National Parks

Costa Rica has 26 national parks, protecting more than 12% of the country. They range in size from the 212-hectare (524-acre) Guayabo National Monument to the 189,696-hectare (468,549-acre) La Amistad National Park. Many of these national parks are undeveloped tropical forests, with few services or facilities available for visitors. Others, however, offer easier access to their wealth of natural wonders.

Most of the national parks charge a $6 or $8 (£3 or £4) per-person per-day fee for any foreigner, although some have begun charging slightly more and a few slightly less. Costa Ricans and foreign residents continue to pay just $1 (50p). At parks where camping is allowed, there is usually an additional charge of around $2 (£1) per person per day.

This section is not a complete listing of all of Costa Rica's national parks and protected areas, but rather a selective list of those parks that are of greatest interest and accessibility. They're popular, but they're also among the best. You'll find detailed information about food and lodging options near some of the individual parks in the regional chapters that follow. As you'll see from the descriptions, Costa Rica's national parks vary greatly in terms of attractions, facilities, and accessibility. For a map of the country's parks, see the color insert at the front of this book.

If you're looking for a camping adventure or an extended stay in one of the national parks, I recommend Santa Rosa, Rincón de la Vieja, Chirripó, Corcovado, or Cahuita. Any of the others are better suited for day trips or guided hikes, or in combination with your travels around the country.

For more information, call the national parks information line at tel. 192, or the main office at tel. 283-8004. You can also stop by the National Parks Foundation office (tel. 257-2239) in San José, located between Calle 23 and Avenida 15. Both offices are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.

San Jose/Central Valley Area

Guayabo National Monument -- This is the country's only significant pre-Columbian archaeological site. It's believed that Guayabo supported a population of about 10,000 people some 3,000 years ago. The park is set in a forested area rich in flora and fauna, although the ruins are quite small and limited when compared to sites in Mexico, Guatemala, and South America. Location: 19km (12 miles) northeast of Turrialba, which is 53km (33 miles) east of San José.

Irazu Volcano National Park -- Irazú Volcano is the highest (3,378m/11,080 ft.) of Costa Rica's four active volcanoes and a popular day trip from San José. A paved road leads right up to the crater, and the lookout also has a view of both the Pacific and the Caribbean on a clear day. The volcano last erupted in 1963 on the same day U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited the country. There are an information center, picnic tables, restrooms, and a parking area here. Location: 55km (34 miles) east of San José.

Poas Volcano National Park -- Poás is the other active volcano close to San José. The main crater is more than 1.6km (1 mile) wide, and it is constantly active with fumaroles and hot geysers. I slightly prefer Poás to Irazú because it is surrounded by dense cloud forests, and there are some nice gentle trails to hike here. Although the area around the volcano is lush, much of the growth is stunted due to the gases and acid rain. The park sometimes closes when the gases get too feisty. There are nature trails, picnic tables, restrooms, and an information center. Location: 37km (23 miles) northwest of San José.

Guanacaste & The Nicoya Peninsula

Barra Honda National Park -- Costa Rica's only underground national park, Barra Honda features a series of limestone caves that were once part of a coral reef some 60 million years ago. Today the caves are home to millions of bats and impressive stalactite and stalagmite formations. Only Terciopelo Cave is open to the public. There are a camping area, restrooms, and an information center here, as well as trails through the surrounding tropical dry forest. Location: 335km (208 miles) northwest of San José.

Palo Verde National Park -- A must for bird-watchers, Palo Verde National Park is one of Costa Rica's best-kept secrets. This part of the Tempisque River lowlands supports a population of more than 50,000 waterfowl and forest bird species. Various ecosystems here include mangroves, savanna brush lands, and evergreen forests. There are camping facilities, an information center, and some nice, fairly new accommodations at the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) research station here. Location: 200km (124 miles) northwest of San José. Be warned that the park entrance is 28km (17 miles) off the highway down a very rugged dirt road; it's another 9km (5 1/2 miles) to the OTS station and campsites. For more information, call the OTS (tel. 240-6696; reservas@cro.ots.ac.cr).

Rincon de le Vieja National Park -- This large tract of parkland experiences high volcanic activity, with numerous fumaroles and geysers, as well as hot springs, cold pools, and mud pots. You'll find excellent hikes to the upper craters and to several waterfalls. You should hire a guide for any hot-spring or mud-bath expeditions as inexperienced visitors have been burned. Camping is permitted at two sites, each of which has an information center, a picnic area, and restrooms. Location: 266km (165 miles) northwest of San José.

Santa Rosa National Park -- Occupying a large section of Costa Rica's northwestern Guanacaste province, Santa Rosa has the country's largest area of tropical dry forest, important turtle-nesting sites, and the historically significant La Casona monument. There are also caves for exploring. The beaches are pristine and have basic camping facilities, and the waves make them quite popular with surfers. An information center, a picnic area, and restrooms are at the main campsite and entrance. Location: 258km (160 miles) northwest of San José. For more information, you can call the park office at tel. 666-5051.

