Braulio Carrillo National Park

Location: Central Valley, 21 km northeast of San Jose on the Guapiles Highway

See San Jose Tourism Region

Size: 113,371 acres (45,899 Ha)

Date of Creation: April 1978 (with several later additions)

Part of:  Central Volcanic Conservation Area

About:

This popular national park is named after Costa Rica's third Chief of State, Braulio Carillo, who proposed the construction of the Guapiles highway from San Jose to the Caribbean Coast.

The park is set in some of the most challenging and diverse geography in Costa Rica. The landscape alternates between cool, towering mountains and lowland jungles.  Rivers, waterfalls, crater lakes and dormant volcanoes like Barva and Cacho Negro create a wonderland of scenery.

Hikers in Braulio Carrillo will notice an amazing variation of flora and fauna. The scenery changes dramatically within short periods of time. High elevations are marked by primary cloud forest (forest that has grown undisturbed for hundreds or thousands of years) or stands of ragged and windblown trees.  The lower slopes host thick rainforest and an abundance of wildlife, including more than 150 species of mammals.  Over 6,000 plant species, including the caoba, oak, gavilan and ceiba can be found in the primary forest.

Visitors should be prepared for the occasional bout of cold weather. Temperatures can dip to 15 C (59 F) on the higher elevation trails near the Zurqui Ranger Station. If you prefer a warmer route, stick to the lowlands on the east side of the park.

A highlight of any visit to Braulio Carrillo is the Rainforest Aerial Tram, located in the heart of the rainforest on the eastern side of the park. Visitors can glide above the canopy layer in one of twenty cable cars, enjoying panoramic views and an opportunity to spot wildlife that would otherwise remain hidden.

 
Three-hour tours include a quick film, aerial tram ride, and a guided hike through the park’s trails. Tours depart at 8 and 10 a.m. and 12 and 1 p.m. and cost $55 for adults and $25 for children age twelve and under. The Rainforest Aerial Tram also has a restaurant and a visitor’s center.


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Weather:

Annual Rainfall: 4,500- 8000 mm

Temperature: Ranges from 59ºF in the high altitudes to 90ºF (15 to 39 degrees Celsius)

Activities:

Bird & wildlife watching and hiking are available. Additionally, visitors can arrange an aerial tram ride and tour of the park’s trails.  There are no camping facilities in the park.  However, campers are welcome at the nearby Barva ranger station.

Facilities:

There are three ranger stations in the park offering restrooms, picnic areas and information.

-The Zurqui Ranger Station, 23 km north of San Jose along the Guapiles Highway

-Carrillo (Quebrada Gonzalez) Ranger Station, also accessible via the Guapiles Highway

-Barva Volcano Ranger Station, best reached by traveling through San Jose de La Montana, north of Heredia


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Trails:

If you enjoy hiking, Braulio Carrillo National Park is an ideal place to visit. Trails here lead you through an interesting variety of terrain to Barva Volcano and the beautiful Barva and Danta Lakes.

Trails are available from all three ranger stations. You'll find two main hiking trails at Zurqui ranger station.  The Capulin Loop Trail, located across the road from the Puesto de Zurqui, will take you through primary and secondary forest. The Sendero Natural Botarama, located at the Puesto de Carrillo, 15 kilometers northeast of Puesto de Zurqui, leads you on a one-kilometer walk through primary and secondary forest.  

Puesto Barva Station is the starting point to climb to the small lake in the crater of the dormant Barva Volcano (1.6 km). From the summit, hikers can either loop back to the village of Porrosati or, for those who have a permit, guide, and fours days worth of food, continue north to La Selva.

Flora & Fauna:

The cloud forest near Barva Volcano is home to a variety of frog and toad species, including strawberry poison arrow frogs, red-eyed tree frogs and the currently endangered bufo holdridgei toad. Reptiles in residence include two of the most dreaded and venomous snakes in the world: the fer-de-lance (terciopelo) and the bushmaster (matabuey), the largest venomous snake on the continent.

Visitors are likely to cross paths with howler monkeys, spider and white-faced monkeys, and coatimundis. Less commonly seen are tapirs, jaguars, pumas, ocelots, pacas, coyote and white-tailed deer. More than five hundred species of migratory and resident birds have been sighted in the park, among them gold finches, scarlet-rumpled tanagers, and resplendent quetzals.


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Fees and Schedule:

Admission: $7
Open daily: 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Getting There:

Braulio Carrillo National Park is less than a 40-minute drive from San Jose.

By Car: From San Jose, follow the Guapiles Highway (32) headed northeast. The main ranger station, Zurqui, will be on the right side of the road, just north of the tunnel. The Puesto Carrillo station is also on highway 32, 42 km from San Jose. Farther to the west, the Puesto Barva ranger station is easiest to access by exiting San Jose via Heredia, then continuing north to Birri, Porrosati, Barva and Sacramento on 114. The station is three kilometers northeast of Sacramento on a dirt trail.

Public Bus: Any bus going to Guapiles, Siquirres, or Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui will pass the Puesto de Zurqui ranger station where travelers can pay their entrance fee and proceed to the hiking trails. At the end of the day, just flag down a bus for the return journey.

Taxi: Travelers can make arrangements with a taxi driver for roundtrip transportation to the park for around $50 from San Jose.


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Recommendations:

A word of caution to motorists: cars left along the highway leading into the park have been vandalized on occasion. Make sure to remove all valuables from the car before your hike.  Be prepared for cold, wet weather with a jacket and raincoat.

Nearby Parks:

La Selva Protected Zone

Poas Volcano National Park

Juan Castro Blanco National Park

Jaguarundi Wildlife Refuge

Central Volcanic Forest Reserve

Contact info:

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