The Central Region:

An ecologically active area with mountains and ranges over 3,281 feet above sea level. Oaks, pines, moss, ferns and orchids are abundant in the massive cloud forests of the region. Large coffee plantations often welcome a weary visitor with a steaming cup of the homegrown product.

Hikers and backpackers, walking along the tree shaded paths can quench their thirst in the clear waters of the mountain springs.

The triangular area known as the central highlands lies northeast and east of the Pacific lowlands. This rugged mountain terrain is composed of ridges 900 to 1,800 meters high and a mixed forest of oak and pine alternating with deep valleys that drain primarily toward the Caribbean. Very few significant streams flow west to the Pacific Ocean; those that do are steep, short, and flow only intermittently. The relatively dry western slopes of the central highlands, protected by the ridges of the highlands from the moist winds of the Caribbean, have drawn farmers from the Pacific region since colonial times and are now well settled. The eastern slopes of the highlands are covered with rain forests and are lightly populated with pioneer agriculturalists and small communities of indigenous people.