof town.The 7:30pm. 11:30am, 1:15pm,3:15pm, 5:30pm and 6pm. Palmar Golfito Airport minal ontheeastside of town: leaveThe followingbuses from themainter- BUS to payaroundUS$100to/from San José. andavailability, youcanexpect though season to theNeilyairstrip. Pricesvaryaccordingto .com) Departing fromSanJosé, AIR overlookingtaurant the grounds. thetranquilopen-airres-ambiance, asdoes faux-colonial decorationscreate arelaxed ( room andahotmealat youcanalwaysgrabaclean town, though noon, 12:30pm, 2:30pm,4:30pmand 5:45pm. Getting There&Away % Few peoplehave reason tostickaround 2783 3031;rfromUS$30; and US$0.50, 1½ hours, depart hourlyfrom 6am US$0.50,1½hours,depart to US$1.25, 1½ hours, depart 4:45am,9:15am, US$1.25,1½hours,depart US$0.50, 30 minutes, depart 7:30am,9:15am, US$0.50,30minutes,depart 2 3 2 1 Sansa C1 C1 B1 0.1miles 0 0200 m CiudadCortés...... Transportes TérrabaBusestoNeily& Tracopa BusestoSanJosé&Isidro TRANSPORT EATING Buses toSierpe...... Panadería Palenquito...... (see6) deElGeneral......

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l y Banco Popular Red Cross 3 6 5 4 3 2 1 A4 B3 A1 B2 A5 Tower Radio Corredores (15km); B To LasCavernasde Laguito San Vito(23km) Canoas/Panama (17km); Playa 1 Post Office Zancudo Mercado To Paso (60km) Station Fire 5 converting excesscolonesintodollars are not PlussystemVisa neartheborder. for Rates traveler’s checks andthere isanATM onthe &Customs Migración Rican at their passport stamp. withlittlemoreCanoas thanapassingglance most travelers check-in andcheck-out of Paso ofcompletely devoid charm. Withthatsaid, the worldover and seedy –hectic,slightly and Panama islike mostborderoutposts The main Rica portof Costa entrybetween PASO CANOAS is Canoas about US$6. east of thepark.Thefare fromNeilytoPaso Taxis south- stand with4WDwaitatthetaxi TAXI Zancudo San Vito San José 1pm and 3pm. San Isidro Jiménez Puerto hour from6am to 6pm. Paso Canoas early as possible. Buses for Neily(US$0.50, 30 early aspossible. Buses are fullof weekend shoppers, sobuytickets as side of Sunday-afternoon themain road. buses really, is northof theborderpost,on theeast Tracopa busterminal hours) at4am,7:30am,9amand3pm. The of warmthtoanotherwise drab town. floral bedspreads, which addasurprisingbit with pastel-colored walls,woodendoors and courtyard,shiny roomsarea pleasant decked r fromUS$10; larly inviting,but RicanMigración Costa and Customs. RicanTouristInformationoffice inCosta touristinformationatthe you’ll findsparse Panama. Ifyouare Rica, arrivinginCosta gration post,hasinformationontravel to 6524; rid of further into Panama. accepted attheborder,butare toget difficult good, buttheywilldoinapinch. Colonesare noon, 1pm,4pmand 5:30pm. 2pm. 2:15pm. 5am, 8:30am,11:30amand 3:30pm. Tracopa buses leaveTracopa buses forSanJosé(US$9,six The Báncredito The hotels inPaso aren’t Canoas particu- h US$0.50, 30 minutes, depart 6am,7:30am,9am, US$0.50,30minutes,depart Instituto Panameño deTurismo US$1.50, three hours, depart 9:30amand US$1.50,three hours,depart (Tracopa) US$9, eight hours, depart 4:30am, US$9,eighthours,depart (Tracopa) 6am-11pm) (Tracopa) US$5, six hours, depart 7am,10am, US$5,sixhours,depart (Tracopa) p US$0.50, 30 minutes, depart every half every US$0.50,30minutes,depart ( ) h US$3.50, three hours, depart 7am US$3.50,three hours,depart and will do if necessary. Set around Set will doifnecessary. , inthePanamanian immi- 8am-4:30pm)

