| Coordinates | 9.8589, -84.1456 |
|---|---|
| Category | Hiking, Hiking, Scenic |
| Nearest city | Aserrí |
| Region | San Jose, Costa Rica |
| Sources | geonames |
Cerro Cedral Hiking & Travel Guide
Cerro Cedral is a mountain in San Jose, Costa Rica. The nearest service base is Aserrí, roughly 6 km away.
Cerro Cedral at a Glance
- What it is: mountain (Hiking)
- Where it is: San Jose, San Jose, Costa Rica — coordinates 9.8589, 84.1456
- Why it is listed: a source-verified entry in the CollabsTravel master database, matched against official gazetteer and geographic records before publication
- Time needed: two to four hours
- Best season: late spring to early autumn
Quick Facts
| Place type | Mountain |
| Primary category | Hiking |
| Also good for | Hiking, Scenic |
| Region / state | San Jose |
| Country | Costa Rica |
| Nearest city | Aserrí |
| Coordinates | 9.8589, -84.1456 |
| Nearest base town | Aserrí (6 km) |
Why Cerro Cedral Is Worth Visiting
Cerro Cedral earns its place in this guide for a simple reason: it is a verified hiking in San Jose, Costa Rica,. Its position 6 km from Aserrí also makes it an easy add-on rather than a detour that costs half a day. Visitors book it for hiking, scenic as much as for hiking. And unlike listicle recommendations, everything on this page - coordinates, category, sources - was checked against official records before publication.
About Cerro Cedral
In plain terms, Cerro Cedral is a mountain in the San Jose area of San Jose, Costa Rica that travellers book around hiking trips. Beyond its main draw, the record tags it for hiking, scenic too, so it rewards more than one kind of visit. Functionally it belongs to Aserrí - the town most maps and locals will reference when describing how to reach it. Everything stated on this page comes from that verified record; where background history is quoted, the source is named at the end of the section.
The Story of Cerro Cedral: History & Background
The Cerro Cedral is the second highest mountain of the Cerros de Escazú, Costa Rica with 2,420 m (7,940 ft). Cedral means 'cedar forest' referring to an endangered tree species locally known as Cedro Dulce, which occurs there.
This mountain marks the southern limit of Escazú as a canton and of San José as a province.
The Agres river rises from the Cerro Cedral.
On January 15, 1990 a Sansa Airlines flight crashed into the Cerro Cedral killing all 23 crew and passengers on board. The pilot, flying a CASA C-212 Aviocar, was later determined to be under excessive fatigue at the moment.
Lead passage from the Wikipedia article "Cerro Cedral", reused under CC BY-SA 4.0 with a coordinate-verified name match; the source article carries the full referenced history.
The Beauty of Cerro Cedral
What people mean when they call Cerro Cedral beautiful is usually elevated, unblocked views - the kind of layered landscape that photographs badly from the road and perfectly from the first viewpoint. The light does most of the work: low-latitude light keeps greens deep and skies dramatic; the difference between hours, not seasons, drives the look. The seasons restyle everything around it - wildflower spring, deep-green summer, gold-and-rust autumn and, above the snowline, a winter version of the same scene. And the beauty compounds with context: with 8 other verified places nearby, the San Jose area reads as one continuous landscape rather than a single viewpoint, which is worth more than any filter on the photos you take here.
Getting There
Cerro Cedral sits at 9.8589, 84.1456 in San Jose, Costa Rica. Most visitors reach it by car, regional rail or local transit; pin the coordinates above rather than only the name - Cerro Cedral names repeat across regions, and rural entries often lack street addresses.
Base yourself in Aserrí and make this a half-day trip; services, fuel and lodging are easiest there. The run from Aserrí is about 6 km (4 mi) each way, so allow Aserrí as your anchor for the day.
Best Time to Visit
Late spring to early autumn (May to September) brings the warmest and most reliable conditions across Costa Rica. Shoulder months just before and after that window trade a little weather for noticeably lower prices and thinner crowds.
