Braulio Carrillo

Braulio Carrillo covers around five hundred square kilometres of the Caribbean slope directly northeast of San José, and it exists because a highway was built through it: the road to Limón was pushed through this terrain in the 1970s and the park was created to stop the corridor being cleared alongside it. The result is an accessible stretch of genuinely wild forest, dropping from nearly three thousand metres at Barva volcano to fifty at the lowland edge, with an altitudinal range that supports an extraordinary species list. Trails run from two ranger stations on the highway, and an aerial tram operates just outside the boundary.

What you actually see

• The Quebrada González trails - lowland rainforest off the highway.
• Barva volcano - the crater lake at the park's high end, a separate access.
• The altitudinal range - 2,900 metres down to 50 in one park.
• The highway itself - a striking drive through steep forested gorges.

When to go

December to April is relatively drier, though the Caribbean slope is wet year-round and rain is likely on any day. Mornings are best. The Barva sector is accessed separately from Heredia and is often in cloud.

Honest expectations

The highway through the park is dangerous, with fog, heavy trucks and a poor accident record; do not stop on the verge. There have been robberies at trailheads over the years, so leave nothing in a parked car and prefer going with others. Trails are short and steep and the forest is dense enough that wildlife is heard more than seen. It rains a great deal.

Nearby

San José is half an hour southwest; Sarapiquí is beyond the park to the north.