COSTA RICA NATIONAL PARKS

Manuel Antonio National park

Manuel Antonio is the right place to go if you want to see a beautiful national park in the beach . This park is only seven kilometers Southeast from Quepos, and it’s one of the most visited protected areas.

The park is constituted by beautiful beaches and by the surrounding vegetation of the forest that grows right next to the coastline. Visitors can walk on the beach or in the cooler trails in the forest, where they can spot animals including monkeys , sloths, raccoons and quatamundis or “pizotes.” Manuel Antonio has one of the most beautiful beaches of the country, which has, as a backdrop, emerald-green forests and lush hillsides. Besides being blessed by nature, Manuel Antonio is also a lucky when it comes to accommodations and facilities.

Braulio Carrillo National Park

The Tropical Rain Forest of Braulio Carrillo Is located only 20 kms. Northeast of the capital city of San Jose, This flora and fauna sanctuary is an emerald-green mass of vegetation, a saturation of tropical plants, waterfalls and trees that are heavily laden with orchids and other plants that cling to their branches. Even if someone has witnessed the splendor of a virgin rainforest before, no one that visits the Braulio Carrillo National Park can avoid feeling a sense of awe because of its beauty and magnitude.

Even though the paths are small, bird watchers might still spot many animals like the beautiful quetzals, toucans, trogons and eagles. Other common animals and reptiles are the jaguar, ocelot, snakes. The vegetation is, as mentioned before, completely breath-taking.

The Braulio Carrillo is one of the easiest parks to access from San Jose, but its tropical splendor and magnificence set it apart from the rest of the country.

Volcan Poas National Park

Volcan Poas is one of the most visited volcanoes in Costa Rica, because of its proximity to San Jose and because of the luxuriant forest that surrounds the two craters. The park measures 5600 hectares, and this basaltic volcano stands at an altitude of 2708 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level. this national park offers four different habitats; this, in a relatively small area, is evidence of Costa Rica’s incredible biodiversity.

The four habitats are the following: areas with scarce vegetation, a stunted forest, a cloud forest, and an area of arrayans. There are 79 species of birds in this park, including the robin, the hummingbird and the spectacular quetzal. Among the mammals found here, are the coyotes, long-tailed weasels, skunks and some small felines. If you see a green-yellow squirrel, take a good look at it, because it’s the Poas green-yellow squirrel, and as its name suggests, it’s only found in this park, and nowhere else in the whole world!

Cahuita National Park

The Cahuita National Park measures 1067 hectares, including 240 hectares of reef that extend outward from Cahuita Point. The tropical forest shelters various animals, among which are the following: pacas, racoons, Northern tamanduas, opposums, porcupines and capuchin monkeys. The marshes in the park contain many other animals, like the green iguanas, basilisks, gigantic blue crabs and many species of birds, like frigatebirds, green ibis, blue herons, gulls and others. Cahuita is also known for its coral reef.

Cahuita and the Limon province of Costa Rica, have a special flavor to them. The Caribbean area offers a natural and cultural environment that is completely different from the rest of the country. Coconut trees leaning towards the ocean and spectacular reefs abound in this area.

Cocos Island Natural Park

Located 500 kilometers south of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, Cocos Island rises like an emerald in the midst of azure blue seas. Its exotic beauty, remoteness, thriving sea life and a mysterious history of pirates and hidden treasures have lured adventurers and fortune hunters for the last one hundred years.

In the last few decades it has become a haven for divers from all over the world who are keen on discovering its impressive variety of marine wildlife.

The clear warm waters around the island are regarded by many as offering some of the best diving in the world.

The waters around the island abound with white-tipped sharks, giant hammerhead sharks, tuna, parrotfish, mantas and crevalle jacks. Deep ocean currents bring cooler, nutrient rich waters up Cocos' steep underwater topography, where it mixes with warmer surface waters to support an amazing ecosystem.

Chirripo National Park

This park is situated in the Cordillera de Talamanca, is the longest mountain range in the country. On the route to the summit, hikers can enjoy a lush vegetation and bird watching .Chirripo features various sculpted glacial formations surch as U shape valleys, lakes and terrace. The upper reaches of the park often cold and almost always cloaked in mist, contain the northern most example of Paramo life zone, the park also contains extensive areas of montane rain forest, offers excellent opportunities for wildlife observations and nature photography, and is one the few areas suitable for technical rock climbing in Costa Rica. The tallest mountain in this country “Chirripo Peak” is part of this part.