Cerro Cedral Season by Season
- Summer (Jun-Aug) - peak season: the warmest, longest days and everything open, which also makes it the priciest and busiest window
- Autumn (Sep-Nov) - shoulder season: crowds drain away, the light turns photographic, and lodging rates typically fall
- Winter (Dec-Feb) - off-season: cheapest beds and empty viewpoints, but check for closures, snow or rain before committing
- Spring (Mar-May) - rebuild season: wildflowers, newborn wildlife and reopened facilities - the best balance if the weather holds
Things to Do
Planning what to actually do at Cerro Cedral comes down to the setting it sits in:
- Arrive with the exact coordinates (9.8589, -84.1456) pinned in your maps app — rural place names repeat across states
- Walk the shortest signed loop first, then decide how far to push on with the lightest pack
- Check sunrise/sunset times before setting out; carry water for double the distance you plan
- Photography stops at the first viewpoint are usually the best framed ones
- Chain the stop with what is nearby — see the list below before fixing your day route
None of this needs a rigid schedule - the honest pattern at Cerro Cedral is one anchor at the trailhead or first viewpoint, one longer stop, and the rest of the time left for whatever looks better from the car window. That flexibility is what separates a good half-day from a rushed one.
A Perfect Day in Cerro Cedral
Morning (start early). Have breakfast at Aserrí and roll out before mid-morning - the light is softer, parking is open, and Cerro Cedral is at its quietest before the day-trippers arrive. Give the main stop its full due first rather than saving it for later.
Midday. From Cerro Cedral, Cerro Rabo de Mico is only 1 km away - pair the two rather than driving home for lunch; a picnic beats a reservation near most of these spots.
Afternoon. Keep going to Cerro Pico Blanco (2 km) if the group still has legs; it is the standard second half of this loop.
Golden hour. End at the main viewpoint, waterfront or main street as the light drops; this is the hour Cerro Cedral is genuinely famous for locally, and it costs nothing.
Evening. Sleep at Aserrí unless the road out is long - leaving at dusk is the one mistake that can flatten an otherwise perfect day.
Know Before You Go to Cerro Cedral
- Save the pin (9.8589, -84.1456) offline - reception in San Jose is exactly as good as it needs to be and no better
- Check the official source listed at the bottom of this page for current hours, fees and closures before driving out
- Carry more water than the plan says; shade is usually optional on these routes
- Tell someone the turnaround time - help arrives slower than it looks from the trailhead
Nearby Places Worth Combining
Cerro Cedral does not sit in isolation - these verified places are all within a short hop and combine into a full loop:
- Cerro Rabo de Mico — hiking, about 1 km (1 mi) away
- Cerro Pico Blanco — hiking, about 2 km (1 mi) away
- Cerro de La Cruz — hiking, about 2 km (1 mi) away
- Cerro Pico Alto — hiking, about 2 km (1 mi) away
- Cerro San Miguel — hiking, about 3 km (2 mi) away
- Cerro Tacuotari — hiking, about 3 km (2 mi) away
- Alto Hierbabuena — hiking, about 3 km (2 mi) away
- Cerro Daser — hiking, about 3 km (2 mi) away
Planning More of Your Trip
See everything in Costa Rica on the Costa Rica country hub, browse the full Hiking Costa Rica collection, or take in the whole San Jose region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cerro Cedral worth visiting?+
Yes, if you are in the area for more than a single day. Cerro Cedral is a verified mountain in San Jose, Costa Rica that most drive-by lists miss, and the official-record provenance behind this page means the location, name and access facts are checked rather than guessed. Give it two to four hours.
Where exactly is Cerro Cedral?+
Cerro Cedral is in San Jose, Costa Rica, at coordinates 9.8589, -84.1456. Use the coordinates rather than the name alone - place names repeat across regions, and a map pin beats a keyword search.
