The La Amistad International Park is the biggest park of Costa Rica. It extends to the neighbor country of Panama. Several native reserves border with the park.
The park covers a great extension of the Talamanca mountain range. The Cordillera de Talamanca is the highest non-volcanic mountain range in Central America.
At least 60% of all the animal species of Costa Rica can be found within the boundaries of the La Amistad International Park.
This is the natural habitat quetzals, jaguars, pumas, tapirs, harpy eagles, ocelots and many others, partly endangered, species.
There are three ranger stations in the park (Tres Colinas Ranger Station in Helechales, Pittier Ranger Station in Progresso and La Escuadra Ranger Station to the northeast of Santa Elena), all of them are located on the Pacific side of the mountain range.
There one can get general information, information on trail conditions and further advices. The head office is in the Pittier Ranger Station in Progresso, which is the easiest to access. But still one should drive in a 4x4 vehicle. The road from San Vito can be rough.