The forest Bosque Caricias is one of the places that almost only locals visit. This place doesn’t have a huge presence online or on social media, so sometimes not even locals know about this forest. I discovered this place a couple of months ago and had it on my list for a while now. And to be 100% honest, it didn’t disappoint.
Bosque Caricias is right next to the famous Braulio Carrillo National Park, one of Costa Rica’s deepest jungles. One of the things I enjoyed the most while hiking here was the temperature. Since this is located 1.9K above sea level and rounded by mountains, the temperature is chili.
How to get to Bosque Caricias?
Bosque Caricias is only 30 minutes away form San José city center. Getting to this place is very easy. The best way is to take route 32, which is the route that connects San José from Limón, and then deviate into route 112. You’ll be less than 15 minutes away, so I suggest using Waze or Google Maps from there. Here is the exact location: Bosque Caricias location.
Since you have to take route 32 to get to Bosque Caricias, if you are visiting Limón Province, maybe to visit Puerto Viejo, this could be a nice place to deviate for a hike. The site is private property, and sometimes there’s no one there, so I suggest texting or calling the place before you go there (contact information at the end of the article).
I also suggest using an SUV vehicle even though a non-SUV car can reach the place, especially in the dry season. I wouldn’t risk going there with a non-SUV vehicle in the rainy season. If you visit this place and can’t get there for some reason, you can always visit Emerald Forest, a fantastic site almost right next to Bosque Caricias.
Here is a small sample of what you will be able to see if you visit Bosque Caricias:
Facilities
The place has a couple of bathrooms. The ones at the entrance are in good shape, but the other ones are not good. When I visited this place it didn’t have water.
I talked to a couple of groups that spent the night camping there. They told me that it was a fantastic experience even though they did mention the lack of good facilities. They stayed in a sort of an open shack where they set their camping tents. If you go camping here, bear in mind that the temperature goes down a lot during the night and there are few good facilities.
Trails and Hiking Experience
I really have no complaints about the trails or my hiking experience here. When I visited this place, I went with a friend, and we both thought it was a lovely hike. We walked around 5Km, which took us about 2 hours (with stops to enjoy nature).
This forest has more than ten different trails. Some of them are long and some really short but most of them are made out of volcanic rock. There are many signs, so you don’t get lost. You can also take a photo of the huge map at the entrance or save it before visiting their website.
Most of the trails have low elevations, making them easy for most people. But there is a couple where you might have to do a break to catch your breath.
Overall, I enjoyed a lot my visit here. I think it’s a nice place to go outside the city (but not too far) and recharge surrounded by nature. I also believe that if you have some extra days in San José or are going or coming back from Limón Province, this is a good stop if you are into hikes.
Bosque Caricias Recap:
- Location: San Isidro, Heredia (Drive there)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Access: Any car in the dry season, in rainy season SUV
- Contact: +506 8839-0539 (Make sure you book!)
- Schedule: Saturday and Sunday from 9 am until 5 pm
- Cost: Tourists/Costa Ricans ($6 / 4,000 colones)
- Parking: Yes
- Mascots: No 🙁
- More info about the place: Bosque Caricias Website
- Hidden Gem Score:
