How to make reservations for Cerro Chirripó National Park 2025
Note: Permits for 2025 will become available soon. Check below for the reservation opening dates and corresponding months of visit.
Table of Content
- Chirripó National Park Permits
- Meet the Key Players
- Planning Your Hike
- Quick Steps for Reserving Your Permits
- Reservation Process for Lodging and Food at Crestones Base Camp
- Cancellations and Policies
- Main Contacts
- Booking with ATURENA
- Final Thoughts
Chirripó National Park Permits
Planning your hike to Cerro Chirripo? Here are the top sectors you need to know about:
- San Gerardo de Rivas Sector (Most Popular – No local guide needed)
- San Jeronimo Sector (Local guide required)
- Herradura Sector (Local guide required)
Pro tip: Make your reservations at least six months ahead, especially if you’re planning to visit during the peak hiking months of January to May or during Easter Week (Semana Santa).
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to book your permits for both the San Gerardo de Rivas and San Jeronimo sectors.
Meet the Key Players
Before diving into the details, let’s introduce the main organizations you’ll be working with:
SINAC: The National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) is the government body responsible for issuing permits for all national parks in Costa Rica.
CRC Chirripo: The Chirripo Recreation and Conservation Association (CRC Chirripo) handles crucial services in the San Gerardo Sector. They manage lodging at Crestones Base Camp, provide meals at the base camp, and offer porter services.
ATURENA: The Association for Sustainable Tourism of San Jeronimo (ATURENA) oversees the San Jeronimo Sector. They manage lodging and meals for the first night, provide porter services, and offer guided tours for this sector.
Planning Your Hike
San Gerardo Sector: You’ll need to coordinate with SINAC and CRC Chirripo. A tour guide is optional here.
San Jeronimo Sector: Coordination with SINAC, CRC Chirripo, and ATURENA is necessary. A tour guide is mandatory for this sector.
Choosing the right sector and getting in touch with these organizations will ensure a smooth and memorable hiking experience.
Read More About:
– Cerro Chirripo Preparation & Planning Guide 2025
– Hiking Cerro Chirripo through the San Gerardo Sector: My Personal Experience
-Hiking Cerro Chirripo through the San Jeronimo Sector: My Personal Experience
Important: Although we (Ligia and Rodrigo) do not work directly with SINAC, CRC Chirripó, or ATURENA and cannot assist you with the reservation process, we’ve outlined the steps below to help you make your own reservations easily.
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Quick Steps for Reserving Your Permits:
Create a Username and Password:
Go to SINAC Online Services and create a username and password using your basic information such as first name, last name, and email. Accept the Terms & Conditions and click “To Register.”
On the login page, enter your username and password. Next, click the “Buy” dropdown menu in the upper right, then select “Online Reservation.”
Important Notes:
- You can make reservations up to six months in advance.
- Each group can include up to four people.
- Separate reservations are needed for Crestones Base Camp (details below).
- The park is closed for trail maintenance during the last two weeks of May and for the annual Chirripó footrace on the last weekend in February.
- Same-day permits for Chirripó are no longer available.
Buying Permits for San Gerardo Sector and San Jerónimo Sector:
This process is fairly intuitive, but here are some important notes:
a. Selecting the Park and Entry Sector: Go to Parque Nacional Chirripo and click on “Make Reservation.” For the entry sector, “San Gerardo” is the most popular starting point for hiking Chirripó and does not require a tour guide. “San Jerónimo” is less visited and requires a tour guide.
b. Checking Availability: Click on “Availability” to bring up a calendar in Spanish with four columns. Note that the calendar’s functionality may vary:
- Día (“Day”) – The day you will enter the park.
- Fecha (“Date”) – The date you will enter the park (same as Day).
- Disponibilidad (“Availability”) – The number of beds available at Crestones Base Camp.
- Visita Diaria (“Day Visits”) – Permits for day visitors who won’t spend the night.
Dates are available up to six months in advance. Be patient when navigating the calendar.
c. Entering Dates:
After finding an available date, enter it into “Entry Date.” The pop-up calendar ensures the correct DD/MM/YYYY format.
Enter your “Departure Date,” which can be no more than two days after your entry date.
