Cerro de la Muerte

The Pan-American Highway crosses the Talamanca range at Cerro de la Muerte, the mountain of death, at over three thousand three hundred metres, and the name comes from the time when the crossing was made on foot and people froze doing it. It is the highest point on the road system, and the landscape at the top is páramo: no trees, dense low shrubs, dwarf bamboo, and frost on clear mornings. Volcán Irazú and both coasts are visible on the rare clear day. The valleys dropping off it, San Gerardo de Dota among them, hold cloud forest and the country's most reliable quetzal sightings.

What you'll find

• The páramo - treeless high shrubland above three thousand metres.
• The frost - genuine ground frost on clear mornings.
• The long view - both coasts and Irazú on a rare clear day.
• The side valleys - cloud forest and quetzals below the pass.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the only time the view is likely; the pass is in cloud most of the year and fog on the road is a serious hazard. Early morning is clearest. It is cold at the top, often near freezing before dawn.

What to expect

The highway over the pass is dangerous: fog reduces visibility to metres, heavy trucks crawl on the grades, and the accident record is poor. Do not drive it at night or in fog. There is little infrastructure at the top beyond a few roadside stops. Altitude affects some people arriving from sea level.

Nearby

San Gerardo de Dota is in the valley below; Chirripó is along the range.

Key facts