Costa Rica has almost 200 parks and reserves that, combined, protect every environmental habitat. The first-time visitor faces a daunting array of options, ranging from the dry
deciduous forest of Santa Rosa National Park and riverine habitats of Palo Verde to the dense rainforest of the Osa Peninsula, in the southwest, and the high-mountain páramo of Chirripó National Park. This brief region-by-region overview of the country’s top national parks and wildlife refuges, including private reserves, is provided to helpnarrow down the options.
The Central Highlands
The nation’s most visited park, Poás Volcano National Park lies 34 miles (54 km) northwest of San José. Most visitors drive up to the summit to view the active crater, but there are also four hiking trails offering a chance to spot the endemic Poás squirrel, sooty robins, and even the resplendent quetzal. Visit as early in the day as possible to avoid the clouds that typically set in by mid-morning. The crater at Irazú Volcano National Park is also accessible by car. At 11,260 ft (3,432 m), it is at the limit of the tree line, and visitors can experience dwarf oak forest and páramo. The flora here has adapted to survive howling winds and bitter cold. The volcano junco, black-crowned ant pitta, and yellow-eared toucanet are among the bird species most frequently seen. Both Poás and Irazú have trails accessible to disabled travelers.
A 4x4 is required to access
Turrialba Volcano National Park,
farther east. Trails lead around the crater rim and even into the caldera. The volcano began erupting in 2009 and has been periodically closed since. Since there is no ranger station, visitors are advised to stay at the only lodge in the area, the Volcán Turrialba Lodge, which offers guided hikes and horseback riding. Quetzals, jaguarondis, and red-tailed hawks are frequently seen here. At the base of Turrialba,
Guayabo National Monument
protects the country’s main archeological grounds. The 539- acre (218-ha) site is surrounded by moist montane forest and is a premier birding site, especially for toucanets and oropendolas. Trails lead past fascinating pre- Columbian petroglyphs; buy the booklet at the ranger station for a self-guided tour. The altitude of Braulio Carrillo National Park ranges from 9,534 ft (2,906 m) at the summit of Volcán Barva to 118 ft (36 m) in the northern lowlands. Smothered in cloud forest at high elevations and dense rain forest below, it is often beset by clouds. Most of the nation’s mammal species are here, plus more than 500 bird species. Rain gear is vital for exploring this park, as it is for
Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park,
on the northern slopes of the Talamanca massif and accessed via the Orosi Valley. Spanning 4,462 ft (1,360 m) in elevation range, it has trails for all abilities. February to April are the
driest months here.
The Central Pacific and Southern Nicoya Cabo Blanco Absolute Wildlife Reserve, at the southwest tip of Nicoya, was created in 1963 as the first protected area in Costa Rica. It takes its name (“White Cape”) from the cliffs whitened by the guano of seabirds, including brown boobies. The public can access only one-third of this refuge where the moist forest
provides a home for large populations of monkeys, coatis,
and carnivores. Nearby, the private Curú National Wildlife Refuge is a major nesting ground for marine turtles, but its habitats also include mangrove and montane forest. Scarlet
macaws and spider monkeys are bred here for release to the wild. Visitors can ride horses or
take guided hikes. In the Central Pacific, Carara National Park sits at the transition of the dry and moist zones. Despite its small size, it is rich in both Mesoamerican and South American flora and fauna. Trails are wide and level, offering excellent wildlife viewing. This is perhaps the best place in the country to see scarlet macaws, and crocodiles abound in the Tárcoles River.
Sightings of coatis, sloths, crab-eating raccoons, and whiteface monkeys are virtually guaranteed at Manuel Antonio National Park, and the steep Cathedral Point Trail is good for
spotting agoutis. However, the park’s proximity to dozens of hotels means it gets crowded;
get there when the gates open. Licensed guides can be hired at the ranger station.
Guanacaste and Northern Nicoya The golden toad that inspired the creation of Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is now extinct, and the park has become synonymous with the quetzal. Laced with trails, it is home to an astonishing variety
of reptiles, mammals, and birds, including the three-wattled bellbird and emerald toucanet.
At a higher elevation, Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve boasts some creatures, such as
the spider monkey, not found at nearby Monteverde. Guides are available at both reserves,
which also have visitors’ centers, dormitory-style accommodations, and shops.
Hiking to the summit of the namesake volcano is a main reason many people visit
Rincón de la Vieja National Park. Fumaroles and bubbling mud pools on the lower slopes
are easily accessed by trails through scrub and dry forest that shelters coatis, monkeys, and some big cats.
Guanacaste National Park is one of Costa Rica’s most rugged and remote
parks, with only minimal facilities. Access requires a 4x4 vehicle and hiking. Attractions include pre- Columbian petroglyphs at the base of Volcán Cacao, which is topped by cloud forest. In the extreme northwest, Santa Rosa National Park is centered on La Casona, the
most hallowed historic site in Costa Rica. The dry forest and coastal wetlands support an
unsurpassed list of animals. Surfers flock here to ride the waves. Santa Rosa has campsites,
but in wet season access to the beaches is sometimes difficult; a 4x4 is obligatory.
