Cerros de Escazu

Hike in the protected area

Nature reserve in the central valley of Costarica. Due to the fact that almost half of Costa Rica's almost 6 million inhabitants live in the Central Valley, nature in this area is under severe strain. To counteract this problem, governments over the last two decades have declared some areas as nature reserves.
Unfortunately, this is often just a formality, but there is still hope that it will help preserve nature.

Two of these protected areas are in the immediate vicinity of Santa Ana: los “Cerros de Escazú”, which borders the municipality of Mora to the west near Cedral and Quitirrisí (a very interesting settlement that consists largely of indigenous people). The protected area borders Piedades and Santa Ana to the north and Escazú to the east. To the south you will find even more nature and little civilization.

The second protected area is the “El Rodeo” nature reserve, a little further west of Santa Ana and Piedades, about which we offer more information here.

The “Cerros de Escazú”, translated as Escazú hills with an altitude of 800-2400 m and a very varied landscape, represent only about 0.24% of the surface of Costa Rica. The highest mountain is the Cerro Rabo de Mico at 2432 m, the lowest peak is the Cerro Minas at only 1300 m. The protected area with its numerous rivers (e.g. Rio Uruca, Tabarcia) and streams (e.g. Santa Ana, Palmichal) is a guarantee the water supply to all surrounding towns, it also offers a very interesting excursion destination and is home to many species of birds. However, there are no signposted hiking trails, just forest paths and forest roads that run through the area. You can set off on foot or by mountain bike from San Rafael de Escazú, Salitral or Santa Ana and explore the area on your own. We are happy to provide our guests with a trekking GPS that shows the most important routes and ensures good orientation.

The majority of the protected area's vegetation is dominated by tropical, evergreen moist forests, although many slopes are used as pasture areas, which means that no large contiguous forest areas remain. While roaming the landscape you have the opportunity to see many birds, reptiles (iguana, toads, including the endemic species “Rana pipiens”), snakes (coral, boa constrictor) and also the occasional larger mammal (ocelot, squirrel, fox, mapache). observe; There are good chances of this, especially along streams and rivers.

The following information may be of interest to the bird connoisseur: the following species are at home and easily encountered in the Cerros de Escazú: the woodpecker (Melanerpes hoffmannii), the broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus), the laughing falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans). The white-fronted dove (Leptotila verreauxi), the passerine pigeon (Columbina passerina), and many species of hummingbirds. Also the black vulture (Coragyps atratus), the brimstone tyrant (Pitangus sulphuratus), blue ravens (Cyanocorax morio), wrens (Thryothorus modestus), warblers (Vermivora peregrina), organists (Euphonia affinis), treecreeper warblers (Mniotilta varia) and yellow-throated vireos (Vireo flavifrons ) are often encountered.