The summit
Sunrise over two seas.
madricrc — CC BY 2.0 · madricrc — CC BY 2.0 · Peter Andersen — CC BY-SA 3.0
Costa Rica's highest mountain, rising about 3,821 metres in the Talamanca range, from whose summit on clear days both the Pacific and the Caribbean can be seen at once, one of the few places in the world that allows it. The trail starts in the village of San Gerardo de Rivas at the mountain's foot and climbs about twenty kilometres through moss-draped cloud forest and then high, cold páramo grassland to the Crestones lodge below the summit. From there a short climb at dawn reaches the top for sunrise over the two seas. Around the summit lies a mountain landscape unique in Central America: small clear glacial lakes, jagged rock peaks called Los Crestones and low alpine plants. Most hikers spend two or three days on the trip. Entry is capped daily and needs a permit and a lodge booking weeks or months ahead. Nights near the summit are bitterly cold, sometimes below freezing, so bring winter clothes.
Sunrise over two seas.
High grassland.
Near the top.
San Gerardo de Rivas, about 20 km north-east of San Isidro de El General
Most hikers spend two or three days, sleeping at the Crestones lodge, with a permit and booking made in advance.