The reserve consists of 22,600 acres of dense vegetation and a numerous species of birds. The park offers limited trails which tend to be muddy year round due to the large amounts of rainfall, so visitors must be prepared with appropriate waterproof shoes and attire.
Guides recommend following the riverbeds upstream which may sometimes be a better option to the muddy trails. Bird species which are commonly seen at the Hitoy-Cerere reserve are the Sunbittern, Montezuma Oropendulas and the Chestnut Oropendulas. The oropendulas nests are very easy to spot since they are long hanging carefully weaved nests.
The Hitoy-Cerere gets its name from the two main rivers that run through the reserve. The names are in the local indigenous Bribri language and means wooly or mossy for Hitoy and clear waters for Cerere. The reserve is surrounded on three sides by indigenous people reserves: the Tayni to the north, the Talamanca to the south and the Telire to the west.
To the east is the Valle de la Estrella as well as the massive banana plantations. As a matter of fact, the way to reach the reserve is through the Valle de la Estrella where tourists will need to drive through 10 kilometers of a banana plantation maze.
To visit the pristine terrain of the Hitoy-Cerere Biological Reserve, you will need a 4WD vehicle and the proper rain gear (it is the rainforest!). Once in Limon, drive towards Cahuita and turn right at the sign for Penshurst. After approximately 9 kilometers, you will reach the Valle de la Estrella banana plantations which will be your only scenic view for the next 10 kilometers. The next 14 or 15 kilometers will offer different scenery until you reach the reserve.
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