Sometimes you just have to take a trek into the deep forests to feel like you’ve really gotten into the culture and habitation of a country. If you’re that kind of person, then the Parque Internacional La Amistad is the perfect place to spend most, if not all of your time in Costa Rica. La Amistad is the single largest protected area in all of Costa Rica, spanning 1950 square kilometres and pushing over the border another 2070 square kilometres into Panama—which is why it is the International park. Both the Talamanca and the Caribbean mountains are protected in this park and they, as well as the rest of the terrain, provide excellent trekking opportunities. While you are limited in where you can go, hikes in the park can take as long as 12 hours, and if you’re climbing to the summit of a mountain, you should plan on anywhere from 2 to 5 days. . While you are hiking, you’ll be able to see thousands of animal species including tapirs, margay and jaguarondis. La Amistad also protects dozens of the indigenous tribes of Costa Rica, which is why visitors are limited to certain trails and areas of the park.