Montecristo National Park

Montecristo protects cloud forest on the massif where the Salvadoran, Guatemalan and Honduran boundaries converge at a point known as El Trifinio, and the three countries manage adjoining reserves. Above around 2,100 metres the forest is oak and laurel hung with orchids, bromeliads and moss, with a closed canopy that keeps the ground permanently damp and dark, and the tree ferns and epiphytes are the reason to come. Quetzals, spider monkeys, porcupines and pumas are recorded. A cabin area, campsite and orchid garden sit lower down, and trails run up to the summit. The core forest closes each year during the breeding season, and access requires a permit and a suitable vehicle.

What you actually see

• The cloud forest - the moss and epiphyte-hung oak and laurel above 2,100 metres.
• The Trifinio point - the meeting of the three boundaries at the summit.
• The orchid garden - the collection at the lower camp.
• Tree ferns - the understorey of the wet upper forest.

When to go

November to April in the dry season; the road is difficult in the rains. The core forest closes each year for the wildlife breeding season, usually around May to October, so check dates. Nights are cold.

Honest expectations

A permit must be arranged in advance and numbers are limited. The road up requires four-wheel drive and is closed to unsuitable vehicles. The upper forest is closed for part of each year. Accommodation is basic cabins and camping, and it is cold and wet.

Nearby

Metapan lies south; Lago de Guija is southwest.