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( % Costa 2727 lonelyplanet.com a treatment forsnakebites). Thegardens are andBribríindigenousby Cabécar peopleas too(such asthedelicateuseful cycad, used beautiful, butthe tours explainthattheyare varietiesareplants. Themany ornamental like orchids, bromeliads, palmsandmedicinal walks,featuring exoticspecies for self-guided plants are labeledandatrailmapisavailable for possiblereforestation in the future. threatened here withextinctionare preserved a scientificroleasresearch center. Species families. As partof thegardenplays theOTS, than 1000genera of plants fromabout 200 –holdsmore CrucesBiologicalStation of Las garden–part and todaythewell-maintained the Organization forTropicalStudies(OTS) collection. its thereafter became internationally knownfor Wilsonin 1963and Robert andCatherine ral forest, by thegardenwasestablished and surroundedby254hectares of natu- tours US$15; .co.cr; LasCrucesBiological Station;admissionUS$6,guided class About 6km south of SanVitoisthisworld- WILSON BOTANICALGARDEN boxedspecifics, see text, p390 . US$8. about to Neilycostabout US$6andtotheairport at leastonceanhourfrom6amto6pm.Taxis minutes) leave frominfrontof thepostoffice José (319km) (17km); San To Neily 1 2 PASO CANOAS In 1973thearea cameundertheauspicesof The gardensare welllaidout,manyof the For more information onbordercrossing 2 botanical garden C OSTA h R ICA A

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BC Shops 3 P ANM to alarge population of Guaymípeople. founders,nal Italian SanVito isalsohome areas. wilderness America’slastgreat oneofAmistad, Central on theedge of Parque Internacional La that thisremote townislocated mountain Of course,thisisnosmallfeat considering and culture (nottomentiontheircuisine!). munity thathasretained theirlanguage San Vitoishometoalarge com- Italian immigrants inthe1950s, Founded byItalian SAN VITO gardens costs US$3. not stophere. fromSanVitotothe Ataxi Gordasdo Cañas thatgothrough as buses Agua through take Buena thebusthatgoes the entrancetogardens.Make sure you entry to the gardens. view of include thesurroundingflora. Rates they each have abalconywithanamazing geous grounds.Theroomsare simple,but meals US$88/164)inthemidstof thegor- cabins(single/doubleincluding comfortable searchers andstudents.Accommodationisin in advance:facilitiesare often filledwithre- well gardens,maketanical yourreservations cotinga. turquoise rot, violetsabre-wing hummingbirdand tanager, violaceoustrogon,blue-headedpar- dacni,silver-throated scarlet-thighed may see especially popularamongbird-watchers, who In additiontothe descendants of theorigi- SanVitoandNeilypass between Buses overnightIf youwanttostay atthebo- Instituto PanameñodeTurismo...... (see3) Báncredito...... (see 2) TRANSPORT SLEEPING INFORMATION Tracopa BusTerminal...... Taxi Stand...... Buses toNeily...... Cabinas Romy...... Panamanian ImmigrationPost...... Costa RicanMigración&Customs...... A1 ATM...... Costa RicanTouristInformation...... (see2) 0.1miles 0 0200 m D To David 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

(50km)

A1 A1 B1 B2 B1 A1 387 SOUTHERN COSTA RICA RICA COSTA SOUTHERN SOUTHERN COSTA RICA you get yourbearingsbefore headingtothe tas tas and wines. pas- and digintosometrulyauthenticItalian functional rooms(somewithforest views) tion. Here, easyinsimplebut youcansleep located about100mwestof themainintersec- ( of selection localand sen national crafts. asmallbutcarefullycabin thatcontains cho- inapretty,ception ishoused well-maintained and adramaticlookoutover thecity.There- a lovely parkwithgardentrails,picnicareas andpasturecoffee plantations land–are now The 10hectares of tobe grounds–which used a recreation center andreforestation project. ( lessons. Italian immigrationandarrangestion onItalian Mon-Fri) Alighieri Dante Cultural national park.Alsoof interest isthe office SanVitoishometothe Amistad, bus orstrolling the streets. trimmed incontrastinghues–ridingthe ing –long,solid-colored spotwomenintraditionalcloth- You might disturbed across theborderwithPanama). (Guaymí enclaves move backandforthun- indigenous thisregion peoplespassthrough Indígena GuaymídeCotoBrusmeansthat The proximity of thetowntoReserva 388 % % Cross Red 1 2 SAN VITO About 3kmsouthof town, If you’re planningonheadingtoLa The bestoptionintownisthe 2773 3760;admissionUS$1; 2773 3025;s/d/trUS$25/35/45; 5

