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La Cangreja National Park Photos

La Cangreja National Park is named after the rock formations in its center that have the shape of a giant crab.  The main 6km hiking trail crosses several rivers and streams flowing through the canyons and over rocks forming dozens of small waterfalls.


It’s close to San José but the winding mountain roads makes it about two hours to reach the entrance.  If you have a 4WD vehicle and want an adventure it’s a great stopover in the middle of a little used alternate route to Manuel Antonio National Park, Jacó, Dominical or Uvita.

highway vs back road san jose to manuel antonio costa rica
Taking the gravel route 239 and 318 via La Cangreja to the Central Pacific adds roughly an hour compared to the highway but when traffic on the main road is bad the back road may actually be faster.

In general we recommend never leaving anything in a parked vehicle in Costa Rica.  However, the parking area at Cangreja is in plain view of the rangers, usually only has a few cars, and because of the gate and entrance road ladrones (thieves) would be pretty obvious when approaching.  Take your valuables but suitcases or packs with clothes are probably okay in the car.

A sign that has been corrected from the traditional Costa Rican standard that an arrow pointing to the left means straight ahead to the international convention that an arrow pointing up means straight ahead.
Pulperia in Santa Rosa on the road to La Cangreja National Park
Entry gate – the National Park is open from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm every day including holidays
The rangers at La Cangreja are friendly and knowledgeable
Map of the trails and rivers
La Cangreja Park Tickets – the entry fee is $10 for non-residents and ¢1,000 for Costa Ricans. Children 6 to 12 years old are half price and visitors 5 and under or 65 and over are free. Credit cards are accepted…when the machine is working…
Cerro la Cangreja is easy to see from the mirador at the main entrance but the ranger explained that you have to go to the west and south to see the eponymous crab shape of the central peak and two side hills.
camping tents La cangreja National park
There is no public camping in La cangreja but when we visited the plants in the reforestation nursery had been moved to one side to accomodate the tents of a volunteer group from the U.K. that was doing trail and building maintenance.
The rock underlying the region is different. I haven’t found any specific information on the geology but where the topsoil was worn off the exposed sedimentary rock is lumps of clay with concentric layers like jawbreakers all melted together. When it gets wet – which is most of the time – it’s like trying to walk on greased marbles…
Layers of rock
Cangreja waterfalls
Suspension bridge over the Río Negro
There are no spectacular cataracts plunging hundreds of meters into deep pools in Cangreja but there’s another small rock shelf with with water tumbling over it seemingly around each bend
Small suspension bridge over the Río Negro
rainforest leaf litter frog
Cat track
frog
Puma print
Puma prints
Picture of the puma ;-) Just a glimpse as she disappeared around the bend of the trail. We had to check the foot prints in the mud to know for sure we’d seen it.
cup mushrooms
The pools adjacent to this rock wall in the Río Negro create swirling currents that the ranger told us were perfect natural Jacuzzis for cooling off.
Encanto Waterfall
Encanto Waterfall is the largest catarata at La Cangreja National Park
trail erosion costa rica
Some sections of the trail were extremely eroded and in other places downed trees forced detours on steep muddy slopes that were easier to “ski” down than climb.
Cooling off in Quebrada Castellaña
Ant hill stacked tall to keep the water from running in
I take dozens of photographs attempting to give even a little perspective on how huge the trees are in Costa Rica’s rain forests. This one was at least 150 feet tall.
Accidental self portrait… I can never tell what that GoPro is doing
White-wiskered Puffbird Malacoptila panamensis
White-wiskered Puffbird (Malacoptila panamensis) is very difficult to spot because of its watch and wait hunting technique. It sits perfectly still for hours until an unsuspecting gecko, anole, spider, insect or frog comes within reach then it swoops, snatches, bashes the prey against a branch or rock then returns to its perch to eat.
“Is it going to hold?” a vine swing across the trail
Declared the cutest fungus of the day
The bridge over the Quebrada Encanto leading up to the east entrance is in rough shape
Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) in the Río Pirris
Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) fluffing the rain from its feathers in the Río Pirris
Roseate spoonbills (Platalea ajaja) feed by walking along swinging their beaks through the mud and silt trapping crabs, shrimp, insects, larvae, tadpoles and tiny fish too small for the stalking and spearing wading birds.
Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) is a member of the rail family and has huge feet that allow it to walk across the top of ponds and shorelines on top of the grasses and acquatic vegetation
Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) is a member of the rail family and has huge feet that allow it to walk across the top of ponds and shorelines on top of the grasses and acquatic vegetation
Groove billed-ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) pair

Ray & Sue

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Costa Rica National Park Photos
  • Tortuguero Beach – National Park & Sea Turtles Nesting
  • Tortuguero Village & Canals Photos
  • Savegre National Park
  • La Cangreja National Park Photos
  • Carara National Park Photos
  • Irazu Volcano Photos
  • Tenorio Volcano Photos
  • Tortuguero Photos
  • Turrialba Volcano Photos
  • Arenal National Park Photos



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