Los Quetzales National Park

If you are someone who loves to explore the beautiful sights of nature, then I’ll suggest you visit Los Quetzales National Park, a place where you’ll explore the “cloud forest”.

Los Quetzales, despite being just a short distance from the Central Pacific, offers visitors a unique kind of adventure. It’s climate system here is cool and fresh, and the park is usually shrouded in dense clouds due to its high elevation in the Talamanca mountains.

This park is highly famous for having a vast variety of unique plant species including flora and fauna, hardwoods covered with moss, alpine plants, causing the place to become highly attractive, which attracts different species of birds and animals that can only be found at such high altitudes.

Los Quetzales National Park is mainly an attraction for bird watching. It’s among one of the most favorite places to live for highland birds. However, among the highland birds, a chance to spot a “Resplendent Quetzal” is much needed.

A resplendent quetzal is an exotic colorful bird that is rare and almost extinct. Therefore, only a lucky one can spot it.

About Los Quetzales National Park

Los Quetzales National Park was developed in 2006 by 32981-MINAE. It’s located in the San José Province of Costa Rica and is 97 kilometers away from San Isidro de El General of Costa Rica. The park covers 50 sq kilometers area, reaching a maximum elevation of 10,465 feet above sea level and a minimum elevation of 4,068 feet above sea level.

The temperature of this area ranges from 41 (5 ° C) degrees Fahrenheit to 57 (14 ° C) degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees C), having an annual average rainfall of 8,68 feet, respectively. The park is given the name “Los Quetzales” because it’s the home of resplendent quetzal birds, which is a national bird of Guatemala.

Sights to Explore in Los Quetzales National Park

Just like any other park in Costa Rica, Los Quetzales park also offers a variety of things for you to enjoy doing with your friends and family. Some of them include bird watching, hiking, and exploring the beautiful wonders of nature that the park possesses. Let’s find out below the wonders this park offers.

1. Birds watching

This park is a home place for highland birds. The birds you would only find in high-altitude areas and nowhere else. Other than the highland birds, you would also find rare birds.

Some of the very famous birds found in Los Quetzales National Park include hummingbirds, trogons, tanagers, Highland Tinamou, Black Guan, Spotted Wood-Quail, Columbidae, Odontophorids, Squirrel Cuckoo, Dusky Nightjar, Spotted Sandpiper, White-tailed Kite, Resplendent Quetzal, and more. For visitors, the biggest competition is to spot a Resplendent Quetzal, which is rare and currently near to extinct.

2. Hiking

Hiking is yet another famous activity by visitors here in this park. Some of the very famous hiking spots are “Circular Trail” and “Ojo de Agua Trail.” The circular trail exists in the cloud forest, offering beautiful sights of nature, and is famous for spotting birds like quetzal. The trail takes about 30 minutes of traveling.

As per the Ojo de Agua trail, it’s famous for having regenerated trees from a secondary forest where you’ll find different species of flora and fauna. The trail is about 1.25 miles into the cloud forest.

3. Flora and Fauna

Another famous activity by visitors is exploring different species and variations of flora and fauna growing and regenerating within the cloud forest. As per the record, this park has identified about 979 different species of plants, and 65 different types of butterflies, making it a natural wonder to explore.

How to Reach this paradise?

The Los Quetzales National Park is at “Dota Canton” of San Jose province. To reach the Park, you’ll have to:

• Take the South Interamerican Highway to Perez Zeledón from San José.
• After at 47.5 miles (76.5 km) on the main road, you will reach a place called Ojo de Agua de Dota. Here you’ll find a famous restaurant called “Los Chespiritos 1”.
• The entrance to the park is on Chespiritos’ right.

This is one of the less crowded and noisy parks in Costa Rica, which makes it a great place for birdwatching a peaceful walk into the cloud forest.

Hours, Tickets, and Pricing

The visiting time of this park is from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm. As per the tickets and pricing is concerned:

• The entrance fee for foreigners is $10.
• For children, the entrance fee is $5.
• The entrance fee for local visitors and residents is $1.72.

Keep in mind they do not accept card payments. Costa Ricans and their legal residents are advised to bring their identity cards to present during the park’s entrance. People aged 65 years and above don’t need to bring identity cards to get a ticket.

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