Note: If you select the San Jerónimo Sector, you need to book 2 nights at Crestones Base Camp. Entry dates through this sector are usually on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. For example, if your entry day is Monday, your departure day will be Wednesday, and a tour guide is mandatory through this sector.The San Gerardo Sector offers more flexibility: you can select your preferred entry and departure days, stay for only one night if desired, and purchase day pass permits.
d. Admissions and Terms:
- Go to the “Foreigners Admissions” section.
- Under “Admissions Type,” select “Adulto(a) No Residente.”
- Enter the number of people hiking (up to 4).
- Scroll down to read and accept the Terms and Conditions. Click on the blue letters for the English translation if needed.
- Don’t forget to accept the terms before proceeding.
- The cost is $18 per person plus 13% VAT per day.
e. Finalizing the Reservation:
Click “Continue” at the bottom left. You’ll see a message indicating that your spaces have been pre-reserved, and you have 12 minutes to complete your purchase.
f. Payment Page:
Make sure you have the following information handy, especially if buying permits for others:
- Complete Name: Enter your full name.
- Identification: Enter your passport number.
- Country: Select your country of residence.
- Credit Card Details:
- Cardholder Name: Enter your full name.
- Credit Card Number
- Expiration Date
- CCV (Security Code)
- Payment Currency: Choose either Dollars or Colones (local currency).
Click the “I am not a robot” box and then continue to proceed with the payment.
Once the payment is completed, you will be redirected to a confirmation page, and a confirmation number will be sent to your email.
After completing these steps, your permits are guaranteed.
Reservation Process for Lodging and Food at Crestones Base Camp
Once you purchase your permits, you need to make a reservation for Crestones Base Camp. Lodging and food services are currently handled by CRC Chirripo.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Permit Confirmation: After your permits are confirmed, CRC Chirripo will email you within 5 days to confirm your permits. However, your lodging and food reservation will still be pending.
- Payment Method: When you contact CRC Chirripo, clarify the payment method. The process has changed over time. Previously, a payment link was provided, but now, for non-Costa Rican residents, payment is required upon arrival and registration.
In your email, you’ll find detailed information about lodging expenses and food arrangements.
Important for Residents:
Please note that lodging payments must be completed within the next 5 days. If payment is not received, CRC Chirripo and SINAC will cancel your reservation.
Cancellations and Policies
SINAC Policies:
If you cannot attend, you cannot change the members on the reservation. However, you are entitled to a refund if you cancel at least 15 days in advance. This policy is subject to change based on the Decree of entrance fees to protected areas.
CRC Chirripó Policies:
To process a cancellation, you must first cancel through SINAC and provide us with the official cancellation note. Refunds are issued as follows:
- 90 to 60 days before entry: 80% refund for accommodation and/or food.
- 59 to 30 days before entry: 60% refund for accommodation and/or food.
- 29 to 15 days before entry: 30% refund for accommodation and/or food.
- 14 days or less before entry: No refund available.
The Chirripó National Park Administration will establish appropriate control devices to ensure access to the protected area once admission rights have been confirmed.
Main Contacts
Important Contact Information:
- Country Code: 506 (Costa Rica)
- CRC Chirripó Phone: +506 2742-5200
- CRC Chirripó Email: [email protected]
- CRC Chirripó Website: www.chirripo.org
- SINAC Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
- SINAC Website: https://serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr/
- ATURENA Website: aturena.com
- ATURENA Phone: +506 8374-3443
- ATURENA Email: [email protected]
Office Hours:
The administrative offices of Chirripó National Park are open to the public:
Monday to Sunday:
- Morning: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Afternoon: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Booking First Night, Transportation, and Meals with ATURENA (San Jeronimo Sector Only)
When you book your permits through the San Jeronimo Sector, it’s essential to contact ATURENA. They manage the crucial services required for this sector, supplementing the CRC Chirripo offerings. By booking with ATURENA, you’ll secure:
- Lodging and Meals for Your First Night in San Jeronimo
- Transportation Between Your Lodging and Kilometer 0
- Tour Guide Services
Cerro Chirripó National Park Permits 2025
Opening Dates for Reservations and Months of Visit:
- October 29, 2024: Permits available for January 1–31, 2025
- November 5, 2024: Permits available for February 1–28, 2025
- November 12, 2024: Permits available for March 1–31, 2025
- November 19, 2024: Permits available for April 1–May 19, 2025
Starting November 20, 2024, the system will be updated daily, allowing reservations up to six months in advance.
