Escazú Mountains ( es, Cerros de Escazú), are a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

San José Province San José () is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the central part of the country, and borders (clockwise beginning in the north) the provinces of Alajuela, Heredia, Limón, Cartago and Puntarenas. The provincial and national capital ...

, central Costa Rica.

Geography

The range borders the

Costa Rican Central Valley The Central Valley () is a plateau and a geographic region of central Costa Rica. The land in the valley is a relative plain, despite being surrounded by several mountains and volcanoes, the latter part of the Central Range. The region houses a ...

to the south. It is considered the northernmost portion of the Cordillera de Talamanca.

Peaks

The highest peak is Cerro Rabo de Mico at , followed closely by Cerro Cedral at a height of . The range includes such other peaks as Cerro Pico Alto at , Cerro Pico Blanco at and Cerro San Miguel at . Cerros que rodean el Gran Área Metropolitana

Settlements

While in

, these geographic formations can be seen to the southwest of the capital city, San José, Costa Rica, San José. The name is taken from the canton of Escazu, Escazú, which lies on its northern slopes. Other nearby districts are Santa Ana, Costa Rica, Santa Ana to the north, Ciudad Colón to the northwest, Tabarcia District, Tabarcia to the southwest, Palmichal District, Palmichal to the southwest, Aserrí to the east and Alajuelita District, Alajuelita to the northeast. This mountain range lies in various Cantons of Costa Rica, cantons: Escazú Canton, Escazú, Santa Ana Canton, Santa Ana, Mora Canton, Mora, Acosta Canton, Acosta, Aserrí Canton, Aserrí and Alajuelita (canton), Alajuelita. Quitirrisí, located in these hills, is the Native American reserve which lies closest to the capital.

Conservation

Due to its position, this mountain range has several climatic influences that are reflected in the habitat diversity and biodiversity. In an attempt to protect this biological richness but also the local watersheds, the Escazú Hills Protected Zone, the El Rodeo Protected Zone and the Quitirrisí Protected Zone were created. It is a popular destination for mountain bikers and hikers although there are no clearly marked trails.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cerros De Escazu Mountain ranges of Costa Rica, Escazu Geography of San José Province