BOSQUE DE PAZ RAIN/CLOUD FOREST

From Sarchí, at a turnoff 100 meters east of the Río Trojas, a road climbs north up the mountain slopes via Luisa and Angeles to the saddle between Poás and Platanar Volcanoes—you are now high amid the cloud forest—before dropping sharply to Bajos del Toro, a tranquil Shangri-la hidden at the head of the valley of the Río Toro. The route is incredibly scenic, and at times daunting, as you weave along a road that clings precariously to the face of the often cloud-shrouded mountains. You can also reach Bajos del Toro via a dirt road from Zarcero.

The 400-hectare Bosque de Paz Rain/Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, accessed via a reclusive valley west of Bajos del Toro, boasts several hiking trails (two–six km) leading to waterfalls, a botanical garden, hummingbird gardens, and lookout points. The forests are replete with exotic wildlife, including howler, capuchin, and spider monkeys, cats, and—according to the owner—more bird species than anywhere else in the nation, not least quetzals, which hover near the lodge. Two streams tumble through the beautiful gardens.

About seven km north of Bajos del Toro is a 200-meter waterfall—Catarata del Toro. There are trails; the bottom of the falls is reached by a 500-step staircase! There’s also a restaurant. Entrance costs $35, including lunch ($79 with transportation). Buses and jeep-taxis run from Sarchí. Aventuras y Senderos (tel. 506/463-3137, info@donbeto.com), at Hotel Don Beto in Zarcero, offers a waterfall rappel of the Catarata del Toro.