|
The Braulio Carrillo National Park is covered with wet tropical and mountain forests, very little of which has even been explored. The main road to Limon traverses the rugged section of this park, and road-side overlooks afford some breathtaking views of Braulio's spectacular precipitous terrain, including some distant waterfalls. The elephantine leaves of "poor man's umbrellas" can be seen along the road and several trails lead into the forest offering a chance to glimpse the hundreds of species of orchids, birds and other creatures that the park is home for. Many of the country's endangered animals live within the park, including tapirs, jaguars and quetzals, but these creatures rarely approach the highway, and are thus difficult to see. A ranger station along the road has some information about the park. Braulio Carrillo is located only 16 miles north of San Jose. This park is dedicated to the memory of Lic. Braulio Carrillo, a national benefactor and Costa Rica's third Chief of State (1835-37 and 138-42). The park takes his name in honor of his efforts which, although unsuccessful, were aimed at opening the road between the Central Valley and Matina on the Atlantic coast. The park lies in one of the most rugged regions in the country. Almost the entire landscape is broken up by towering mountains heavily cloaked with thick forest and by innumerable swollen rivers that carve deep canyons often with sheer vertical walls. The terrain and the heavy rainfall (the park receives an average of about 4.500 mm. a year) conspire to create an infinite number of waterfalls that can be seen everywhere. The parkland includes two extinct volcanoes, Cacho Negro with an easily seen conical shape, and Barba which is composed of several craters. Two of these are Barba Lake which is a round lake of crystal-clear water that measures 70 meters in diameter, and Danta Lake which measures 500 meters in diameter, The Las Mar�as Peaks, which are easily seen from the city of San Jos�, are the remains of a caldera-like structure that existed there. The plant life in the park is composed of very dense, complex evergreen forest. The kind of forest varies according to the variations that exist in the topography, watersheds, temperature cloud cover and rainfall. The tallest forests and those with the largest number of species are located in the park lowlands. In the upper and more rugged reaches of the park, the trees are stunted and deformed and there are fewer species. Frogs and toads abound in the park especially in the area known as Bajo de la Hondura. An endemic species is the Bufo holdridgei toad which is frequently seen on Barba Volcano and in the Bajos del Tigre region. The most venomous snake in the country, the bushmaster (Lachesis muta) also lives in the park.
A modern highway, which has been named Braulio Carrillo, crosses the park from northeast to southwest. It has excellent look-out points from which views of the river canyons. volcano cones and waterfalls can be enjoyed. | 