Talamanca Reserve, Protected area in the Talamanca mountain range, Costa Rica and Panama

Talamanca Reserve is a protected natural area in the Talamanca mountain range, located where Costa Rica and Panama meet. The reserve covers steep mountain terrain covered in thick forest with multiple layers of vegetation and abundant wildlife.

The Talamanca Range Reserve was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, and its designation was extended in 1990. It protects the remaining forest cover of the Talamanca range through five protected areas, among them La Amistad International Park, Chirripó National Park and Volcán Barú National Park. The range holds the highest peaks of both countries, including Chirripó at 3,820 m.

The reserve's name comes from the Talamanca range, whose highest peaks are Cerro Chirripó (3,820 m) and Cerro Kamuk (3,549 m) in Costa Rica and Volcán Barú (3,475 m) and Cerro Fábrega (3,335 m) in Panama. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1983 and extended the designation in 1990. Above the treeline, the páramo is dominated by bamboo grasses of the genus Chusquea and cushion grasses such as Cortaderia and Calamagrostis.

To visit, you need to arrange permission in advance and should check with the information center for guidance. It is important to go with a guide who knows the trails and can help you navigate safely.

The páramo here is not continuous but survives as isolated patches on the highest peaks, such as Cerro Fábrega (3,340 m), Cerro Itamut (3,279 m) and Cerro Echandi (3,162 m) in La Amistad International Park. Its plants grow in cushion forms, dwarf trees and rosettes to withstand the cold at altitude.