16 Best National Parks in Costa Rica (& Free Checklist!)
Looking for info on the best national parks in Costa Rica? You’re in the right place! After living in Costa Rica for over 6 years, I’ve had plenty of time to explore the national parks, nature reserves, and wildlife refuges. And I know which ones are worth prioritizing (because, truthfully, they’re ALL worth visiting!)
So if you’re wondering about questions like, what is the best national park in Costa Rica?, are national parks in Costa Rica free?, or do you need a guide for the national parks in Costa Rica?, keep reading! I share all of that info and more below.
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Costa Rica National Park FAQs
How many national parks does Costa Rica have?
There are 28 national parks in Costa Rica. In addition, the country also has numerous conservation areas, nature reserves, and wildlife refuges. All combined, a whopping over 25% of Costa Rica is protected!
As a leader in land conservation, it is essential to protect Costa Rica’s wealth of wild spaces because it’s one of the most biologically intense places on Earth!
The country’s protected areas include a wide assortment of ecosystems, habitats, and landscapes. Costa Rica’s national parks protect everything from cloud forests to beautiful beaches as well as marine habitat for species like leatherback turtles.
What is the most famous park in Costa Rica?
The most famous park in Costa Rica is Manuel Antonio National Park. It’s also the most visited! However, there are many popular parks across the country! The most popular national parks in Costa Rica include Manuel Antonio, Arenal, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Marino Ballena, and Poás Volcano National Park.
Are national parks in Costa Rica free?
No, national parks in Costa Rica are not free. Entrance fees to the various parks range in price from $10 to $15 for adults, which includes access for the full day.
Many of the parks also require you to book your entrance in advance online. Some of the parks that require this are Manuel Antonio and Corcovado National Park. It’s best to check before you go.
But on Costa Rica National Park Day, August 24th, national parks are free! In celebration of the day, all tourists and locals get free admission.
Can you swim in the national parks in Costa Rica?
Yes, there are many national parks that allow swimming!
Costa Rica is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world! So, it’s no surprise that many visitors that travel to Costa Rica’s parks want to enjoy their incredible waters.
A couple of the top national parks to swim at are Cahuita National Park and Manuel Antonio.
While there are many that you can swim in, there are also a few national parks in Costa Rica that do not allow swimming. Two parks in which swimming is not allowed are Tortuguero and Tenorio Volcano National Park.
What parks have the most animals?
For many, the big draw to visiting national parks in Costa Rica is wildlife. It’s one of the most biodiverse countries in the world!
If you’re looking to see some of the most popular animals in Costa Rica, like sloths, monkeys, wild cats, and birds, you’ll find most in every national park. However, a couple of the best places to see wildlife in Costa Rica are Manuel Antonio, Corcovado National Park, Monteverde, Cahuita, and Tortuguero.
Do you need a guide to visit national parks in Costa Rica?
No, for most national parks you do not need a guide to visit. Some parks, though, do require a guide to enter, like Corcovado National Park.
If you want to have the best experience and see wildlife, hiring a guide is highly recommended! Guides are experts in where to look and what to look for in different environments. So, with a guide you’ll be much more successful in spotting wildlife. Plus, you’ll learn more about the park!
The Best National Parks in Costa Rica
It’s a bit hard to down the best national parks in Costa Rica because they’re all so beautiful and so different. But if you’re visiting Costa Rica on vacation, your time might be a bit limited – so below you’ll find our top picks for which parks you MUST visit, as well as opening hours and prices. I hope you can add at least one to your Costa Rica bucket list!
Note all prices and hours are accurate as of May 2024. Things do change so always be sure to double-check when planning your trip!
Manuel Antonio National Park
Location – Manuel Antonio, Quepos, Central Pacific
Hours – Open every day 7:00am to 4:00pm – Closed on Tuesdays
Entry Fee – $18 USD
Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most popular parks in Costa Rica. It’s the smallest park in Costa Rica but there’s plenty of reasons that make it the most popular. It’s easy to access from San Jose, it’s home to some of the best beaches in Costa Rica, and incredible wildlife. It features a few accessible paths for wheelchair users and all of the walking paths are well-maintained and relatively flat, making it perfect for kids.
White faced monkeys will likely greet you at the entrance of the park and within the park borders! You’ll also find sloths, basilisk lizards, and over 350 bird species. I do recommend hiring a guide, either in advance or at the entrance to the park, as they’ll be able to spot things that you’ll likely miss otherwise.