Volcan Irazu National Park

The park that includes this volcano covers 2309 hectares, its highest point being 3432 meters (approxim. 10,300 feet) above sea level. The park is remarkable because of its surreal lunar landscape. There are two main craters, one is called the “Diego de la Haya” crater that contains a strangely colored lake (some days it’s light green and others it’s red) and the other is 300 meters (900 feet) deep. Even the scarce and austere vegetation contributes to the other-worldly feeling of the place. Nevertheless, there are some species of animals that manage to live in this severe and rugged area - coyotes, tiger cats, long-tailed weasels and some species of birds like the clay-colored robins.

This park offers a unique and unusual panorama that is every want-to-be-an-astronaut’s dream. Its 400 hectares of volcanic ash and scoria, as well as its strangely tinted lake have a strange beauty to them that you won’t want to miss.

Corcovado National Park

The Corcovado National Park is located near the port of "Puerto Jimenez", across the Golfo Dulce Bay from Golfito. In Corcovado visitors can witness the unique combination of marine and land ecosystems. The area holds thousands of species of flora, many unique to the area and others which have disappeared from other regions.Several of the animal species in Corcovado are in danger of extinction.The guacamaya or red macaw; wild boar; jaguar and the crocodile are some of them. The borders of the peninsula guard the beautiful beaches, The Llorona beach is a frequently used nesting site for marine turtles: olive ridley turtle, leatherback turtle, green turtle and hawksbill turtles.

Volcan Arenal National Park

The most characteristic feature of this national park is the impressive and majestic Arenal Volcano, an almost perfect active cone 1,633 meters high, whose regular eruptions offer one of the most extraordinary and awe inspiring natural sights in Costa Rica.  The four most important types of vegetation in the park are the perennial wet and very wet forests that cover about 47% of the area. There's also cloud forest and riverine woodlands, where several endemic species can be found, like the brunelia costaricensis and the epiphytic pineapple. Thirty-five species of fish, 135 species of reptiles that include tortoises, snakes and lizards, and 131 known species of mammals can be found here. An amazing 53% of the species that make up the national bird population are also found here making this park and the surrounding area a birdwatcher's paradise.

Tortuguero National Park

In this national park you will not find walking trails and indeed the best way to discover this park is by boat. Although if you do like a work-out, it is still possible to rent canoes or kayaks. This national park used to be an archipelago of volcanic islands until alluvial sediments from the mountains filled up the spaces and formed the network of islands that Tortuguero now consists of. The canals, lagoons and wetlands, beaches and the freshwater river which eventually flows into the ocean all provide a unique setting to view Costa Rica’s famous wildlife. Costa Rica’s biodiversity is excellently reflected in this park making it an absolute must for nature lovers.

Carara National Park

Carara National Park is located in close proximity to San José and is particularly popular among birdwatchers. The fact that the park is situated between two habitats, presents an opportunity to spot birds from both habitats. Besides the high variety of birds, especially the rare and endangered Scarlet Macaw, the park is slightly drier than most other parks, making it easier to spot birds. The name of the park derives from the indigenous Huetar language and means crocodiles, which can be spotted plenty and almost year round on the Río Tarcoles.

Turrialba National Park

The Turrialba volcano is one of the various active volcanoes of Costa Rica. It is covered in dense vegetation and looks out over an enormous area of mostly montane rainforest. The various lava flows still remind of the once flowing rivers of hot magma. The hiking trails provide plenty of opportunities to watch the typical Costa Rican smaller wildlife. When reaching the summit, spectacular 360-degree views await you.

Marino las Baulas National Park

This national park is located on the Pacific coast and named after the leatherback sea turtles that nest here every year. They are the largest marine reptiles and also the most endangered. The park consists of roughly 445 hectares of mangrove swamps and coastlines and is made up of four beaches. Besides the impressive leatherbacks, crocodiles, capuchin monkeys, raccoons are among the typical animals that can be spotted at this national park.