Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [332]
Talamanca Reserve (2772-1715; www.talamancareserve.com; r/ste US$70/80; ) This sprawling 16-sq-km private reserve is dotted with Talamanca indigenous sculptures that pose ominously among the stone cabins. Spacious interiors are furnished with lacquered wood and highlighted by picture windows, which open up to an impressive network of hiking trails. This full-service lodge also lures in nonguests with its decidedly modern restaurant that is surprisingly gourmet. The entrance is about 1km south of the trailhead for Chirripó.
Río Chirripó Retreat (2742-5109; www.riochirripo.com; Canaán; r per person incl 3 meals from US$80; ) About 1.5km below the ranger station, in Canaán, this upscale lodge is centered on both a beautiful yoga studio overlooking the river, and a vast open-air, Santa Fe–style communal area. You can hear the rush of the river from eight secluded cabins, where woven blankets and stenciled walls evoke the southwest USA. Grounds include hiking trails, a heated swimming pool and a hot tub with sweeping mountain views.
Return to beginning of chapter
Getting There & Away
Buses to San Isidro depart from the soccer field at 7am and 4pm (₡1800, 2½ hours). Any of the hotels can call a taxi for you.
Driving from San Isidro, head south on the Interamericana and cross the Río San Isidro at the southern end of town. About 500m further cross the unsigned Río Jilguero and take the first, steep turn up to the left, about 300m beyond the Jilguero. Note that this turnoff is not marked.
The ranger station is about 18km up this road from the Interamericana. The road is paved as far as Rivas but beyond that it is steep and graveled. It is passable to ordinary cars in the dry season, but a 4WD is recommended. If you are driving past the village of San Gerardo de Rivas, to Albergue Urán or to Cloudbridge Nature Preserve, you will need a 4WD.
Return to beginning of chapter
PARQUE NACIONAL CHIRRIPÓ
* * *
Costa Rica’s mountainous spine runs the length of the country in four distinct cordilleras (ranges), of which the Cordillera de Talamanca is the highest, longest and most remote. While most of the Talamanca highlands are difficult to access, Costa Rica’s highest peak, Cerro Chirripó, at 3820m above sea level, is the focus of this popular national park. Of course, while Chirripó is the highest and most famous summit in Costa Rica, it is not unique: two other peaks inside the park top 3800m, and most of the park’s 502 sq km lies above 2000m.
Like a tiny chunk of the South American Andes, Parque Nacional Chirripó is an entirely unexpected respite from the heat and humidity of the rainforest. Above 3400m, the landscape is páramo, which is mostly scrubby trees and grasslands, and supports a unique spectrum of highland wildlife. Rocky outposts punctuate the otherwise barren hills, and feed a series of glacial lakes that earned the park its iconic name: Chirripó means ‘eternal waters.’
The bare páramo contrasts vividly with the lushness of the cloud forest, which dominates the hillsides between 2500m and 3400m. Oak trees (some more than 50m high) tower over the canopy, which also consists of evergreens, laurels and lots of undergrowth. Epiphytes – the scraggy plants that grow up the trunks of larger trees – thrive in this climate. However, the low-altitude cloud forest is being encroached upon by agricultural fields and coffee plantations in the areas near San Gerardo de Rivas.
TOP PICKS: ONLY IN CHIRRIPÓ
While Costa Rica’s national parks stretch from valley floor to mountain top, only in Chirripó can you do the following:
Lord over the Costa Rican landscape while standing at the country’s highest point.
Spot highland endemics including the volcano hummingbird and green spiny lizard.
Catch glimpses of both the Caribbean and the Pacific in a single panoramic gaze.
Zip up the sleeping bag just as the mercury drops below the freezing point.
Experience a slice of the Andes without ever leaving Central America.
The only way up to Chirripó is by foot. Although the trekking routes are long and challenging, watching