Resplendent Quetzal

Getty Images/Moment RF

Parque Nacional Los Quetzales

The Road to Chirripó


Spread along both banks of the Río Savegre, Parque Nacional Los Quetzales covers 50 sq km of rainforest, cloud forest and premontane forest lying along the slopes of the Cordillera de Talamanca. At an altitude of 2000m to 3000m, Los Quetzales is all jagged peaks and glacial lakes. True to the park's name, the beautiful quetzal is here (best spotted during the March to June nesting season), along with trogons, hummingbirds and sooty robins.

Two trails are open for birders and hikers – the 4km (round-trip) Ojo de Agua and the longer Sendero Zeledonia, which includes a 400m accessible paved section near the ranger station.

The entrance is just past Km 76 on the Interamericana. Any bus along this route can drop you off at the ranger station, though most people arrive in a private car or coach.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Road to Chirripó attractions

1. Batsù Garden

4.11 MILES

A garden designed specifically for birdwatching and photography. Feeders and fruits attract the birds to viewing platforms, while trails wind through the…

2. Queso Pacheco

7.2 MILES

Queso is not Costa Rica’s strong suit, but this little cheese operation, run by a former president’s son, is one example to the contrary. Abel Pacheco has…

3. El Mirador

14.43 MILES

Around 70 steps (approx 10 to 15 minutes up) lead to a viewing platform overlooking the vast verdant hillsides, with a trickling waterfall in the distance…

5. Cathedral

16.37 MILES

Love it or hate it, San Isidro's modernist, concrete cathedral dominates the main square and is the town's most interesting architectural feature. That…

6. Iglesia de San José Orosi

17.4 MILES

Orosi is one of the few colonial-era towns to survive Costa Rica’s frequent earthquakes, which have thankfully also spared the photogenic village church…

8. Parque Reptilandia

18.39 MILES

Near the entrance to Nauyaca Waterfall, this weathered reptile park sits on an acre of land and is a mini–Jurassic Park. It's got everything from…