H ODT A AITD • a io THE ROAD TOLA AMISTAD ••SanVito ( % , which provides historicalinforma- To SanJosé 2773 3955; (244km) A h 9am-4pm) 2

( % 4 h 7 2773 4934; To PoliceStation(100m); p El Kiosko 9:30am-5pm Tue-Sun) , which can help pollera Post Office(100m) Park Nacional Banco , conveniently ) Finca Hotel ElCeibo Hotel BC Church Minae parks Minae 6 dresses h

Cántaros Centro Centro 1-7pm 1 Costa Rica Banco de is EATING SLEEPING INFORMATION oe lCio...... B2 Hotel ElCeibo...... Centro CulturalDante Pizzería RestaurantLilliana..... Minae ParksOffice...... Alighieri...... To Hospital(1km);FincaCántaros

3 Garden (6km);Neily (23km) (3km); WilsonBotanical is located onthenorthernendof the ad 4pm. and 9am,11am, noon,2pm and 5pm. Neily destinations. of toNeilyandother townrunsbuses A localbusterminal onthenorthwestend San José 1:30pm. San Isidro street. main The main BUS Neily and Golfito. are at est airportswithscheduled services is 1kmeastof thenear- town.Otherwise, Theairstripnumber of peopleandseason. and Golfito–pricesvaryaccordingtothe toSanVitofromPuertoJiménezflights Alfo RomeoAero Taxi offers charter AIR away an afternoon. make placetowhile thisapleasant service viewsandthefriendly,familiarmountain all of which are madefromscratch. Thelovely 10pm) Lilliana Restaurant Pizzería Río Sereno 10am and 3pm. Getting There&Away Another great fare spotforItalian isthe US$1.25; two hours; depart 5:30am,7am,7:30am, US$1.25;twohours;depart ,

which boasts15different kindsof pizza, US$7.50, seven hours, depart 5am,7:30am, hours,depart US$7.50,seven US$2.75, three hours, depart 6:45amand US$2.75,three hours,depart US$1; 1½ hours; depart 7am,10am,1pm US$1;1½hours;depart 0 0 Tracopa busterminal 3 2 1 4 B2 A1 B2 Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels aiSad...... B2 Taxi Stand...... TRANSPORT Local BusTerminal...... Tracopa BusTerminal...... (pizzas US$3-5;

( D % Río Sereno(13km) To Airstrip(1km); 0.1 miles h Sabalito (7km); 2773 3410) 7 6 5 10:30am- 200 m B1 A1

