This 580-sq-km national park protects the lush northern slopes of the Cordillera de Talamanca, and has a rainy claim to fame: it is the wettest park in the country, getting almost 8000mm of precipitation a year. In 2000 it was expanded to include the infamous Cerro de la Muerte – otherwise known as the ‘Mountain of Death.’ This precipitous peak is the highest point on the Interamericana and the northernmost extent of páramo, a highland shrub and tussock grass habitat that’s most commonly found in the Andes and is home to a variety of rare bird species.
Known simply as Tapantí, the park also protects wild and mossy country that’s fed by literally hundreds of rivers. Waterfalls abound, vegetation is thick and the wildlife is prolific, though not always easy to see because of the rugged terrain.
