Braulio Carrillo National Park — Attraction in Las Horquetas

This is a lovely walk - you first enter through a place where you have to sign yourself in and can make a "donation" to the preserve. You can hire a tour guide who are very good at spotting wild life or you can trek it alone.

The path is rather wide and there are a lot of people on it, so you don't have to worry about being in the jungle alone. You really have to keep your eyes peeled for the wildlife, they love to blend in. All except the monkeys, you'll know if a monkey is around LOL! I a lot of wildlife.

The trail ended for me at a river crossing that was particularly deep on that day. The path keeps going and when the weather clears up from the rainy season the river goes down and is cross able. A few tourists were debating folding the river when it was deep until a guide told them that there were cayman in the water and he wouldn't recommend it. So- they thought better of it!

Anyway you should definitely take time to see this cite. It is a nice long walk and it's a bit like playing where's Waldo with...

We entered the Barva sector.

First off, the drive up to this entrance is terrible due to the roads, especially during the rainy season. We had to park 1 mile away due to the road being so bad. And we had a 4 wheel drive. Our guide was afraid he would puncture a tire, and I don't blame him. It's that bad. So don't think you'll rent a regular vehicle and get to the gate entrance if the roads are still bad. Even in 4 wheel drive, you might find you have to walk a mile to get to the gate.

Hike to the crater lake was great but a few recommendations. Bring water. Bring hiking sticks/poles. And wear nice hiking boots or shoes and not regular tennis shoes. This is a moderately hard hike so it's not a stroll through the park. So be prepared. It's basically all uphill from the time you park to the time you reach the crater/lake.

You also need reservations and you need to bring ID and/or passport to verify your reservation.

So get ready and...

You are likely to drive on Highway 126 or 32, both roads encompassing this spectacular park. It is a rift between mountains with lots of water and waterfalls ... There are of course a variety of routes and hikes, we were content with an random stops for sightings while eating pineapple we bought from the locals ... The park is named after the prime minister who supported his establishment and helped stop the takeover of nature in the area there with the construction of roads that cross the state from side to side. It is interesting that in the sense of road infrastructure, this is still a third-world state. Most of the roads are basically dirt roads (especially if you drive inland and drive from coast to coast) so be prepared for a fairly long nature ride that locals affectionately call "A...