Costa Rica Guide
Limón Province and the Caribbean coast
Reserva Biológica Hitoy-Cerere
Sixty kilometres, and a three-hour road-trip, south of Limón is one of Costa Rica's least visited national reserves, the RESERVA BIOLÓGICA HITOY-CERERE (daily 8am–4pm; $6; 
758-3996). Sandwiched between the Tanyí, Telier and Talamanca indigenous reservations, this very rugged, isolated terrain – ninety-one square kilometres of it – has no campsites or washrooms, though there is a ranger station at the entrance with a small dormitory where you can bed down for the night ($6 per person).
In the Bribrí language, hitoy means "woolly" (the rocks in its rivers are covered with algae, and everything else has grown a soft fuzz of moss); and cerere means "clear waters", of which there are many. One of the wettest reserves in all of Costa Rica, it receives a staggering 4m of rain per year in some areas, with no dry season at all. Its complicated biological profile reflects the changing altitudes within the park. The top canopy trees loom impressively tall – some as high as 50m – and epiphytes, bromeliads, orchids and lianas grow everywhere under the very dense cover. Wildlife is predictably abundant, but most of the species are nocturnal and rarely seen, although you might spot three-toed sloths, and perhaps even a brocket deer. You'll probably hear howler monkeys, and may glimpse whitefaced monkeys. Pacas and rare frogs abound, many of them shy and little-studied. More visible are the 115 species of birds, from large black vultures and hummingbirds to trogons and dazzling blue kingfishers.
Hitoy-Cerere's Sendero Espavel, a tough nine-kilometre hike, leads south from the ranger station through lowland and primary rainforest past clear streams, small waterfalls and beautiful vistas of the green Talamanca hills. Only experienced tropical hikers should attempt it, and bring a compass, rubber boots, rain gear and water. The trail begins at a very muddy hill; after about 1km, in the area of secondary forest, you'll notice the white-and-grey wild cashew trees (espavel) for which the trail is named. Follow the sign here; it leads off to the right and cuts through swathes of thick forest before leaving the reserve and entering the Talamanca reservation, which is officially off-limits. At the reserve's boundary, take the trail leading up a steep hill. This ends at the Río Moín, 4.5km from the start. All you can do now is turn back, taking care to negotiate the numerous fallen trees, tumbled rocks and boulders. Many of them were felled by the 1991 earthquake; older casualties are carpeted in primeval plants and mosses. The only possible respite from very dense jungle terrain are the small dried-up river beds that follow the streams and tributaries of the Ríos Cerere and Hitoy.
Having a car is the most convenient way to get to Hitoy-Cerere. Take the right fork towards Penhurst from the coastal Limón– Cahuita Road and follow the signs to the reserve. Using public transport, you'll need to take the bus from Limón to Valle de Estrella, and get off at the end of the line at a banana town called (confusingly) both Fortuna and Finca Seis (Finca Six). It's 15km from here to the reserve, most of it through banana plantation. A local 4WD taxi – ask at the plantation office – can take you there, and will return to pick you up at a mutually agreed time for $15–20. The nearest accommodation is at the Selva Bananito Lodge or Aviarios del Caribe.