Parque Nacional Montecristo-el Trifinio Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Montecristo's pristine quality has almost everything to do with its inaccessibility. There's no regular bus service, and it takes an experienced driver with a 4WD truck to navigate the long rough road to the entrance.

Francisco Monterrosa Figueroa (2402 2805) is a local bus driver who, given a day's notice, is almost always free to drive travelers to and from the park. For day trips, he charges US$45 to pick you up at your hotel in the morning and wait in Los Planes until you're ready to return. If you want to camp, it's US$85 for him to drop you there and return a day or two later. If Monterrosa isn't available, try asking other pickup drivers parked near the turnoff for the park.

This is definitely the recommended method. Buses do leave from the turnoff to the cantón of San José (US$0.40, 30 minutes, 7am, 10am, 11am, noon, 1:30pm, 3pm, 4pm, 6pm and 7pm), located about 10km from Metapán; pickups make the same trip, but don't usually start until about noon. Half-way to San José is a spot called 'La Pluma, ' where you must stop and pay your entrance fee at the national park kiosk there. You'll have to convince the bus driver (and passengers) to wait for you, and hope the ranger lets you by - technically you are not allowed past there without a private vehicle. If you do get as far as San José, it's a tough 11km to Los Planes - start early.