Hiking Cerro Pelado was definitely one of the nicest hikes so far I did in Costa Rica. Compared to trips like Cerro Chirripó, that one is quite easy to achieve. That’s good since it’s easier to concentrate on photography. We started around 3.30 AM to catch some stars and later be there on the top for sunrise.
Have some insight in our small adventure in Guanacaste through the pictures below.
If you liked this photo series, you may also want to have a look at the pictures I did at Cerro la Tinajita. We concidered it a “Peladito” which means a small Pelado in spanish, since its shape looks kind of similar, although it’s way smaller than Cerro Pelado.
To navigate there, check out this link which leads to the finca, which the entrance to the trail up.
Update
About one or two months after we went there, a huge fire – caused by irresponsible trekkers – burnt down huge areas of the mountain and even caused two dead. So even now the vegetation surely looks different. Unfortunately almost every beautiful landscape sight I went so far, has affected and harmed by its visitors. To keep those places as they are, please be respectful, don’t leave your trash there, act respectful! In this particular case: Don’t make a campfires up there! As I experienced and further have been reading all around the internet, up there in Cerro Pelado there is always wind; a lot of wind! And if you arrive there without wind, you have to expect strong wind. So making a fire is just the worst idea you can have, since it could be out of control every moment. And exactly that is supposed to have caused the fire up there.
Avoid danger towards other visitors and locals. The entrance to the Cerro leads through a finca which is private property. The only reason, why people can hike up the mountain is the good will of the owner. It’s fully understandable if he would deny access to his property, by virtue of visitors destroying it. So always remember to act respectful, to preserve the possibility for other people know this place.