Parque Nacional Los Quetzales

Tip

Quetzals are easiest to see early in the morning, especially in the dry-season breeding months (roughly March to June); a local guide helps a lot. Park entry runs about US$12, so check the current fee.

Be careful

It's cold and wet at altitude: pack layers and a rain jacket. Trails can be slippery.

Getting there

Point is the center of the park; the main trail access is from the Pan-American Highway near Cerro de la Muerte and from the San Gerardo de Dota road. Check ranger-station hours.

Places nearby

• Miriam's QuetzalsFood & CoffeeFamily-run restaurant and bird-watching stop in San Gerardo de Dota: gallo pinto breakfast, casado or whole fried trout for lunch, and a garden with hummingbirds and visiting quetzals.
• Restaurante Doña MarlenSodas & Local FoodSmall family soda in San Gerardo de Dota praised as one of the country's best: trout casados and whole fried trout, a succulent garden, fair prices and a famous house cocktail.
• Café KahawaFood & CoffeeCozy garden café in San Gerardo de Dota, popular after hikes in the Savegre valley for trout dishes, a trout and cream cheese sandwich, desserts with fresh fruit and good local coffee, with quetzals sometimes seen from the tables.
• Truchas Selva MadreFood & CoffeeMountain trout farm and restaurant off the Interamericana toward Cerro de la Muerte where you can catch your own trout or order it fried, with hiking trails to a waterfall and camping.