PARQUE INTERNACIONAL INTERNACIONAL PARQUE LA AMISTAD lonelyplanet.com tion inthe nameof conser- environmental to thepossibilities of international coopera- area asatestament Rica, andstands inCosta (Friendship). Itis by farthelargest protected Amistad Rica –henceitsname,La Costa jointlyin1988byPanamaestablished and This 407,000-hectare international parkwas Costeña to the south. Talamanca tothenorthandlowerFila viewsofwith fantastic theCordillerade an incredibly route scenicandless-used from SanIsidroviatheValle de CotoBrus– hairpin turns.Youcanalsoget toSanVito The paved roadissteep, narrowandfullof ping awayastheroadwindsuphillside. with superbviewsof thelowlandsdrop- The drive northfromNeilyisascenicone, CAR If you would like tolearnmore,If youwouldlike payavisittothe (see below): Herediabetes toaslippeddisk. are afew ofourfavorites, ofParadise courtesy TropicalGarden ofillnesses,fromIndigenous groupsusetropicalflowers,herbsandplantstotreat allkinds MEDICINE RAIN-FOREST turn rightattheendofbridge. Fromhere, thegardenisjust200mbeyond. just westofthetownRíoClaro–followInteramericana and for1km,crosstheRíoLargarto hosts, butyoushouldcalladayinadvanceifwanttheirfullattention. The gardens are located crop ofthisregion andEllaare wonderful followingthecollapseofbananaindustry.Robert ofAfricanvisitors alsolearnabouttheproduction palmoilandhowitcametobethedominant they callthe‘TropicalFruitSee,Smell,Taste &TouchExperience.’ Besidesthisinteractive display, have totropicalfruitsandrain-forest createdsensualintroduction remedies that awonderfully paradis-garden.tripod.com; RíoClaro;admissionbydonation; paradis-garden.tripod.com; Ifyousuffer fromaslippeddisk,youmighttrythisnatural remedy, of madefromthebracts The leaves oftheavocadotree are saidtocure highbloodpressure. Justboilthemforthree treat Mostdoctors stomachulcerswithantibiotics,butnatural-medicineconnoisseursrecom- your painwithinafew days. sit forthree days,before rubbingthistincture ontoyoursore This remedy back. shouldease stuff asmanyyoucanfitintoasmallbottle,thenfillthebottlewithrubbingalcohol.Let it arebracts thesmallleaves atthebaseofbloom.Pull themoffthestem of theginger and the beautifulred plumeginger fridge. Apparently youshoulddrinkthree cupsaday,but beware: thisbrew isadiuretic. minutes andletthemsteep foranotherthree. Strainthemurkydrinkandstore itinthe into yourfood. away thered paste. Youcaneattheseedsstraightfrompod,ordrythemandgrind mend theseedsfromspinyred annattopod.Remove theseedsfrompodandwash PARQUE INTERNACIONALLA AMISTAD (Alpinia purpurata), Paradise TropicalGarden virtually inaccessible, there isnoshortage of up intheTalamanca andremains mountains gists and worldwide. conservationists versity, thusattractingtheattention of ecolo- createshabitat unprecedented biologicaldi- and epiphytes. Thisdiversity of altitudeand with athickundergrowth of palms,ferns a canopyof cedar,cypress andoaktrees, the Talamanca valley are fertile rainforest – ofetation thecloudforest. Thelowlandsof yield impressive oaksandthe thickveg- the ized bytheshrubby,stunted vegetation of At thisaltitude,thelandscapeischaracter- than3000m. higher merous othermountains peaks of theChirripómassif, butalsonu- de Talamanca, which notonlyincludesthe variety of endangered habitats. Biological corridor,which protects agreat became partof thegreater Mesoamerican a UnescoWorldHeritage Site andlater wasdeclared Amistad vation. In1990,La h whichisbountifulintherainforest. The The backbone of thisparkisthe Cordillera Although mostofAlthough thepark’sarea ishigh 6am-5pm) páramo, where Robert andEllaBeatham where Robert while slightly loweraltitudeswhile slightly ( % 2789 8746;http://

389 SOUTHERN COSTA RICA RICA COSTA SOUTHERN SOUTHERN COSTA RICA offices Limited informationisavailable atlocal ORIENTATION & INFORMATION time inthis verdant one. growing oldinanurbanjungle,spend some for rugged exploration–if you’re afraidof isbrimmingwithpossibilities Amistad La though erous environmentisnoeasytask, Tackling this pristine yetpotentially treach- of thecountry’slasttruewildernessareas. existsas one‘eco-adventure,’ Amistad La well-known parksinthehopesof having an specific areas and/ortheservices of guides. existent, which means trekkers are limited to frastructure withintheparkisalmostnon- for intrepid travelers. touristin- However, hiking andcampingopportunitiesavailable 390 While tourists flock to Costa Rica’smoreWhile touristsflocktoCosta via Volcán. currency (knownas handle foreign asthePanamanian exchange,soit’sbesttobring USdollars,whichfunction a goodpizzaplaceandinternet access. facilitiesattheborderdonot Note thatthebanking on SundaysandSaturdayafternoons. about 100mpastthe affluent. fromafirst-worldisn’t usuallydemandedifyouhave countryandlookreasonably apassport require plusUS$500(orbankandcredit anonwardticket, cards)toshowsolvency. The latter is atranquil,pleasantplace–atypicalofbordertowns. The crossinghere ishassle-free. can continueontothevillageofVolcánnearParque NacionalVolcánBarúinPanama. RíoSereno East ofSanVito roadleadstothebordercrossingatRíoSereno, alittle-transited fromwhere you To RíoSereno border inarental vehicle. asroadsidecheckpointsoftenthe fumigationticket request it.Note thatyoucannotcrossthe of David(US$2,1½hours). solvency (presenting acredit carddoesthetrick).Fromhere dozens ofminivansgotothecity US citizens) toenter Panama. andevidenceoffinancial foranonwardticket Youmightbeasked Herethe hugenewyellowcementblock. youcanpurchasethenecessarytouristcard(US$5for bus terminal. After securinganexitvisa,walk300measttothePanamanian immigrationpost,in stamps inyourpassport. border withoutrealizing it.Noharmdone,butdon’tgotoofarwithoutgettingtheproper when hordesofTicos arrive forshoppingsprees. Note thatit’svery easytowalkacrossthe it isconveniently open24hours,itiscrowdedandconfusing,especiallyduringholidayperiods, On theCarretera Interamericana, Paso Canoas isthemajorbordercrossingwith Panama. Although To David TOPANAMAGETTING AQEITRAINLL AITD • retto nomto PARQUE INTERNACIONALLA AMISTAD &Information ••Orientation There are side,butRíoSerena nofacilitiesontheCostaRican inPanama hasadecenthotel, holderswillneedtopurchaseatouristcard(US$5),whichissoldatthebank, US passport Migración If youare inaprivate vehicle, youmusthave yourcarfumigated acopyof (US$4).Keep Costa Rican ( Buenos Aires

