A chiselled mass of rock and ridges that crowns the middle of Costa Rica’s southern highlands, Cerro Chirripó soars to just shy of 4,000 meters between the fertile valleys of the Chirripó National Park. Famed for its wealth of endemic species and veritable kaleidoscope of indigenous plant life, Chirripó is not only the country’s highest mountain but also arguably its biggest ecotourist draw card (sorry sloths!). Today, this rugged peak is encircled by a web of hiking trails and trekking paths, all well marked out and serviced by Cerro Chirripó tour guides and expedition groups. Once conquered, these easy-going jungle walks give way to the summit of Chirripó itself, which offers one serious dramatic ascent and breath-taking panoramas that run to the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea alike on clear days! On route to the top, travellers will discover crystal clear streams packed with mountain trout, montane forests and rustic refugios housing clusters of intrepid travellers on just the same path.