Though rarely visited by tourists, Guápiles is a convenient stopover before heading south to the Rainforest Aerial Tram or northeast to Barra del Colorado or Tortuguero. An important city on the old banana train route, Guápiles is now a pit stop for banana-hauling trucks heading toward San José or Limón, and its dusty streets are surrounded by auto shops and car garages. However, the town is also a popular local shopping area, and there are lots of bargains to be found in its open-air stalls, vintage importadora clothing stores, and boutique shops selling everything from furniture to clothing and umbrellas.
All intercity buses arrive and depart from Guapileños Bus Station at the south end of town. Buses depart from specific terminals; the destinations served by each terminal are posted on signs at the entrances to the terminals. Many buses stop in smaller towns en route to those listed below (information ☎2710 0808 or 2710 6075). Buses go to: Puerto Limón (express bus 1½hr., 1 per hr. 4am-7pm, ¢550), Puerto Limón via Guácimo, Pocora, and Siquirres (2hr., 12 per day 6am-8:15pm, ¢550); Calle Vieja via Guácimo (1hr.; 6, 8:30, 11:10am, 4pm; ¢250); Cariari (direct every 30-40min. 7:15am-7:15pm; indirect every 30-40min. 6am-10:20pm; ¢220); Río Frío via Las Finca (6, 7:30, 9:30am, 12:30, 4:15pm; ¢685); Río Frío via La Victoria (8:30am, 2, 3:30, 6pm; ¢685); Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí (1½hr., 10 per day 5:30am-6:30pm, ¢735); San José (1½hr., every 30min. 5am-9pm, ¢1000). Local buses shuttle passengers around town; ask anyone at a bus stop where the bus is headed. Taxis abound, although they tend to overcharge. A taxi from the bus station to the town center runs ¢500-800.
Guápiles is a relatively large town, but most visitors will not need to go beyond the town center during their stay. The bus station is at the southern tip of the town center. The road in front of the bus station runs north, down the hill, intersecting with the town’s main street, which runs east from the Mas X Menos about 500m to the church to the west. Just to the east of the church is the parque central, which stretches several blocks north toward the Palí supermarket, which is 50m north of the northeast corner of the park. Heading west down this street, you will encounter a series of pharmacies and clinics, along with the Musmanni bakery and Caffe Ristorante Nona. Clínica del Caribe handles emergencies. (☎2710 1445 or 2710 2164. Open 24hr.) Thirty meters west of Palí is a Banco Popular with a 24hr. ATM. (☎2710 0259. Open M-F 8am-5pm, Sa 8-11:30am.) There are also several full-service banks on the west and east sides of the parque central. The post office is 100m north and 50m west of the church. (Open M-F 8am-noon and 1-4:30pm, Sa 7:30am-noon.) Though Guapiles has many Internet cafes, the most-convenient ones are Cafe Internet, across the road from the south end of the bus station, and Cafe Internet del Caribe, 100m north of the bus station on the second floor of the strip mall on the left (☎2711 0631; ¢500 per hr; open M-Sa 9am-9:30pm, Su 9am-8pm).
Though not very touristed, Guápiles does have several basic, comfortable budget options. Make sure to see the room and verify the price before lodging, and be aware that guests in hotels near the church will be serenaded by the ringing of the bells each morning at 6am.
Like most Costa Rican cities, Guápiles is filled with small, family-run sodas and bars that serve standard burgers, casados, and gallo pinto, although there are a few sit-down restaurants. Más X Menos supermarket (open M-F 9am-9pm, Sa-Su 9am-7pm) is located 200m west of the main intersection, and a Palí supermarket is 50m north of the northeast corner of the parque central. (Open M-Th 8:30am-7pm, F-Sa 8am-8pm, Su 8:30am-6pm.)
From Guápiles, go to the San José ticket window at the bus terminal and ask for a ticket to the teleférico; be sure to ask the bus driver to drop you off there, even if the destination is written on the ticket. (25min., every 30min. 5am-9pm, ¢800.) Though the tram is only 20km from Guápiles, most people visit from San José. A free shuttle takes visitors the 1.5km from the entrance of the park to the tram platform. Tours from San José can be arranged through the tram office on Av. 7, C. 7. (☎2257 5961; www.rfat.com. US$85, students US$57; includes round-trip transportation from your hotel, guided trips on the tram line, a 45min. nature trail hike, and breakfast or lunch.) Whether coming from Guápiles or San José, you can dispense with the meal and transportation and make a reservation for the guided tour and nature trail hike (US$55, students US$27.50); keep in mind that catching a bus back to Guápiles or San José could take an hour or so, as most buses are express and do not stop between destinations. The zipline is another exhilarating way to experience the rainforest, and one of the safest in Costa Rica with double cables (US$65 per person). Thick-walleted travelers can spend the night at one of the park’s cabinas, which feature hot-water baths and balconies and include 3 meals a day and unlimited rides on the teleférico (US$109 per person per night). If you’re hiking, pants, sturdy footwear, and bug repellent are recommended. Reservations recommended, especially for high season visits. Tram trips 7am-3pm.
At the edge of the Braulio Carillo National Park, the Rainforest Aerial Tram was designed by naturalist Don Perry and completed in 1994. After spending years exploring the rainforest canopy on ropes suspended high atop the trees, Perry designed a simple pulley system with 22 ski-lift-like cars suspended along an almost 2km aerial track. The construction of the Tram involved minimal damage to the surrounding rainforest, thanks to the Nicaraguan Sandinistas, who loaned their fighter helicopters to deliver large steel poles to the site.
The tram ride is 45min. in each direction, taking visitors from the heavy brush on the floor of the rainforest to the top of the canopy over 30m above. Once the journey begins, the only reminders of human interference are the dark green cable poles and the small wood and concrete walkways that occasionally criss-cross through the forest. The mating calls of thousands of cicadas, which combine to make a sort of synchronized hypnotic hum, are a constant soundtrack to the journey. For the first half of the adventure, guests lie low, brushing up against the lush vegetation of the rainforest floor while learning about the different ecosystems of the three levels of rainforest. Particularly prominent in this section are the philodendron “elephant ears” and the labios ardientes, or “hot lips”—named for its curled red protective sheaths as well as the supposedly aphrodisiacal fruits inside. After getting up close and personal with the plants below, visitors are whisked upward into the top of the canopy, where they can enjoy a birds-eye view of the vegetation below as well as fleeting glimpses of the many streams and rivers that pass through the forest.
The lack of human influence here means that the wildlife in the area is very diverse. However, visitors should remember that vegetation is dense and most animals are nocturnal, so many will be identifiable only by their unique calls. The best way to see wildlife is to go early in the morning, when many of the animals rummage around for food. The 475-hectare reserve area around the tram also has a few nature trails open to visitors; check with the rangers before heading out to make sure trails are open to self-guided tours.
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