Palo Verde National Park is one of the premier wetland habitats in Costa Rica, drawing
huge flocks of migrant water birds. This is the nation’s driest region, and the deciduous
dry forests permit easy wildlife viewing. Animals to look out for here include roseate spoonbills, wood storks, and crocodiles. To the west of Palo Verde,
Barra Honda National Park centers on a limestone massif pitted with caves. Above ground,
trails lead through scrub and dry forest. A local association offers guided hikes; a guide is
obligatory for cave descents.
Leatherback Marine Turtle National Park is an important nesting site for the eponymous
turtle. The nesting population has plummeted, but turtles can still be seen on the beaches
between October and March.
The Northern Zone Residents of Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge include neotropic cormorants, roseate spoonbills, and Nicaraguan grackle. The dry season brings millions of migratory waterfowl. Caiman abound in the wet season, when the area floods.
Guided exploration is by boat from several eco-lodges. The extraordinary Arenal Volcano National Park is one of the most popular parks. Centered on an active volcano
trails weave among the lava flows, and its forest is home to many creatures, from ocelots to
opossums. There are many activities nearby. Far less visited, Tenorio Volcano National Park is accessed from the village of Bijagua. The summit is off limits, but trails lead to tealcolored
thermal pools, and tapirs are sometimes seen on the midelevation slopes.
La Selva Biological Station
protects 3,707 acres (1,500 ha) of rainforest at the northern base of the Cordillera Central. Over 500 bird species and 120 mammal species have been recorded here. Reservations are required to visit and join its obligatory guided tours.
The Caribbean Requiring a 4x4 vehicle, the lush rainforest of Barbilla National Park extends up the slopes of the Talamanca Mountains. The ranger station has minimal facilities, and visitors will need to be self sufficient. Poison-dart frogs are abundant and easily spotted, and the park is also home to a large number of snakes. The watery realm of Tortuguero National Park can be accessed only by plane or boat. Cormorants, river otters,
caiman, and monkeys exhibit themselves as if in a gallery to visitors exploring on guided
boat trips from the many ecolodges lining Tortuguero Lagoon. The beach here is the Caribbean’s prime nesting site for green turtles, and nighttime tours are a specialty. A true treat
would be to see a manatee or a green macaw. A canal connects to Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge, where crocodiles bask on mud banks, and the many broad rivers and lagoons boil with
tarpon and shook. Most visitors base themselves at the sportfishing lodges. Cahuita National Park adjoins Cahuita village – visitors can hop out of bed and enter the park within a few minutes’ stroll. The park is blessed with beautiful white-sand beaches, a coral reef, and rainforest and wetland habitats. Nearby, rugged Hitoy-Cerere National Park lies at the eastern
foot of the Talamanca massif. Visitors must come with raingear, but on clear days the pristine
rainforest abounds with frogs, reptiles, birds, and mammals. One of the most important marine turtle nesting sites in the region, Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge encompasses swamps, mangroves, rainforest, and a coral reef. Freshwater dolphins and manatees are often seen on guided boat trips. Parrots and toucans are also numerous. Many visitors volunteer for extended stays on work projects meant to save the turtle populations.
The Southern Zone A bastion of tropical lowland rainforest, remote Corcovado National Park ranges from sea level to an elevation of 2,444 ft (745 m). Several lodges and tent camps lie at its doorstep, and camping is also allowed at the four ranger stations. Look out
for squirrel monkeys, scarlet macaws, and red-eyed tree frogs. This is also the best place
for a lucky encounter with jaguars, tapirs, and harpy eagles. Piedras Blancas National Park, across the Golfo Dulce, is a smaller version of Corcovado, but with a less developed trail
system. Lacking a ranger station, it is administered through the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge.
Cocos Island National Park lies about 310 miles (500 km) southwest of Costa Rica and is
primarily a marine park visited by experienced scuba divers. The waters around Cocos offer
a rare chance to swim with whale sharks, manta rays, and hammerhead sharks. Booby
birds, frigatebirds, and several other bird species endemic to the island are other attractions.
A permit is needed to go ashore. In Chirripó National Park, hikers ascend through cloud
forest to treeless páramo to summit Costa Rica’s highest peak. Quetzals inhabit the
forest, and cougars are often spotted on the high alpine plains. February and March are
the driest months here. Chirripó abuts the vast and mostly unexplored International
Friendship Park (La Amistad), spanning many ecosystems and extending into Panama. Visitors can access only a tiny fraction of this park, which is a haven for jaguars, tapirs, and other endangered mammals. North of the town of Dominical, Hacienda Barú National
Wildlife Refuge combines several habitats, including mangrove and rainforest. Hawksbill and olive ridley turtles nest here, and trails offer a chance to spot anything from tamanduas to tayras. This private reserve has lodgings and offers the chance to go on dawn birding hikes, horseback rides, or to sleep on a treetop canopy. Humpback whales are the main draw at the Whale Marine National Park (Dec–Mar and Jul–Oct). Dolphins can be seen year-round in the near-shore waters, where kayaking and snorkeling are popular activities. The park merges south into
Terraba-Sierpe International Humid Forest Reserve, a vast mangrove system that can be
explored on guided boat trips.
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