Tortuguero National Park
Location – Limón Province, Caribbean Coast
Hours – Open every day 6:00am to 4:00pm
Entry Fee – $15 USD
Tortuguero National Park is known as being the best place to see nesting sea turtles in Costa Rica! The park’s beaches see 20,000 green sea turtles nesting every year. Tortuguero is home to the largest colony of turtles on Earth! The best time to see them is between July and October.
The park is also one of the most remote national parks in Costa Rica. The area can only be accessed by plane or boat. Thanks to its remoteness it is truly wild and home to a wealth of wildlife. Beyond sea turtles, Tortuguero is also home to spider monkeys, river otters, manatees, and over 440 species of birds. One of the best ways to explore the park is by canoe or kayak through its wetlands. A guided boat tour is a great way to explore and offers better chances of spotting animals.
Corcovado National Park
Location – Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas Province
Hours – Open every day 7:00am to 4:00pm
Entry Fee – $18 USD
Corcovado National Park is the largest of Costa Rica’s national parks! It covers nearly half of the Osa Peninsula. The park is also noted by National Geographic as “the most biologically intense place on Earth,” as it’s home to roughly 5% of the World’s biodiversity! This wild place is also one of the national parks that you require a registered guide to visit.
As one of the most biodiverse places, Corcovado is the best national park to see wildlife in the country! The park is home to all four monkey species as well as big cats and tapirs. Plus, because you need a guide to enter, the park is one of the easiest places to spot animals from birds to snakes. Along with wildlife viewing, the park offers great hiking opportunities and is full of varying ecosystems, from cloud forest to mangrove wetland.
Arenal Volcano National Park
Location – La Fortuna, Alajuela Province, El Castillo
Hours – Open every day 8:00am to 4:00pm
Entry Fee – $15 USD
Arenal Volcano National Park is one of the most popular parks in Costa Rica! The park and area are best known for the numerous adventures, from visiting the La Fortuna Waterfall to soaking in hot springs. However, the biggest highlight in the park is the towering Arenal Volcano, which you can hike to! Along with the epic volcano views, the park has more incredible hiking trails, some of which let you walk over old lava fields.
Birders take note, Arenal is considered one of the best parks for birdwatching! Many of the country’s birds can be found in the park. Some sightings include the resplendent quetzal, three-wattled bellbird, and keel-billed toucan. However, Arenal is home to many favorite Costa Rican mammals like sloths, spider monkeys, and howler monkeys as well.
Cahuita National Park
Location – Cahuita, Limon Province, Caribbean Coast
Hours – Open every day 8:00am to 4:00pm
Entry Fee – Depends on where you enter – One is by donation & the other is $5 USD
Cahuita National Park is a unique park as it’s located within the Caribbean La Amistad Conservation Area and covers both land and water. It’s the marine national park portion that the park is most famous for! Visitors visit for the incredible snorkeling and diving opportunities here. In the park’s waters you’ll find a large coral reef as well as a shipwreck! The coral reef is home to a vast number of corals and tropical fish species. Plus, you’ll likely see sea turtles too!
If you’re looking for one of the best beaches in Costa Rica, you’ll find it in Cahuita! Playa Blanca is a beautiful white sand beach that has blue-flag status! The park is also home to plenty of wildlife, many of which can be spotted along its trails. Cahuita National Park is home to over 400 bird species like toucans and night herons. You could also spot howler and white-face monkeys, sloths, and various snakes like the eyelash palm pit viper.
Palo Verde National Park
Location – Bagaces, Guanacaste Province
Hours – Open every day 8:00am to 4:00pm
Entry Fee – $12 USD
Palo Verde National Park is one of the unique Costa Rica national parks. Unlike other parks in the country, Palo Verde is mostly a large wetland area. The park is located an hour south of Liberia along the Tempisque River in part of Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area. The best time to visit is during the green season when you can explore by boat. There’s also an awesome 20-meter boardwalk at Laguna Palo Verde!
With a sprawling wetland, Palo Verde National Park is one of the best parks in Costa Rica for birders! Because of the density and wide variety of birds found in the park, birders can tick off a lot of species. A few bird species you can see in the park include scarlet macaws, roseate spoonbills, rare jabiru storks, and white ibis. However, there are many other animals that call the park home like howlers and capuchin monkeys.
Marino Ballena National Park
Location – Uvita, Puntarenas Province
Hours – Open every day 7:00am to 4:00pm
Entry Fee – $6 USD
Marino Ballena National Park is one of the best places to go whale watching in Costa Rica! Ballena is actually the Spanish word for whale and you can guarantee you’ll have a whale of a good time here! Originally established to protect the coral reefs around Ballena Island, the park is now both a marine and coastal national park. A key feature in the park is it’s famous Whale Tail sandbar. If you visit at low tide, you can walk right on out on it!
