Po National Park Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

Overview

Introduction

The main attraction in Chirripo National Park, on the northwest corner of La Amistad International Park (60 mi/100 km southeast of San Jose), is Mount Chirripo. At 12,600 ft/3,840 m, it is Costa Rica's highest peak.

From Mount Chirripo's summit, you can see the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea at the same time. You'll also see lakes of glacial origin, cloud forests and paramo—an ecosystem of stunted shrubs and marshy alpine grasslands that are common to the Andes Mountains in South America.

The park can only be entered on foot, and it's a grueling hike—two days minimum to ascend, plus a third day for the descent—but it's phenomenal. There's a cozy mountaintop cabin where visitors can sleep and recuperate.

Entrance fees and cabin space must be prepaid at the MINAE office in San Gerardo de Rivas, which has plenty of simple accommodations as well as a luxury boutique hotel. If you're interested in visiting, be sure to confirm that the park is open before you go.

Overview

Introduction

This park, in southeastern Liberia near the town of Greenville, came into existence to protect some of West Africa's most significant tracts of rain forest. Although the park area was recently expanded by 50%, large swaths of nearby forest were cleared and sold as lumber to buy arms during the civil war, and park infrastructure was destroyed. Within the park itself, some sections of forest have been harvested and others have become temporary camps for miners and hunters.

In the tracts that remain, towering trees create a high canopy filled with flowering vines, monkeys and butterflies. The park also has giant forest hogs, pygmy hippos, chimpanzees, parrots, otters and other species.

Sapo is currently not open to tourists, although its headquarters are being reconstructed, and the situation is likely to improve fairly quickly after national elections. 150 mi/240 km southeast of Monrovia.