Tapantí in the Rain
One of the wettest places in Costa Rica, which is the entire reason to go.
Expect to Get Wet
Tapantí sits at the top of the valley where the land climbs toward the Talamanca range, and it collects an extraordinary amount of rain. People arrive hoping for a clear morning and are disappointed, which is a bit like being disappointed that the sea is salty.
The park is administered within the national conservation system, and current opening hours and fees are worth checking through the national parks service before setting off rather than relying on anything written online a year ago.
What Grows There
Rain at that volume produces a particular kind of forest: everything is layered in moss, the epiphytes are enormous, and the understorey drips continuously even when it is not actively raining.
The bird list is the reason most visitors come. It is also the reason to be there early, because the cloud tends to come down through the morning and by the middle of the afternoon you are walking in a grey room. Some background on the park's range and altitude is set out on its Wikipedia entry.
Practicalities
Take a waterproof that actually works, not a shower jacket. Take a second pair of socks. The trails are well made but they are wet clay in places and boots with some grip on them will change your afternoon.
The road up from Orosi is fine in an ordinary car in normal conditions. After heavy rain, ask locally before committing to it.