The Northern Zone

Arenal National Park -- This new park, created to protect the ecosystem that surrounds Arenal Volcano, has few services or attractions. Basically, the government has set up a tollbooth on the access road leading to an up-close view of the volcano's lava flows. Most travelers and tour operators choose to forgo the entrance fee and watch the volcano from spots along the dirt road leading to the Arenal Observatory Lodge, or from the road to Tabacón, where the view is just as good as it is inside the park. However, there are several excellent hiking trails inside the park that explore cooled-off lava flows and the neighboring rainforest. Location: 129km (80 miles) northwest of San José.

Braulio Carrillo National Park -- This park, which occupies a large area of the nation's central mountain range, is the park you pass through on your way from San José to the Caribbean coast. A deep rainforest, Braulio Carrillo receives an average of 177 inches of rain per year. There are beautiful rivers, majestic waterfalls, and more than 6,500 species of plants and animals. The park has an information center, picnic tables, restrooms, and hiking trails. Camping is allowed but is not very common or recommended. Be careful here. Make sure you park your car in and base your explorations from the park's main entrance, not just anywhere along the highway. There have been several robberies and attacks against visitors reported at trails leading into the park from the highway. This park also seems to have the highest incidence of lost hikers. Location: 22km (14 miles) north of San José.

Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge -- A lowland swamp and drainage basin for several northern rivers, Caño Negro is excellent for bird-watching. There are a few basic cabinas and lodges in this area, but the most popular way to visit is on a combined van and boat trip from the La Fortuna/Arenal area. Location: 20km (12 miles) south of Los Chiles, near the Nicaraguan border.

Monteverde Biological Cloud Forest Reserve -- This private reserve might be the most famous patch of forest in Costa Rica. It covers some 26,000 acres of primary forest, mostly midelevation cloud forest, with a rich variety of flora and fauna. Epiphytes thrive in the cool, misty climate. The most famous resident is the spectacular resplendent quetzal. There is a well-maintained trail system, as well as some of the best-trained and most experienced guides in the country. Nearby you can visit both the Santa Elena and Sendero Tranquilo reserves. Location: 167km (104 miles) northwest of San José.

Central Pacific Coast

Carara National Park -- Located just off the highway near the Pacific coast, on the road to Jacó, this is one of the best places in Costa Rica to see scarlet macaws. There are several trails through the park, including one that is wheelchair accessible. The park is comprised of various ecosystems, ranging from rainforests to transitional forests to mangroves. Location: 102km (63 miles) west of San José.

Chirripo National Park -- Home to Costa Rica's tallest peak, 3,761m (12,336-ft.) Mount Chirripó, Chirripó National Park is a hike, but on a clear day you can see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea from its summit. There are a number of interesting climbing trails here, and camping is allowed. Location: 151km (94 miles) southeast of San José.

Manuel Antonio National Park -- Though relatively small, Manuel Antonio is the most popular national park and supports the largest number of hotels and resorts. This lowland rainforest is home to a healthy monkey population, including the endangered squirrel monkey. The park is best known for its splendid beaches. Location: 129km (80 miles) south of San José.

The Southern Zone

Corcovado National Park -- The largest single block of virgin lowland rainforest in Central America, Corcovado National Park receives more than 200 inches of rain per year. It's increasingly popular but still very remote. (It has no roads; only dirt tracks lead into it.) Scarlet macaws live here, as do countless other Neotropical species, including two of the country's largest cats, the puma and the endangered jaguar. There are camping facilities and trails throughout the park. Location: 335km (208 miles) south of San José, on the Osa Peninsula.

The Caribbean Coast

Cahuita National Park -- A combination land and marine park, Cahuita National Park protects one of the few remaining living coral reefs in the country. The topography here is lush lowland tropical rainforest. Monkeys and numerous bird species are common. Camping is permitted, and there are basic facilities at the Puerto Vargas entrance to the park. If you want to visit for only the day, however, enter from Cahuita village because the local community has taken over that entrance and is asking for only a voluntary donation, in lieu of the normal $6 (£3) fee. Location: On the Caribbean coast, 42km (26 miles) south of Limón.

Tortuguero National Park -- Tortuguero National Park has been called the Venice of Costa Rica due to its maze of jungle canals that meander through a dense lowland rainforest. Small boats, launches, and canoes carry visitors through these waterways, where caimans, manatees, and numerous bird and mammal species are common. The extremely endangered great green macaw lives here. On the beaches green sea turtles nest here every year between June and October. The park has a small but helpful information office and some well-marked trails. Location: 258km (160 miles) northeast of San José.