There’s a great deal of tourists that are always looking for new places to discover and those hidden treasures that go unnoticed by many. If you are visiting Costa Rica or if you’ve lived here for a while and are looking for a new adventure, you might want to check out the region of San Gerardo de Dota and Los Quetzales National Park, just about two hours away from San Jose, located in the area known as “Cerro de la Muerte” or Mountain of Death.

Mountain of Death? Yes, the name doesn’t exactly attract visitors but don’t let that scare you, the name was given to the area because of the low temperatures (41°F – 57°F) in the area that is said killed many back in the days when people had to travel through this mountain by horse or on an ox cart. Nowadays the only danger in the area might be the road, a lot of curves and a thick fog calls for careful driving.

Los Quetzales National Park was created in 2006, it has a total area of only 4117 hectares, and it receives many visitors that enjoy the peaceful raw nature of the area and birdwatching, as the name calls, this National Park is home to the beautiful quetzal and more than 180 species of birds and 979 species of flora; mammals such as the puma, the jaguar, tapir, coyote and anteaters are common inhabitants of the region.

As of 2017 Los Quetzales will have a new 2 km trail that will allow them to appreciate more of this wonderful area. Over 18.5 million colones (over $34.000 dollars) will be invested into the infrastructure of the park; currently there is no paying booth, there are just a few areas that are safe to walk, and there’s only two bathrooms, the idea is to make changes to offer all necessary services to visitors. Eventually there should be five different trails in specific sectors.

The best months to visit Los Quetzales National park are January through March, the fresh air and the sounds of the nature, incredible views specially in the highest points of over 3000 meters above sea level, and the incredible variety of flora and fauna,  make for a majestic natural setting that makes you feel alive.