Aerial Tram at the Rain Forest from San José

Twenty minutes outside of San Jose you will cross the Continental Divide and enter Braulio Carrillo National Park. After a half hour trip through the park, the bus will reach a 1000 acre private reserve of virgin forest. Open-sided vehicles shuttle passengers from the parking area to the Visitor's Center. The shuttle trip provides an introduction to the forest, as visitors pass a small river and numerous tree snags with nesting holes of various birds - the White Hawk is regularly seen here, as well as the Pale-billed Woodpecker and many others.

After a quick briefing on canopy exploration and the construction of the tram, visitors divide into smaller groups for a 45 to 90 minute (optional) nature walk with a trained naturalist guide. The trails are well-groomed and provide an excellent introduction to the rain forest. Time now to board the Aerial Tram. The Open-sided cable-cars hold 5 passengers and a guide. The guides are quite knowledgeable about flora and fauna. They'll point out orchids and different species of trees and are quick to identify the calls of the many birds that inhabit this unique environment.

The tram ride lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes. The lower, outbound leg of the tram journey takes you skimming over hilltops and in and out of the sub-canopy, a dark world of overburdened tree limbs dripping with mosses, ferns, and orchids. Lianas and vines drape over branches and traverse forest spaces, and act as highways for birds and insects.