Parque Nacional Los Quetzales: What to Know Before Visiting

Looking for a peaceful cloud forest hike and possibly spot the bird on every bird watchers bucket list, the elusive Resplendent Quetzal? Quetzal National Park (Parque Nacional Los Quetzales) is the perfect off-the-beaten-path destination for nature lovers and birdwatchers.

We have visited the San Gerardo de Dota area many times throughout our years of living in Costa Rica, but it wasn’t until recently that we finally made it to the national park. And honestly, it was beautiful, but the logistics were kind of annoying (more on that below). Still, if you’re prepared, it’s absolutely worth it.

Here’s everything you need to know before you go!

Must Know Info

Entrance Fee

• Foreign visitors: $10 USD
  • Children: $5 USD
• Costa Rican nationals/residents: ₡1,000
  • Children (6 to 12): ₡500

These are the prices as of May 2025 but they are subject to change

Ticket Booking 

As of May 1st, 2025, all tickets must be pre-booked online through the SINAC website. 

You can book your tickets here

Heads up: There is no cell service at the park entrance. We learned this the hard way and had to awkwardly ask the ranger for the Wi-Fi password to get our tickets. Definitely book before you go.

Opening Hours

Open daily from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Last entry typically allowed around 2:00 PM

We suggest getting here in the morning though, for the most active wildlife.

Driving Directions

From San José, take Route 2 south (Carretera Interamericana). After about two hours, you’ll see a small sign for Parque Nacional Los Quetzales on the right. The entrance is just before the turn-off for San Gerardo de Dota if you’re heading south.

From the Pacific Coast (Uvita, Dominical, or Manuel Antonio), take Route 34 until you reach Route 243 heading inland toward San Isidro de El General. From there, continue on Route 2 north (Carretera Interamericana) toward San José. You’ll pass through Cerro de la Muerte, and the park entrance will be on your left shortly after the turnoff for San Gerardo de Dota.

You can find the location on Google Maps here

Parking is available for free at the entrance. There is a large lot with plenty of space.

Note: We suggest renting a 4×4 vehicle if visiting this area. Some of the roads are very steep and unpaved. To get to the national park you do not need a 4×4, but in the surrounding area it is a good idea. Book your rentral car with 10% discount here

We suggest not leaving anything of value in your car. The ranger station is located at the parking lot entrance, but I’m not sure how well they watch vehicles, and this park is just off the main highway, so it could potentially be an easy place to get your car broken into if it is filled with belongings. That being said, we have never heard of anyone being robbed here.

What to Wear

We suggest wearing a lot of layers and plenty of rain protection. When we were here it was very cold. I wore sneakers, sport leggings, a tank top, long sleeve shirt, flannel shirt, fleece, and rain jacket. 

If you have waterproof shoes, definitely opt for wearing them.

What to Bring

• Rain jacket (it’s a cloud forest, expect mist or heavy rain)
• Waterproof backpack
• Snacks (no food sold on-site)
• Large full water bottle
• Bug spray
• SPF 50+ (the sun does peek through)
• Pocket Binoculars
• Camera or phone with zoom (for bird shots)

When to Visit

The most popular months to visit are January through March. This time of year is great for birdwatching and drier trails.

Note: Quetzal egg‑laying and incubation generally occur from late January through early April, with peak activity in March and April. This is the best time to spot the quetzals.

If you’re visiting during the rainy season (August to October), expect fewer crowds but muddier conditions and heavier cloud cover.

The Hiking Trails

There are two marked trails in the park. These are:

• Zeldonia Trail: Shorter and more accessible. This trail is mostly paved with better-maintained trails. It is a relatively easy trail, but there are a few hilly spots and stairs to climb. The trail has a distance of 1,312 feet (400 meters).
• Ojo de Agua Trail: Longer and more forested trail. This trail is not paved and can be very muddy since this area gets so much rain. The trail spans 1.25 miles (2 kilometers).

Both trails are linear. You just hike in and turn around when you reach the end.

Our Experience at the Park

As I have mentioned, San Gerardo de Dota is one of those unique hidden gems in Costa Rica that I love to visit. Usually, we stay down in San Gerardo de Dota and hike the trails down in the valley rather than drive all the way back up to the main road to visit the national park.

But, the last time we were in the area we decided to finally check out the national park.

We showed up at 8 AM and tried to buy tickets. The national park employee informed us that as of May 1st 2025, all tickets now need to be purchased online. Which is so annoying. It’s not like it’s a super busy national park like Manuel Antonio, in which they need to make sure there aren’t too many people. There was literally nobody else there.

