Braulio Carrillo

Braulio Carrillo National Park was established in 1978 (but further additions have it expanded its reach to 118,000 acres. The Park is home to the famous Barva Volcano, Patria River, Hondura River, and the Sucio River which is named after its unusual color due to minerals.

There are several dormant volcanoes around the park such as Cerro Chompipe, Cerro Cacho Negro and Cerros las Tres Marias. There are also three crater lakes, Barva, Danta and Copey.

The park was established as a deal with environmental lobbyists that stood to prevent the development o fthe Guapiles Highway which connects the capital to the Carribean Coast. The park is named after former Costa Rican President Brauilo Carrillo.  His administration helped form the nation's early agricultural economy and had built the first road linking San jose to the Caribbean coast. The park is separated into three main sectors - Zurquí, Quebrada Gonzales, and Barva.

Biodiversity in this region is quite significant with 530 species of birds, 600 identified specis of trees and over 135 species of mammals.

The park descends nearly 3,000 meters (app. 10,000 ft or 1.86 miles) form highest to lowest elevation points.  This area contains one of the highest levels of biodiversity in Costa Rica.  90% of the park is supposed to be primary forest, illustrating its importance for environmental preservation.

This park is not well explored by travellers, offering a great exploration and hiking adventure for the experienced nature and hiking lover.  Hiking trails rangein distance from a four day hiking tour to only a few kilometers. Caves are to be found and due to the high precipitation the many waterfalls fall all year round.