3 great options for adventure tourism in Costa Rica

By Laura Alvarado From The Costa Rica Star

Chirripó National Park: Here you’ll find Costa Rica’s highest peak Cerro Chirripó Grande, it stands at 3820m (12532.81ft) at the Talamanca Mountain Range. From the top in a clear day you can get to see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea if the weather conditions permit. The best time to make this hike is during summer time, December through end of April, since the conditions once it starts raining get more challenging and dangerous, yet this doesn’t prevent people from venturing to do the hike during the rainy season. People that want to visit can now make a reservation online through the SINAC website; this is a requirement since you need a permit to enter the park. The most experience hikers can climb to the top and back in one day but for the average recreational hiker it usually takes two or three days. The base camp is located in the small town of San Gerardo de Rivas, where you can also find different lodging alternatives. The area is beautiful and the trails have incredible views.

Barra Honda National Park: Located 22KM (13.6 Miles) northeast of Nicoya in Guanacaste, the main attractions of this park are of course its caverns. The caves can be visited any time of the year, but to descend into the caves you must take a guided tour; you can choose to just pay the park fee entrance and enjoy walking the trails and the hike to the viewpoint, but if you decide to do the tour you have to pay an additional amount since you’ll require caving equipment and of course a guide, the tour allows entrance to two different caves, Terciopelo (kids 10 and up) where you can find some of the most spectacular and unique formations and La Cuevita (kids under 10 are allowed). There are 42 caves total in Barra Honda, but only 19 of them have been explored. (Not recommended if you don’t like bats)

Isla del Coco (Coco Island): If hiking and/or caving are not your thing, perhaps diving or snorkeling is a better fit for you. Isla del Coco is considered one of the new wonders of the world, tours tend to be a bit pricey, but worth every penny. For those adventurous tourists that want to explore the island, the untouched cloud forest vegetation will leave you at awe, the walk to its highest point Cerro Yglesias, takes 5 hours. Getting to Isla del Coco takes a day and a half (36 hours) and during the trip you get to see dolphins, whales and sea turtles, expeditions are usually of 10 -12 days (thus the price). This tour is recommended for experienced divers since the currents and conditions are not for everyone, some of the underwater wonders you get to see include hammerhead and white-tipped sharks among many other marine species. (IMAGE: Wikimedia)

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