Along with exploring the stunning coastline and whale shaped sandbar, a top activity in Marino Ballena National Park is go whale watching! There are lots of whale watching tours that will bring you out to see humpback whales. The best time to see them is between July and October. However, you can also see bottlenose dolphins at any time of year!
Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve
Location – Santa Elena, Puntarenas and Alajuela Provinces
Hours – Open every day 7:00am to 4:00pm
Entry Fee – $26 USD
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve is one of the best protected places in Costa Rica. However, while it’s one of the country’s most popular parks it’s considered a private biological reserve. Located in northern Costa Rica in the Tilarán mountain range, Monteverde sits at an elevation of 1500 meters above sea level! Only a small portion of the park is open to the public to help preserve its flora and fauna. There are a few different hiking trails but the most popular is the Sendero Camino. This trail brings you over the park’s iconic hanging bridge, which is a great place for spotting wildlife!
Best known for its rich biodiversity, 10% of flora in the Monteverde Cloud Forest is endemic, meaning it’s only found here. It’s the perfect place to experience Costa Rica’s flora and fauna! The preserve is home to 500 orchid species, over 650 species of butterflies, and over 500 bird species. Visitors can see things like Baird’s tapir, resplendent quetzals, monkeys, and two-toed sloths. The best way to explore the park, and spot wildlife, is on a guided tour. Tours run both during the day and at night! A night tour is a fantastic opportunity to see most of the park’s mammals that are nocturnal!
Poas Volcano National Park
Location – Valverde Vega, Alajuela Province
Hours – Open daily 8:00am to 4:00pm
Entry Fee – $15 USD
Poas Volcano National Park became the very first national park in Costa Rica in 1970! It’s home to one of Central Costa Rica’s top attractions, the Poas Volcano! This towering active volcano stretches over a mile wide and about 900 feet deep, making it one of the largest craters in the world! Plus, at only about a 1.5-hour drive, it makes for a great day trip from San Jose.
The park is home to a few hiking trails where you’ll get glimpses of some of the park’s incredible features. You’ll see lava flows, smoke rising up from the volcano vents, and geysers too! The top trail is the Laguna Botos Trail, which has recently reopened! It leads to a stunning crystal blue lagoon that sits within a dormant crater. Poas Volcano National Park now requires that visitors book timed tickets in advance. Another thing to keep in mind is that you only get approximately 20 minutes at the Poas Volcano observation deck.
Rincon de la Vieja National Park
Location – Liberia, Alajuela and Guanacaste Provinces
Hours – Open daily 8:00am to 3:30pm & Closed Mondays
Entry Fee – $15 USD
Rincon de la Vieja National Park has plenty to offer visitors! The park is best known for having the most active and tallest volcano in Costa Rica. It’s filled with waterfalls and hot springs too! Plus, there are lots of adventure tours in the park that include horseback riding, tubing, and ziplining. Or you can opt for a scenic cruise down the Rio Negro!
Hiking is a wonderful way to explore the park and its interesting features. Along the trails you’ll see geysers, mud pools, and various landscapes. However, many of the trails in the park are considered moderate or difficult. The Catarata La Cangreja trail is one of the best trails and leads you to the La Cangreja waterfall and a stunning blue lagoon. Wildlife enthusiasts should be on the lookout for monkeys and birds like aracari toucans and great curassow.
Tenorio Volcano National Park
June 2023 Update: As of August 1, visitors to Tenorio Volcano National Park will no longer be able to purchase tickets at the park entrance. They have implemented a new system allowing travellers to buy their tickets online.
Location – Guatuso, Guanacaste Province
Hours – Open daily 8:00am to 2:00pm
Entry Fee – $12 USD
Tenorio Volcano National Park is oddly enough best known for the Rio Celeste Waterfall, not its volcano. Located on the border of the Guanacaste and Alajuela provinces, this park is filled with lush tropical forests. These forests are home to gorgeous plants like bromeliads and orchids. Plus, there’s plenty of wildlife too, like pumas, tapirs, howler monkeys, and numerous birds.
The biggest attraction is Rio Celeste, a stunning crystal blue waterfall and pool. However, if you’re up for a challenging hike, be sure to visit Tenorio Volcano for incredible views!
