Home |
Site Map
| Amanzimtoti
| Contact
Directions to
Cloudbridge
and Casa Amanzimtoti
In the valley below Mt Chirripó in Costa
Rica, Casa Amanzimtoti is the staging point for the conservation
venture, "Cloudbridge."
Map
of the Reserve
|
|
 Directions by Road to San
Gerardo
From San Jose take the Panamerican Highway via
Cartago south (Highway 2) for 135 km.
A good map is essential. Once
you're out of San Jose it will take approximately 3 hours to reach San
Isidro de El General. In San Isidro keep driving south on the
Panamerican Highway for about 1 km (from the center of town) until you
see the sign
"Rivas 8 Km" shortly after the bridge. Turn left up onto this road.
After about 8 km, at Rivas,
the paved road ends: turn right onto an uphill dirt road.
Continue for
about 11 km, passing through Canaan to San Gerardo de Rivas (elevation
1350 meters). You'll need a 4-wheel
drive for the last
stretch -- see further details below -- to negotiate the last 2.6 km
from
the soccer field. Bear right
at the fork, crossing two rivers (Chispa
and Chirripo Pacifico). Follow the steep, rutted dirt road to its
very end. Casa Amanzimtoti is about 1 km past the sign indicating the
trail off to the right to Chirripo National Park. On the map, "X" marks
the spot. Note: if driving your own car, park in the community of
"Chuma" just before the Chirripo trail, since there's no parking at
Cloudbridge itself, and walk the rest of the way.
|
 Directions by Bus to San Gerardo
The ride to San Isidro takes about 3 hours.
While you're waiting, use the internet cafe above the bus station.
MUSOC
has good buses, so transportation is comfortable. You get off the bus
at the last stop, in San Isidro. Your bigger luggage will be placed
under
the bus, in the storage areas.
From downtown San Isidro you can then take
a taxi (about $20) or bus to San Gerardo de Rivas. (The bus to San
Gerardo departs at 5am and 2pm, and returns at 7am and 4pm.). If you
can afford it, the best is to hire a 4-WD taxi at the main square, and
tell him you want
to go to Reserva Cloudbridge, in Chuma, 2.5km beyond San Gerardo de
Rivas.
Cost should be $25 or so.
Use these
Spanish directions.
|
From San Gerardo de Rivas to Cloudbridge
The social center of San Gerardo is the
pulpería (general store), the hotel/restaurant Roca Dura, and
the soccer field. Ask at the pulpería or Roca Dura how to get to
the trail entrance to
Chirripo National Park (about 1.6 km, mostly uphill). If a vehicle is
going your way, hitch a ride. If you're walking, slog on up the road.
Pass the soccer field and church on the left. Shortly after passing
Hotel Vista al Cerro on your right, bear
right at the fork down a steep
dirt
road. Cross two bridges, over the Río
Chispa and then the Río
Chirripó.
About half a kilometer on you'll pass Albergue Urán on the left,
and up the hill from there, the sign for the trail to Cerro
Chirripó.
Continue all the way along the dirt road. Casa Amanzimtoti is about 1
km beyond the trailhead, the last house on the road (click here for
a more detailed map
). The entrance to Cloudbridge is a further 600 meters by footpath,
past the
house. Take these
directions
in Spanish with you just in case.
|
San Gerardo de Rivas
Reaching the village of San Gerardo you'll
see the the Chirripo National Park office on the left. Across the
bridge and up the road you arrrive at the center of activity -- the
soccer field, school and church.. Opposite the soccer field is the
hotel/restaurant Roca Dura, and next door is the pulpería
(general store), which has a pay phone where you can leave messages
(771-1866). Click
here for more information on the village and places to stay.
|
Site map | The
Project | FAQ | Volunteering | Directions | Contact
Español
Copyright
©2008 Ian Giddy. All rights reserved.
Last updated 4 January 2008
|