Important: If you want to avoid the entire reservation process and its implications, such as staying alert for when reservations open, making payments to CRC Chirripo, hiring a guide (if needed), and booking your first night in San Gerardo or San Jerónimo, send me an email at [email protected] with the subject: Chirripo Planning. I can assist you with the planning of your trip.
Our service fee is $75 USD + PayPal fees. Expect a response within 24 hours, and be sure to check your spam folder if you don’t see it in your inbox.
Final Thoughts
We hope this guide brings you closer to a seamless reservation process for Cerro Chirripo permits. For a deeper dive into planning and budgeting for your trip, don’t miss our detailed post, Cerro Chirripo Preparation & Planning Guide 2025. This will give you a clearer understanding of the costs associated with booking different sectors and help you make an informed decision.
Hello – Has the online reservation changed to where you can only reserve the day before? I tried to look ahead and make a reservation but there was a popup that indicated the system had changed to where you could only make reservations the day prior. I was trying to reserve at the basecamp for two nights.
[…] That is why we have made a separate blog post where you can check the updated process for book Cerro Chirripó permits, CLICK HERE. […]
Hello!
We have missed the first possibility because it’s all sold out. Could you let us know at what time the sale of the permits opens (6 months before).
Thank you!
“By following these steps for doing your reservation successfully … anyone will be able to do this great trip.”
This seems a silly comment. Who is going to phone up 100 times to make a reservation, especially from abroad? And you don’t even know if you are going to be able to make a reservation when you finally get through. I’d like to go this month (February), but I bet there’s no availability now, if the beds were made available in November.
I could set out some steps for setting a new world record in the 100m, and say that by following the steps successfully anyone could set a new record. Only the steps would be impossible to follow successfully. It would be stupid.
“Finally, but not least be patient when you need to call their number. Recently, we did reservations for January 2022 and we had to dial their number over 100 times because it was so busy!”
This doesn’t seem very welcoming of Costa Rica. Although I was thinking of making a visit, I’m having second thoughts, as climbing Chirripo was the main thing I was thinking of doing. Why has booking been taken offline, to everyone’s inconvenience?
Thanks a lot for your advise, everything at the start worked very well! We would like to climb Chirripo in January 2021, staying one night in the albergue. I was fine with the registration process on the SINAC website and reached the reservation point. By selecting the requested date above I have received the following notification:
” The Parque Nacional Chirripó, Sector Sector San Gerardo is out of operation 12/06/2020 to 30/06/2021 by Por proceso de contratación de concesión de los servicios no esenciales del PN Chirripo. Please select another date outside this range.”
Could you tell is if there is any other way to climb the Chirripo or if this situation will change soon. The other possibility is that I was doing something wrong because if I check the “Availabilites” I noticed that many spaces are already sold so it seems to me that it will be open in January.
Thanks a lot in advance
Britta
Hey Guys,
I am also having trouble paying for the trip. It always says my card is invalid.
I tried different cards, from credit to debit and different banks. I live in CR and have my accounts here in CR. Still the same.
I wrote sinac an Email, they told me to call 2742 5084, which I did and they told me this problem is not common and I can only make a reservation through this website.
I don’t know what to do. I tried it about 20 times, different days, different times different cards. Please help! Thanks in advance!
Hello,
We do not work with SINAC, we only provide the steps that people must follow to visit Chirripo.
If the SINAC office tells you to keep trying. I will recommend that you do that … Unfortunately, there is not different step in which we can help you.
Your website is really bad. I’m sorry about that!
Dear Rodrigo – this is all great information. We are staying at a Lodge in the park and they will be arranging permits and payments for us, but say we need to “Register and sign” with the park by 4:00 pm the day before we wish to hike. This is the first I’m hearing of this (and I’ve done a fair amount of research) and am hoping there is a work around as we will arrive to the area the evening before we want to start our hike. Any insight is welcome. Many thanks!
Hello Dea Diana,
Glad this information is helpful for you.
As per your above comment, it’s right! Actually, when we visited Chirripo, we had to register at SINAC’s office, the day before we wanted to start hiking up. (We registered the day before because their office opens at 8 am) and we wanted to start hiking up to the base camp at 5 am.
The workaround will be to wait until 8 am the next day of your arrival, registered with them and then start hiking.
Are you doing this hike by yourself or with a company? If you hired a company, I am not sure if they can do this registration for you.