Santa Rosa National Park
Location – Guanacaste Province
Hours – Open daily 8:00am to 3:30pm
Entry Fee – $15 USD
Santa Rosa National Park is a significant park in Costa Rica. It was here that the Battle of Santa Rosa took place. Visitors can learn all about the importance of this place for the Costa Rican people at the Historical Museum La Casona. It’s the only historical museum found in a protected area in the country. While the park is a significant historic site, it’s best known for being one of the best places to surf in Costa Rica! Playa Naranjo and the Witch’s Rock is a surfer’s paradise! However, it’s best saved for advanced surfers.
The park is noted as one of the driest national parks in Costa Rica. Home to tropical dry forest, it’s ideal for a variety of flora and fauna. It also features two turtle nesting beaches that see scores of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles.
Carara National Park
Location – Tarcoles, Puntarenas Province
Hours – Open daily 8:00am to 4:00pm May to November & 7:00am to 4:00pm December to April
Entry Fee – $10 USD
Carara National Park is a lush and beautiful park that’s only a 30-minute drive from Jaco. The name, carara, is derived from the indigenous language meaning ‘river of lizards.’ So, it’s no surprise that the park is filled with plenty of wildlife, including crocodiles.
Known worldwide as a birding hotspot, Carara National Park is home to nearly half of Costa Rica’s bird species. It’s best known for its scarlet macaw population! While the park is home to numerous hiking trails, one of the best for spotting birds is the Laguna Meándrica Trail. Other species found in the park include howler monkeys, sloths, and Fer-de-lance.
Piedras Blanca National Park
Location – Puntarenas Province
Hours – Open daily 8:00am to 4:00pm
Entry Fee – $10 USD
Piedras Blanca National Park is not one of the most popular national parks in Costa Rica. But it is certainly a hidden gem! Located on the Pacific Coast near the town of La Gamba, the park is part of the Osa Conservation Area. It’s also part of an important wildlife corridor.
Within Piedras Blanca is a myriad of ecosystems that include lowland forests, mangroves, rivers, and streams. So, it’s no surprise that it’s home to a wealth of wildlife. Piedras Blanca National Park is home to jaguars, ocelots, four species of monkeys, and so much more! A few popular activities in the park are hiking, kayaking, and snorkeling.
Barra Honda National Park
Location – Santa Ana, Guanacaste Province
Hours – Open daily 8:00am to 4:00pm
Entry Fee – $12 USD
Barra Honda National Park is best known for limestone caves. It’s the only park in the country with such a complex network of underground caves. There are over 40 caves! Visitors can only explore the caves with a guide and must be outfitted with climbing gear. A healthy sense of adventure helps!
The limestone caves are the main attraction but Barra Honda also has many trails. Leading you through one of the rarest habitats on earth, tropical dry forests, be sure to check out a few while you’re there. One of the trails even leads you to an epic view of the Tempisque valley! Visitors can pick up maps at the ranger station.
Cocos Island National Park
Location – Cocos Island, off the coast of Costa Rica in the Pacific Ocean
Hours – Open daily 8:00am to 5:00pm
Entry Fee – $25 USD + $10 Diving Fee
Cocos Island National Park is the most remote and unique of Costa Rica’s national parks! The park is located 530 km southwest of the country’s mainland and a journey of 36 hours by sea. Dubbed Costa Rica’s Galapagos Islands, it is an astounding place to visit. Coco Island is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The status comes from various factors that include its rich biodiversity and it being the only island with a tropical rainforest in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean.
Along with countless flora and fauna on land and waterfalls, Coco Island National Park is best known as one of the best places for diving. Its waters are filled with hammerhead sharks, stingrays, white tip sharks, and more incredible marine life!
List of All National Parks in Costa Rica
Above we’ve detailed what we think are the best national parks in Costa Rica but it’s not close to being all of them! Below is a complete list of all the national parks. Be sure to grab your free checklist below!
- Arenal Volcano National Park
- Barbilla National Park
- Barra Honda National Park
- Ballena Marine National Park
- Braulio Carrillo National Park
- Cahuita National Park
- Carara National Park
- Chirripó National Park
- Cocos Island National Park
- Corcovado National Park
- Diriá National Park
- Guanacaste National Park
- Irazú Volcano National Park
- Juan Castro Blanco National Park
- La Amistad International Park
- La Cangreja National Park
- Las Baulas National Marine Park
- Los Quetzales National Park
- Manuel Antonio National Park
- Miravalles Jorge Manuel Dengo National Park
- Palo Verde National Park
- Piedras Blancas National Park
- Poás Volcano National Park
- Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park
- Santa Rosa National Park
- San Lucas Island National Park
- Tapantí National Park
- Tenorio Volcano National Park
- Tortuguero National Park
- Turrialba Volcano National Park
