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The PARQUE NACIONAL BRAULIO CARRILLO (8am-3.45pm; US$6), 20km northeast of San Jose, covers 325 square kilometres acres of virgin rain- and cloudforest, though it's still little visited on account of its sheer size and lack of facilities, and most tourists experience the majestic views of cloud and foliage only from the window of a bus on their way to the Caribbean coast. Named after Costa Rica's third, rather dictatorial, chief of state, who held office in the mid-1800s, the park was established in 1978, mainly to protect the area from the possible effects of the Guapiles Highway that was then in construction between San Jose and Limon. Even when only seen from the highway, Braulio Carrillo's dense forested cover gives you a good idea of what much of Costa Rica used to look like about fifty years ago, when approximately three-quarters of the country's total terrain was virgin rainforest. The park has two staffed ranger stations ( puestos ), one at Volcan Barva (see below) and the other at Quebrada Gonzalez, 2km east of the Sucio river bridge on the Guapiles Highway. There are picnic facilities and a well-marked trail leading from the puesto at Quebrada Gonzalez into the forest, but camping is not permited and there's no accommodation within this section of the park, though you can stay in very basic huts at the Volcan Barva puesto . Slightly more accessible is the dormant Volcan Barva (daily 8am-3.45pm; US$6), a popular destination for walkers and climbers, though it's difficult to reach due to the lack of public transport and a bad stretch of road just before you reach the volcano - you'll need a 4WD, even in the dry season. The main trail (3km; about 1hr) up Barva's slopes begins at the park's puesto , 7km from the village of Paso Llano at the western edge of Braulio Carrillo, ascending through dense deciduous cover before reaching the cloudforest at the top. Along the way you'll get panoramic views over the Valle Central and southeast to Volcan Irazu; if you're lucky - bring binoculars - you might see the elusive, jewel-coloured quetzal (though these nest-bound birds are usually only seen at their preferred altitude of 3600m or more). It's easy to get lost on Barva. Take a compass, water and food, a sweater and raingear, leave early in the morning to enjoy the clearest views at the top, and be prepared for serious mud in the rainy season.
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