Regards,
Do I understand it correctly that now I pay for Crestones online? I just reserved the ticket and then I emailed [email protected] and [email protected] asking them how do I pay.
Do I wait for a response? What else should I be doing?
Yes, you will need to process the payment online for logging and food. Wait for their response (that’s the only thing that you need to do)
Hello, Rodrigo!
I have a same problem as James Hall mentioned earlier – we have paid the permit to the park and received the confirmation. After that I emailed the details to [email protected] and informed them that we can pay for lodging next Monday once we arrive to Costa Rica, but got no answer from them yet, only an automatically generated letter that we have 24 hours to send a payment for lodging. I’m afraid our reservation will be canceled now. Would you perhaps know more?
Best Regards.
Hello, Libor! They might not answer immediately but they answer all emails. Once you made the reservation on the SINAC website… SINAC have to send to them (Consorcio Aguas Eternas) your information and then they will send you an email to with a link and password so you can process the payment online too. If you don’t receive an answer immediately from them, don’t stress about a possible cancellation. Another way to contact them, it will be through their phone number (506) 2742-5097 , Regards
Hello!
Looking to book a hike for May and it is saying the park is closed. Do you know anything about this?
thanks,
Avery
Hello
Yes, the reservations are closed for now but apparently, they will open reservations again, tomorrow (March 27th, 2019)
So, I recommend you to try again.
Hello and regards,
A friend and I are hoping to climb Chirripo starting March 1 and returning March 2 (2019).
I have tried the website for SINAC but it does not appear to be working. Additionally I have emailed them and called the office but no answer. Is there any other way around this to secure permits?
I very much appreciate your help!
-Safe travels,
Shafiq
Hey Rodrigo!
I have recently reserved a park permit, and have received my authorization, reference, and terminal number via email. I followed up by emailing “[email protected]” with my reservation details, the date I expect to enter Costa Rica and the date I could be expected to pay for lodging at Crestones base camp. I have not heard anything back, and I notice on the http://www.chirripo.org website that I have 48 hours from booking my permit to paying for accommodations or my reservation will be lost. Could you clarify this? Other than e-transfer or visa billing (and all I see is a bank number for a bank transfer), I don’t see how I can pay for lodging… Suggestions?
Thanks!
James
Hello James!
Don’t worry about the 48 hours that they mentioned in their website for processing the payment for accommodation. I have asked them before about this and they have said that for reservation of foreigners works differently.
If you give me your confirmation number, I can try to call them and make sure they got your email, so they can answer back to you and eventually you can continue talking with them.
Let me know your confirmation number and when you sent the email to them.
Regards,
Rodrigo
Thank you.
Your description helped us, yesterday we tried 10 times and did not go, now it worked. I am grateful for the description.
kindly regards from Germany
Hello Andrea,
So glad that you could make your reservation for Chirripo! Regards, Rodrigo
Hi there!
I wrote a message earlier…but it doesn’t seem to have gotten through… hoping this isn’t a duplicate though!
Wondering if you would be able to help me out with a booking issue I seem to be having on the SINAC website.
I checked the availability of the dates that I would like to go, and it looks like there are spots available…. however, when I try and add the admission, I get an error message saying:
The purchase can not be processed because the number of admissions generates aggregate sector overload
Any ideas?
Thank you!
Jonathan
Hey Jonathan,
Hope you are doing well.
Don’t worry about the duplicate message. Actually, we need to approve the comments before they go through, this happens because we get a lot of Spam comments on our website.
I can try to help you to book your entrance for Chirripo but I will need to know information like:
-Number of people
-Names
-IDs or Passport numbers
-Dates (Nights at base camp)
-Credit card or debit card number
Unfortunately, I can not tell why SINAC’s website has a lot of errors. Many people have contacted us and eventually, we have told them that we can help with their reservations or they can contact SINAC through their email or phone.
Let me know what you think about it.
Regards,
Hi there Rodrigo
I was hoping you would be nice enough to see if you could somehow help me to book?
I realize you don’t work with SINAC…so any help you might be able to provide would be greatly appreciated.
I checked the availability of the days that I would like to go, and it looks like there are available spots.
However, when I try and add the admission…I get the following error message:
The purchase can not be processed because the number of admissions generates aggregate sector overload
Any thoughts?
Thanks so much,
Jonathan
PS….loving your blog thus far!