% ( migración h 2730 0846; 8am-6pm) balboas migración (immigration) is on the eastern side of the highway, north oftheTracopa(immigration) isontheeastern sideofthehighway,north San Isidro isbesidethepolicestation.Panamanian immigrationofficialsmay ). Once across the border, buses depart RíoSereno hourlytoDavid). Onceacrosstheborder,busesdepart office.candirect youthere. Officials Note thatthebankisclosed

% 2771 3155, Minae Minae headquarters at in arefuge, it’sbetter tocalldirectly topark Real, and Santa MaríaReal, and Santa dePittier ontheslopes at there are ranger additional,little-used stations the headquarters atAltamira, found. Besides only onthePacific sidethatranger are stations Talamancas are protected inthepark,butitis slopes andsouthernPacific slopesof the small displayof butterflies and moths. inthisareastudying insects has created a lookout tower. Agroup of parataxonomists ers anddrinkingwater, anda electriclight area of thepark,withacamping area, show- person perdayUS$5). 4090). 2771 4836,5116;Calle2btwnAvs 4&6; To make reservations to camp or to stay tocamp ortostay To make reservations The thicklyforested northernCaribbean Potrero Grande Potrero They are all minimally helpful. Altamira

This is the best-developed Thisisthebest-developed ( % 2742 8090) ( % 2200 5355;parkfee per lonelyplanet.com , northof Paso San Vito

