Hiking in Costa Rica

Hello

A brand-new project has just come up: spending 15 days in Costa Rica. If you have any recommendations for a French-speaking agency or guide, I’d love to hear them. I’m thinking of leaving in late February or early March. There’ll be two of us women on this trip. What are the most beautiful spots to explore? Preferably hiking spots. Véronique

What are the most beautiful spots to discover? Preferably hiking. Véronique

You can do the Chirripó ascent (Costa Rica’s highest summit) over 2 days. From the top, you’ll get views of both oceans: the Atlantic and the Pacific.

Hi Véronique,

About Chirripó, I’d recommend planning for 3 days, in my opinion: hike up to the Crestones Lodge (about 8 hours from San Gerardo de Rivas), summit, and explore the area, then head back down. In February-March, you’ll have a better chance of seeing both oceans, but nothing’s guaranteed (at 3,850m, there’s often fog or clouds). For my part, I hiked it in December 2016—I posted a very detailed account in an article on our Franco-Costa Rican blog. On the same blog, you’ll find write-ups of other visits to Costa Rica’s national parks—I hope they give you some ideas. Welcome to this country that’s a little bit mine too!

Thanks for your reply. For now, we’re changing our plans—maybe Cape Verde. Véronique

Hi Pierre, thank you so much for this detailed blog—it’s been a huge help! I see your post is already 6 years old, but I have a few questions. Based on your experience, I see it’s best to stay for 3 days, and I’d like to add an extra day to my booking at SINAC. Is that possible? How should I go about it?

On the other hand, I didn’t see the services you mentioned. I emailed SINAC about accommodation and meals and I’m waiting for their reply. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences! Have a great day

Hi Elodie, To add an extra day to your stay, you’ll need to go to the "Disponibilidad" section of the Sinac registration form and check if there’s still availability (since entries are limited to 52/day) for the day you want to add. As mentioned in the blog, services are managed by Los Crestones: you’ll need to either call them at (506) 2742-5097 or 2742-5200, or email them at info@chirripo.org. Hope this is clear enough—if you run into any issues, just let me know. Happy planning! Pierre.