Hello! We have had the similar experience as AJ. We followed the instructions online for park entry permits. We submitted it but it didn’t seem to go through because we didn’t receive a confirmation number. We did that three times and our credit card was charged three times as well. We have sent multiple emails asking for a confirmation number, but no luck. We actually spoke to someone who said to email again with our names and passport numbers to get that confirmation number. Again no luck. We talked with Crestones base camp and they will not give us reservations to stay the 2 nights we need until we have that number. We are coming from the US just to do this hike. We have an 8 year old who is very excited. We do not speak Spanish very well so not sure what to do. Any advice would be appreciated!
Hello Charlotte Ditty
Where you able to contact SINAC? Apparently, their help and customer service support email is [email protected]
I contacted them 3 days ago and they explained to me that their website is working fine for now.
Did you get your money back? Unfortunately, we are just a travel blog who provides helpful information about Chirripo and we try to do our best, answering comments and email. We don’t work directly with SINAC, so we don’t understand why their system is working so bad.
About your kid of 8 years old, I will say that while I visited Chirripo back in April 2017, I didn’t see any kid hiking up to Chirripo that does not mean that it can not be done with a kid of that age. However, I think it will be a little bit difficult and exhausted for the kid. At least if he/she has a great condition.
Hello,
I am trying to reserve a spot online for el chirripo but continually receive a message on the “purchase confirmation” tab that my information is invalid. I put the names of the party under “complete name” and the corresponding passport numbers under “identification.” Under the pay data I enter all the information except I am unsure what the ID number is for. I am not a Costa Rican resident and tried putting in my passport number. What is the ID number?
I’ve tried emailing SINAC multiple times but haven’t received a reply yet. Thank you in advance for your help!
Matt
Hello Matt,
We don’t really understand what it happened with SINAC website. Since last week, we have received different emails and comment regarding the same error.
We tried to contact them through the phone for asking about it but they didn’t answer our calls.
The ID number could be your passport, drivers license or nationality identification.
We will continue calling them and see if they explain to us what it is happening with their website. So we will let you know.
Unfortunately, we don’t work directly with them since they are an independent institution from the government.
Regards,
Rodrigo,
Thanks for the reply and reaching out to SINAC. I will continue to watch for updates regarding their website and making reservations. I appreciate your help thus far.
Thanks,
Matt
Did you get any update on this Rodrigo?
I’m having the same problem, the website will not take my payment as it won’t accept any of the I’d numbers I’m trying.
Thanks,
Charlie
Hello Charlie,
Hope you are doing fine.
SINAC has available spaces until mid-October however, are you trying to book for another day?
What’s exactly the error that you are having?
Hello,
I just tried making reservations on the website and each time it told me that my payment did not go through. I checked my bank account and I see that I have been charged SIX TIMES! I have tried calling the office, but my call does not go through (I am calling from the United States).
Can someone please contact me as soon as possible to resolve this?
Hello, AJ.
I am sorry to heard that, we don’t work directly with the national park office, however, let me see if can contact them. I will email you, so we can talk more about it.
hi – I have made a reservation to enter the park for 2 days but when I email my reservation details to [email protected] I do not receive a reply. Any idea how I can ensure I get a reservation at the base camp or do they usually take many days to reply?!
Thanks
Hi, Andy.-That’s the correct email for making the reservation at the base camp. If you want, you can email us your reservation number so we can help you to find out, why they have not answered back to you. Regards.
Hello Rodrigo,
in case i manage to buy a permit online (6 months prior to my arrival) is it really possible to pay for the lodging when I arrive to Costa Rica in person at Banco National? Will the park hold and guarantee my reservation? Many thanks.
Hello Jan, thanks for all your messages. I just answered your email that you sent to [email protected]. Let me know if you received. Regards.
In the availability page, where it says “Disponibilidad” does that mean remaining online permits available? And where it says “Visita diaria”, does it mean remaining in-person permits available?
Hello Hunter, where it says “Disponibilidad” that means the number of persons that can visit the park but at the same time the number beds that are available in the base camp. Where it says “Visita diaria” means the number of people that can access the park but they will not have space at the base camp and they cannot even buy food at that place. If you have any other question send us an email to [email protected] we will happy to help you.
I would like to climb Cerro Chirripo May first or second. I can not find way to make my reservation.
Please help.
Hello Khaire, send us an email to [email protected] and we can answer your questions. The website https://serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr/ is the one that you can use for making the reservation for the entrance and for check the availability.