Sizes: 50,150 hectares
Distance from San Jose: 151 kilometers
Dry Season: January through March
Camping: Permitted
Chirripo National Park
Variations in altitude, climate and soil give rise to one of the most ecologically diverse regions in Costa Rica. This park is situated in the Cordillera de Talamanca, which, at 320 kilometers, is the longest mountain range in the country. To get to Chirripo, visitors must travel to San Gerardo de Rivas. Here begins the hike through this wilderness area comprising several life zones from an altitude of 1,400 meters on the Caribbean and Pacific slopes to 3,821 meters at the summit of Mount Chirripo, the highest point in the country. From its peak, on clear days, both Caribbean and Pacific coasts may be admired.
On the route to the summit, hikers can enjoy lush vegetation and bird-watching. Chirripo features various sculpted glacial formations such as U-shaped valleys, lakes (moraines) and terraces. Visitor services include information, a park ranger station, trails, signage, restrooms, drinking water, several natural viewpoints and lodging.
The upper reaches of the park, often cold and almost always cloaked in mist, contain the northern most example of the paramo life zone, which is typical of high elevation plains much farther south. The park also contains extensive areas of lower montane and montane rain forest, offers excellent opportunities for wildlife observation and nature photography, and is one the few areas suitable for technical rock climbing in Costa Rica.
The tallest mountain in the country, Chirripo Peak, which towers 3,819 meters high, is part of the park of the same name.
Chirripo experiences wide temperature variation. It can be as warm as 24� C. during the day and then drop to freezing at night. Nights below freezing are common and the lowest temperature recorded in Chirripo and also in all the country is -9� C. You will need a warm sleeping bag, a warm hat, and a sweater, and long underwear and gloves are not bad idea.
Due to the high altitude in this area, it is not recommended to travel here after you spent a few days at the beach or at sea level, because it will cause you altitude sickness. Symptoms of altitude sickness are chronic headache, nausea, lack of appetite, and sleeplessness. The only cure for it is to think it out for a few days or goes to a less high place until symptoms disappear.
Chirripo National Park
Accommodations are available in huts in the high peak region, though they are a bit run-down and smoky, and they provide a good base for day hikes. Enjoying this fascinating place involves some dues paying, however. The 15 kilometer, 10-hour hike to the summit area borders on grueling. You will need to carry up enough food, warm clothes, and water for the day. If you are carrying your own gear, you can also make the trip easier by staying at the first shelter, a little more than halfway up the trail.
This is one of the few parks that you need to contact in advance of arrival (like a week or so) and particularly so during the dry season when Costa Rican groups fill up the shelters
Important information about Chirripo National Park and La Amistad International Park:
- These two parks were declared in 1982 a "Biosphere Reserve" by the UNESCO, and in 1983 a "World Heritage Site".
- An estimated has been made that both parks shelter 60% of all vertebrate and invertebrate animals in Costa Rica.
Protected Areas 
