Chirripo National Park, Parque Internacional La Amistad

Chirripo National Park.

Contiguous with Costa Rica`s largest national park, Parque Internacional La Amistad, Chirripo National Park contains Mount Chirripo, Central America`s tallest peak at 3,820 meters, as well as two other peaks over 3,800,. It became a park in 1975 - yet only 25,000 years before, glaciers covered this mighty mountain range, leaving carved, U-sharped valleys and clear-water lakes.
Atmospheric conditions can vary greatly by altitude and change unpredictably. It can be very windy and cold - the lowest recorded temperature  is -9ºC. At mid-level, the humid and cold cloud forest is characterized by tree -size ferns, moss, bromeliads, orchids, and towering aok trees. At about 3,400 meters, a tundra-like plateau, known as paramo, begins. The highest parts of the park contain the most-visited important geological and ecological zones, including Sabana de los Leones,, where puma have beed spotted; Cerro Chirripo; and Valle de los Lagos. Chirripo means "Land of Eternal Lakes" in the indigenous language.