Cerro Pelado

Cerro Pelado, the bare hill, rises in the Tilaran range above Canas, and unlike most Costa Rican summits it is grass rather than forest, which is what makes it a viewpoint: from the ridge the ground falls away to the Guanacaste plain and the Gulf of Nicoya on one side and the Arenal and Miravalles volcanoes stand on the other, with the Nicoya peninsula beyond on a clear morning. It is climbed for sunrise, which means starting in the dark, and the walk from the road head takes an hour or so on a track through pasture. Access crosses private farmland and a local charge applies. Wind on the ridge is constant.

What you actually see

• The sunrise - the light coming up over the gulf and the plain.
• The grass ridge - the open crest with no forest cover.
• The volcano line - Arenal and Miravalles from the top.
• The Gulf of Nicoya - the water and the peninsula beyond.

When to go

December to April in the dry season for clear mornings and passable tracks; the wet season brings cloud and mud. Start well before dawn for sunrise. Wind on the ridge is strong year round.

Honest expectations

The walk starts in darkness and a torch is essential. Access is across private pasture with an informal charge. The track is rough and steep in places. There is no shelter on the ridge and the wind is cold before sunrise.

Nearby

Canas lies below; Lake Arenal is northeast.