To add to that, there is no cell phone service here, so we couldn’t even buy tickets. We ended up having to ask the park attendant if he could share the WIFI password with us so we could purchase tickets online.

Pre-book your tickets here

Anyway, once we had our tickets, we started our hike along the Zeldonia Trail. I thought this trail was nice. We didn’t see many birds, but the lush cloud forest is such a unique backdrop so I still found it very interesting and enjoyable. I also thought this trail was very well maintained, including new stairs and boardwalks.

After hiking the Zeldonia Trail we took a little food and drinks break at our car and debated if we should hike the other trail. We decided, we were here so we might as well check it out.

The Ojo de Agua Trail is located across from the parking lot. This trail is wide, but unpaved. It kind of felt like we were just walking down a dirt road. I didn’t find this trail overly impressive.

I was hoping it would end with a viewpoint or something, but we just came to a point with caution tape and a sign that said the trail ended there. So we turned around and walked back.

We did notice, though, that there were several spots along the Ojo de Agua trail that were matted down just slightly off the trail. I’m guessing that these spots are places that birdwatching guides know the quetzals hang out and often check during early morning tours. So, keep an eye out and check the trees around the matted down spots, maybe you’ll spot a quetzal.

Park Background

History

On January 16, 2006 Parque Nacional Los Quetzales became Costa Rica’s 28th national park. Before then, it was known as the Los Santos Forest Biological Reserve.

Upgrading to national park status wasn’t just a name change. It brought tougher protections under SINAC’s Central Pacific Conservation Area umbrella and opened up eco‑tourism opportunities for nearby mountain villages like Providencia and San Gerardo de Dota. We love that locals here now benefit directly from conservation, whether guiding bird‑watching tours or hosting travelers in cozy mountain cabins.

The park also knits together lands from the old Los Santos and Cerro Vueltas biological reserves, sheltering everything from seasonal glacial lagoons to the headwaters of the Savegre River. In total, the park spans 5,021 hectares.

Flora and Fauna

We didn’t see any wildife (besides birds) while we were here, but the park is known for being home to several animal species including:

• 45 species of mammals including: tapirs, mountain goats, monkeys, agoutis, squirrels, bats, rabbits, coatis, and raccoons
• 300 species of birds including: quetzals, hummingbirds, tanagers, guans, orioles, trogons, hawks, warblers, woodpeckers, and seedeaters.
• Amphibians including several endemic salamander species, frogs and toads
• Reptiles including basilisks, lizards and snakes
• A variety of insects including butterflies, drones, flies, bees and wasps

As far as plants, I’m always blown away by the mossy covered towering trees and general atmosphere in this area. It feels very other worldly.

Expect towering oaks, tirrás, guarumos, buríos, nance macho, cypresses, holm oak, magnolias, myrtles, muelo chilies, fig trees, etc.

Every branch is draped in orchids, ferns, mosses and bromeliads. Seven of those orchid species you’ll find nowhere else!

There are seven distinct altitude bands packed into this park. Los Quetzales really feels like a thousand different forests rolled into one.

What to Do After

• Enjoy a Trout Lunch: If you are heading back into the town of San Gerardo de Dota we suggest going to Cafe Kahawa. I always go for the black bean soup with trout piecess. Its a 10/10, no notes, meal for me.
• Hike More Trails: In the town of San Gerardo there are several places to hike. One of my favorites is driving all the way to the end of town and hiking the waterfall trails. I marked it on Google Maps here.
• Check out the Batsu: Batsu is a beautiful botanical garden with nice pathways. It is a great peaceful stop.

Where to Stay Nearby

Our favorite hotels are:

• Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge
• Hotel Savegre
• Lauraceas Lodge
• Las Cataratas Lodge

In conclusion, the Parque Nacional Los Quetzales is a great place to visit for some nature hikes. However, if you are staying in San Gerardo de Dota you might instead opt for one of the other hikes in the area that doesn’t involve driving all the way back up to the main road.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comment section below. We are always happy to help you plan!

Find out more about the area in our complete San Gerardo de Dota guide

You might also be interested in:

• 12 Best Things to Do in San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica
• The Best Hotels in San Gerardo de Dota for Cloud Forest Lovers and Birdwatching Enthusiasts
• The 6 Best Restaurants in San Gerardo de Dota for Cloud Forest Dining
• Birds of Costa Rica: The Most Unique and Where to See Them
• 18 Off-the-Beaten-Path Places in Costa Rica You’ll Be Glad You Found