% 2773 ACTIVITIES really upto set accommodate tourists. María,water are atSanta stations not these extremely basichostel withtoiletsandfresh Pittier(2844m).Whilethereof isan Cerro lonelyplanet.com be happy to pose foraphoto,but youshould be happy topose In regards tophotography,mostvillagers will mended thatyoucover upasasign of respect. societies, andit’srecom- fairly conservative arearound toplessin thevillage, these still somemenand womenstillwalk Although fort torespect of thesensibilities yourhosts. smiles thatcould melt gold. andBribríhaveforgiving the Cabécar habitat, that have madealife forthemselves inanun- of theyare yourhosts.Although people tough at timesyouwillbeamazedthehospitality tourists withequalpartsrespect andawe, a result, andBribrítend theCabécar toview circuit willswingthiswayanytimesoon.As visitors andit’sunlikely ship thatthecruise Talamanca. de the BribríviaATEC ( p481 ) inPuertoViejo BiológicaDúrika( via theReserva p382 ) and Pacific coast.ItispossibletovisittheCabécar andasfarthewest intothemountains but over thepastcentury,theyhave migrated coast(and manystilldo), on theCaribbean tribesoriginallyinhabited lands groups. These forthe enous reservations andBribrí Cabécar isalsohometofiveAmistad different indig- thecountless animalspecies,La Besides Visiting IndigenousGroups as innumerable species. insect 215 different reptiles andamphibians,aswell addition, theparkprotects 115speciesof fish, but extremely rare harpy eagle(see p392 ). In Rica–includingthemajestic inCosta total have –more sighted been thanhalfof the rundi –andmany more-common mammals. margay, ocelot,oncilla(tiger cat)andjagua- lion), tropical cats–jaguar,puma(mountain well asgiantanteaters, allsixspeciesof neo- boxedtion of tapirs (see Baird’s text, p428 ), as cies. Theparkhasthenation’slargest popula- mammal speciesandmore than400birdspe- Talamanca, theparkishometoarecorded 90 upinthe isinaccessibleterrain high Amistad mostofAlthough Parque Internacional Wildlife-Watching Of course, youshouldstillmakeOf course, anef- few foreign see thereserves With thatsaid, In excessof 500birdspecies(49unique) PARQUE INTERNACIONALLA AMISTAD ••Activities ( the sions. Contact transport allof theirownsuppliesandprovi- guide. Lodgingisintents andhikers must of a to descendand– again–theservices requires three daystoascendandtwo Potrero GrandeorTres Colinas.Thisjourney Kamuksummit of fromthe village Cerro of below the park headquarters. and lodginginthevillage of just Altamira, arrangements. Asoprola canalsoprovide food ( theassociationofney. Contact guides of Rica.Costa traverses oneof themost isolated areas inall cal condition.Itisreportedly and spectacular hours, provided youare invery goodphysi- The walktakes anywhere to12 fromeight refuge of atthebase est before endingupatacampingarea and pristineandhillyprimaryfor-way through andwindsits Altamira from theEstación known asthe be much longer ifyoulose the trail. Normally thelooptakes twohours, butitcan attention tothemarkers.snacks andpayclose make sure youbringplentyof water and grass.More high wade through importantly, preparedBe toclimbover fallenbranches and trail ismarked, butitisnotwellmaintained. landscape outsidethepark.Note thatthis forest, and theotheroverlooking therural lookout points,oneontheedge of theprimary someancientrainforest. two Itpasses seeing kids. Nonetheless,thetrailisaneasymeansof theyareflora, although clearlydesignedfor provide simpleexplanationsof someof the 40m trees alongtheway.SignpostsinSpanish is ashort 3km circuit thatisnamedforthe station, Altamira Behind Hiking Amistad. La ing. Inquire locallyaboutproperconductin orBribrívillageto aCabécar issorefresh- the region, which isonereason whyavisit you. from it’s besttoaskyourguidewhatisexpected will notbeasked topayforaphoto,though speaking,you belong.Generally it doesn’t always askbefore stickingyourcamerawhere % % Hardy adventurers canalsohike tothe inTourism hasalongwaytodevelop A localguideisrequired tomake thejour- The longest trail(approximately 20km)– 2743 1184) 8814 0889) in Altamira toinquirein Altamira about these for more information. Valle delSilencio Tres Colinasguides’association Tres Cerro Kamuk Kamuk Cerro Los Gigantes delBosque Los Gigantes –departs (3549m). Asoprola 391

RICA COSTA SOUTHERN SOUTHERN COSTA RICA basic hostels of the park. restone lastnight’s before headinginorout showers. Thecabins are ifyou want useful person US$6) lage of ElCarmen, homestay. a forest, there isnobetter waythantoarrange lives of peoplelivingonthefringes of therain lage of Altamira.Foranintimate lookatthe ments forlodginginlocalhomes thevil- in and out. tricity. Allfoodandsuppliesmustbepacked of –elec- toilets, and–inthecase Altamira camps andhostels offer drinkingwater and Kamuk. of These Pittier andatthebase Cerro have withintheborderscontained of the park. BiológicaDúrika( Reserva p382 ), which is theoptionslisted alsothe here,Besides see SLEEPING &EATING 392 Asoprola All of theranger such as Altamira, stations, West of María Santa dePittier,in thevil- its leisure. harpy willsitnearby–sometimesfordaysuntilitishungry,andthensnatchtheslothat sloths, whichare extremely inthesun.A vulnerableinthemorningwhentheyare basking aresnakes sweptofftheforest floor. However, themajorityofharpy’sdietconsists arethe canopy.Monkeys fromthefoliage,unwarybirdsare plucked fromlimbsand taken itvulnerabletopoachers.when peopleapproach,makes much ofitsprey baseanditshabitat.Furthermore, itshabitofperchingfor longspells,even the harpyeagleprobablynever occurred inhighdensities,thoughdeforestation hasremoved other large andlizards. birdsandawholeslewofsnakes As anapexpredator thejaguar), (like energy requirements. As aresult, harpieshuntallbutthelargest forest mammals,aswell machine. harpy isanundeniablekilling unhindered. Withmassive clawsasbigagrizzlybear’sandlegsman’swrist,the talons witharesounding skullandcarryitbacktothenest ‘pop’inordertocrushthemonkey’s awesome. Forinstance,aharpyseenwithlarge malehowlerwrithinginhergripwillshift bill. yellowtalonsandahooked from theforest floor,aswellpowerful Theyfaint legbarringaswellgrayupperparts. alsohave piercingyelloweyesthatcanbeseen immediately recognizable. Adultstend tohave white breasts withabroadblackchestbandand than anywhere elseinCostaRica. population. Althoughthechancesofspottingoneare stilllow,yourchancesare better here when theyare present. you’re Fortunately, inLaAmistad,whichishometoahealthynesting limited astheyare rare throughoutmostoftheirrangeandare hardtospotinthecanopyeven toseethebirdinwildare birdofprey opportunities intheworld.Unfortunately, powerful The raptor,isconsideredharpy eagle,Central bymanytobethemost America’smoststriking THE MOTHER OFALLEAGLES PARQUE INTERNACIONALLA AMISTAD ••Sleeping&Eating Harpies rarely soarabove prey thetreetops through andusuallyhuntbyrapidlyattacking A female andsuchalarge predator harpycanweighuptoninekilograms, obviouslyhashigh Anyone whohashadtheprivilegetowatchaharpyeaglehuntwilltell youthatitissimply Harpy eaglesare enormousbirdswithawingspanof2mandheight1.5m–theyare camping facilities hassimplecabins withcold-water

