- The gate is at km 76, as of 5 Oct 2026.
- It is cold oak forest. Look for quetzals at opening, as of 5 Oct 2026.
Los Quetzales National Park
Costa Rica
Cold oak forest at km 76, for quetzals. Pair it with a night in San Gerardo de Dota.
Check before you go
Facts
Gate: Km 76.
Night: San Gerardo de Dota.
Fee: Fees differ for foreigners and for residents. SINAC posts the figure, and it usually includes IVA, as of Oct 2026.
Contact
Phone: +506 2206-5020
Phone: +506 2514-0403
Email (Central Conservation Area): acc.info@sinac.go.cr
Official page: SINAC park page
Tickets: online through SICORE, serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr
Checked with SINAC, as of 8 Oct 2026.
Map
- The oak forest: Cold. The quetzals, if they are around, are a morning at the gate.
Cold oak forest. Quetzals, if they are around, are a morning of looking, not a promise.
The gate is at km 76, on the road through the valley.
At opening. Noon is the wrong hour, and the forest is cold.
Pair it with a night in San Gerardo de Dota. It is not a stop from the city after lunch.
Sleep in San Gerardo and be at the gate when it opens.
Fees differ for foreigners and for residents. SINAC posts the figure, and it usually includes IVA, as of Oct 2026.
Be there at opening. A later start is a cold walk without the birds.
No. Look up, and stay on the path.
Go at opening. It is cold. Do not leave the path.
Parks near
Tapantí
River and rainforest at the end of the Orosi road, a day trip from Cartago.
Chirripó
The highest peak in the country. A booked permit, a 3 a.m. start, and a night at the base lodge.
Irazú Volcano
The highest volcano, a drive above Cartago. Go early: the craters cloud over by noon.
Manuel Antonio
The short Pacific park: monkeys, sloths, and a swim inside the gate. Closed Tuesdays.
Turrialba Volcano
An active volcano east of Cartago. Book ahead and check the alert level before you drive.
Marino Ballena
The whale-tail sandbar at Uvita. You walk it only at low tide, and pay at the ranger hut.