Our New Path: Parque Nacional Tapanti-Macizo Cerro de la Muerte

The entrance to this national park, referred to simply as Tapanti, is about 30 min drive southeast of Orosi. We shared a 4WD taxi ride with a German couple, Jens and Karin Dietzsch, who were also staying at Orosi Lodge. We left at 8 am and were there, signed in, geared up and ready to walk at 9 am.

This park protects the northern rain forest slopes of the Cordillera de Talamanca - a volcanic ridge sweeping southeast at high elevations into Panama. Higher elevations of this park are the wettest parts of Costa Rica, with panamo vegetation (low, tough heathery shrubs). Tapanti also includes the infamous Cerro de la Muerte (Mountain of Death), with the twisting Interamericana highway shrouded in fog and prone to landslides.

Our walk totalled 13 km (much of which was steep to very steep) in increasing warmth and humidity (read:muddy). All the Bs were there: beauty, birds, butterflies and bugs. By the end, we were drenched in tropical glow (read: sweat). I was so saturated that the cab driver put a blanket over his seat to protect it... We avoided a downpour, and had an energetic day from which we are still recovering.

Coffee bush seedlings, on way to Tapanti

Bridge on way to park; 12 ton limit

Looking upstream of Rio Orosi, near park entrance

On road side in park

Epiphyte plants growing on nearly anything and everything.

Waterfall in park from mirador (lookout)

Giant fiddlehead for huge rainforest fern. Each fiddle head 6-8 inches across

Ever on the lookout for neat geologic hazards - this landslide in park was likely triggered by an earthquake. Many landslides cut off secondary roads and, if the road is deemed not essential, the slide debris is just left.