( % (per personUS$6) 2743 1184) Soda LaAmistad

(per personUS$5) canmake arrange- at Santa María atSanta de (El Carmen;rper

. There are Costa Rica’s third-largest reserve. Since 1940, Rica’sthird-largestCosta Since1940, reserve. derness andorganic farmlandthatconstitutes (and drinking) of the homegrown coffee. andprocessing to participate intheharvesting and horseback riding. Guestsare alsoinvited network of trails (40km)isexcellentforbirding tents, toiletsandrunningwater. Theextensive at each camp,which have full-sized walk-in ings fromonesite toanotherandprovide meals willtransportyourbelong- cooking. Thestaff leaving thecomfortsof asolidbedandgood to doamultidaytrek aroundthearea without different allowingvisitors altitudes andhabitats, Four additionaljunglecampshave builtat been provided plant. byalow-impacthydroelectric hardwood cabinswithhotwater andelectricity the environment.Themainlodge hastropical of ance theneeds withprotecting development organic coffee farm,andhaslongworked tobal- the congenial Montero familyhasoperated this s/d/tr US$96/168/240; ( the village Mellizas, of Las % Situated about 3km by poor dirt road from Situated about 3kmbypoor dirtroadfrom 2200 5037, in San José 2289 7667; www.laamistad.com; 2200 5037,inSanJosé22897667;www.laamistad.com; Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels p ) sitson100sqkmof wil- La Amistad Lodge La AmistadLodge

fee into the park. Buses to Las Mellizas toLas fee intothepark.Buses can of fresh-brewed coffee), aswelltheentry come get youif call ahead. tothelodge,get buttheowners youclose will lonelyplanet.com/hotels the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake tions permit,theycontinue4kmtothevillage the townof andiftheroadcondi- ElCarmen; noon and5pmdailytravel the16kmto Tablas).Las departat FromGuácimobuses get off inthetownof Guácimo (often called SanIsidroandVito runs between To reach youcantake anybusthat Altamira, GETTING THERE&AWAY Rates includethree mealsaday(andlots Rates PARQUE INTERNACIONALLA AMISTAD There &Away ••Getting yu departure. your here, inquire about roadconditionspriorto for anyonetoget there. Ifyouare driving and badconditionscanmake itpretty tough thattheroadsaremind, however, grueling, from SanVitoorBuenosAires. Keep in hire tobringyouhere, a4WDtaxi either Intheory,itispossibleto station. Altamira at5amand Altamira 2:30pm daily. To return departfrom toGuácimo,buses 2kmhiketo thesteep totheranger station. low theMinaesign(nearchurch) leading of Altamira. Fromthevillage of fol- Altamira, Vehicles with4WDgoallthewayto © LonelyPlanetPublications

393 SOUTHERN COSTA RICA RICA COSTA SOUTHERN