How far is Cerro Cedral from the nearest city?+
Cerro Cedral is about 6 km (4 mi) from Aserrí, which is an easy out-and-back day trip - most visitors base themselves in Aserrí and make the run in well under an hour each way.
What is the best time to visit Cerro Cedral?+
late spring to early autumn. Book the shoulder months either side of that window for the same scenery at lower prices, and check seasonal closures before fixing dates.
How long do you need at Cerro Cedral?+
Plan on two to four hours for a first visit - the highlights at a normal pace without rushing. Add another half day if you want to combine it with the nearby places listed above.
Is Cerro Cedral good for families with kids?+
With kids, judge Cerro Cedral by the shortest signed loop rather than the headline route - if the first viewpoint holds their attention, extend; if not, leave early and nobody is disappointed.
Does Cerro Cedral cost anything to visit?+
Most public places like this have no entry fee, but parking, guided programs and seasonal shuttles are the usual small costs. Confirm current fees with the official source cited on this page - they change more often than guidebooks do.
What is near Cerro Cedral?+
The closest verified neighbour is Cerro Rabo de Mico; the nearby list above has the full set with distances, and combining two or three of them is the standard way to fill a day around Cerro Cedral.
Is Cerro Cedral open to visitors, and do you need a permit?+
Public places listed here are visitable by default; the permit exceptions are usually specific activities (backcountry camping, drones, commercial photography) rather than the visit itself. Check the cited official source for anything activity-based.
Should you visit Cerro Cedral in bad weather?+
Rain reshapes rather than ruins the day - viewpoints become cloud-scapes and trails get muddy. Keep Cerro Cedral as a fair-weather item on your trip and swap in the covered alternatives from the regional list when the forecast turns.
What makes Cerro Cedral different from other places like it?+
Its exact combination: a mountain in San Jose, Costa Rica with verified coordinates and, where listed, an official designation. The difference is usually the setting and the access pattern rather than the category label - the facts table on this page shows that specifically.
Can you visit Cerro Cedral as a day trip?+
Yes - at two to four hours on site, a day loop is realistic: morning at Cerro Cedral, one nearby stop, and home by evening. The Perfect Day section above has the hour-by-hour version.
What is Cerro Cedral known for?+
In the wider record, mountain-class place: The Cerro Cedral is the second highest mountain of the Cerros de Escazú, Costa Rica with 2,420 m (7,940 ft). This guide adds the practical layer - verified coordinates, access, seasonality and what to combine it with.
What is the most beautiful thing about Cerro Cedral?+
The honest short answer is in The Beauty of Cerro Cedral section above, but distilled: what people mean when they call cerro cedral beautiful is usually elevated, unblocked views - the kind of layered landscape that photographs badly from the road and perfectly from the first viewpoint. Come for the light and the setting rather than a single checklist object.
Is Cerro Cedral crowded?+
Cerro Cedral sits below the headline-name tier in its region, so crowding is an event-and-weekend problem rather than a standing one. Weekday mornings in the shoulder season are the quietest version of the visit.
What is the history of Cerro Cedral?+
The sourced background above places documented events for Cerro Cedral around 1990 at the earliest point its article dates; for the full timeline with references, the linked Wikipedia article is the primary trail and this guide keeps the practical travel layer on top of it. ## Source Verification This guide's facts come from official public datasets: [Geonames record 3624321](https://www.geonames.org/3624321). Location data is reviewed in per-state batches before publication.
Nearby destinations
Cerro Rabo de Mico
Mountain · San Jose
Cerro Pico Blanco
Mountain · San Jose
Cerro de La Cruz
Mountain · San Jose
Cerro Pico Alto
Mountain · San Jose
Cerro San Miguel
Mountain · San Jose
Cerro Tacuotari
Mountain · San Jose
Alto Hierbabuena
Mountain · San Jose
Cerro Daser
Mountain · San Jose