Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
El Urán Hotel y Restaurante
HOSTEL
( 2742-5003;
www.hoteluran.com
;
r per person without bathroom US$21, d/tr with bathroom
US$53/80, all incl breakfast; )
Just 50m below the trailhead, this no-nonsense youth hostel is a longtime mecca for hikers
heading to and from Chirripó. Budget-friendly rooms are fine for a restful snooze, while
the onsite restaurant, grocery store and laundry facility all cater to the shoestring set. Note
that it's possible to buy beer here (the
pulpería
doesn't sell alcohol).
Talamanca Reserve
HOTEL
( 2742-5080;
www.talamancareserve.com
; r/ste US$70/80; )
With over 16-sq-km of primary and secondary cloud forest, this private reserve has trails
leading to its 10 waterfalls and cabins nestled into a garden and forest setting. The lovely
garden and river cabins on the property have hot water, terraces and beautifully embel-
lished wood and tile interiors. There's also a good onsite restaurant and a cozy lounge area.
The accommodations and hiking tours are managed by the friendly, bilingual Kenneth,
who was born and raised on the reserve, and whose family still maintains the gardens, fruit
trees, trails and a reforestation project here. Find the reserve entrance about 1km south of
the trailhead for Chirripó.
Hotel de Montaña El Pelícano
HOTEL
( 2742-5050;
www.hotelpelicano.net
;
r with/without bathroom US$66/30, cabins from US$72;
)
About 300m below the ranger station, this simple, functional lodge has a collection of
spartan but spotless rooms that overlook the river valley. The highlight of the property is
the gallery of the owner, a late-blooming artist who sculpts whimsical wood pieces.
Monte Azul
BOUTIQUE HOTEL
( 2742-5222, in USA 415-967-4300;
www.monteazulcr.com
;
Rivas; s/d incl 2 meals from US$359/
416; )
The luxurious, elegant and carbon-neutral Monte Azul single-handedly boosts the quality
of accommodations within a stone's throw of Chirripó. Set on a private 125-hectare re-
