~ by Luis Gutiérrez Galera
Christened with a Spanish name, the Talamanca Range was praised as a highly religious site by Costa Rican indigenous people such as the Bribri and Cabécar, who had lived there for a long time and are still settled in its fertile lands.
This perfect sequence of interconnected mountains stretches from the southern part of the Central Volcanic Range to Panama, and it’s the highest range in Central America.
Talamanca is non-volcanic; its mountains are made of marine sediments and igneous formations.
As a result, true paradises and areas of great natural and cultural value emerged, such as Buena Vista hill, which is 3490 meters high (11,450 ft.), or the exceptional Chirripó mountain, with its peak at 3820 meters above the sea level (12,532 ft.), the highest in Costa Rica and one of the highest in Central America.
The ditsöke -land of seeds- named by the indigenous people from Talamanca, represents a world-famous tourist destination, especially because it is preserved in various protected biological areas. One of them is La Amistad International Park (Costa Rica- Panama), declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO; a little to the north is Chirripó National Park.
Unexplored territories with plenty of ecosystems and life zones describe the Talamanca region, where emblematic species for the indigenous tribes’ worldview such as the quetzal, the tapir, the jaguar, and the ocelot coexist in harmony trying to survive in its lush forests.
Also, its tropical rain, cloud, and mountain forests, as well as the magnificent moorlands, make up a visually outstanding landscape masterpiece, which the residents of Pérez Zeledón are privileged to appreciate at sunrise. This gives a spectacular bluish hue to the mountainous wall that modifies the climate in southern Costa Rica and that tenaciously provides the setting for the distinguished El General Valley.
INFO: Luis Gutiérrez Galera – humbertoggalera@gmail.com
