Sandwiched between Nicaragua and Panama, with the Pacific to the left and the Caribbean to its right, Costa Rica feels like the filling of all sandwich fillings. Jam packed with a wilderness and wildlife so rich that a quarter of the country has been decreed protected areas, this is the land where nature prospers. From Tortuguero’s maze of winding canals and burgeoning sea turtle population (that have since earnt the national park the moniker ‘Little Amazon’) to Isla del Coco’s tropical forest and waters, which are home to the world’s largest schools of hammerhead sharks, Costa Rica isn’t somewhere you’ll have to frantically rub your magic lamp for to spot its wildlife. And with 28 national parks up for grabs too, the only question remains: where to start? Read on for a round up of our favourite national parks in Costa Rica.
- Chirripó National Park
- Tortuguero National Park
- Juan Castro Blanco National Park
- Isla del Coco National Park
- Manuel Antonio National Park
Chirripó National Park
Costa Rica may only be a meagre 19,730 mi², but that hasn’t stopped it from hosting every landscape imaginable. And in Chirripó, in the centre of the country, it’s all about mountains. Difficult to access but easy to spot, it is in this national park in Costa Rica that you’ll find the country’s highest peak, Cerro Chirripó. You won’t find many iPhone-wielding tourists here either. Chirripó is not for the faint hearted. But if you’re up for the challenge, you certainly won’t be disappointed. Passing through cloud forests, páramos (ecosystems above the forest line) and glinting lakes as you go, Chirripó is a continual smorgasbord of natural delights. The highlight? Watching the country wake up atop the 12,500ft peak at sunrise.
Tortuguero National Park
You can’t write about national parks in Costa Rica and not include Tortuguero. Sitting on a floodplain in the Caribbean, it is unarguably the country’s most intense area of biodiversity. It is home to over 400 bird species, 60 types of frog and 30 species of freshwater fish and, most notably, is the breeding ground for four of the seven world’s turtle species. Think of Tortuguero as the world’s wildlife headquarters, where caimans and crocodiles can be found napping on mangrove-lined riverbanks on their lunch break and spider monkeys can be heard causing commotion on their commute through the jungle. You won’t be on your own though. More than 150,000 visitors board boats along the canals to see its wildlife and turtle hatchings, so head in late May/early June for glimpses without the crowds.
Juan Castro Blanco National Park
We all love a wild card and Juan Castro Blanco National Park is just that. The confluence of five of Costa Rica’s major rivers, it is home to a number of unusual species as well as myriad hiking trails that skirt round orchid-fringed lagoons. Dreamy, right? Despite its good looks though, this national park is one of Costa Rica’s least visited. While it’s probably due to its few facilities and rocky roads (4-wheel drives are a definite requirement here), if you’re wanting an off-grid just you and the world experience, Juan Castro Blanco National Park is the perfect escape.
Isla del Coco National Park
National parks in Costa Rica may concoct images of leafy jungles stringed together by low hanging branches and soundscapes of capuchins and macaws but it is its beaches and coastline that often end up stealing the show. Set just off Costa Rica’s pacific coastline, Isla del Coco National Park is unmatched when it comes to marine life. From vivid corals and evergreen forests to schools of hammerheads, whale sharks and yellowfin tuna, this is where diving isn’t just recommended, it’s compulsory. Venture out on liveaboard trips to discover the natural laboratory and come back to a cacophony of endemic bird species such as the Cocos cuckoo, flycatcher and finch. And if you happen to find a spade lying around, use it to dig deep. Isla del Coco isn’t known as ‘Treasure Island’ for nothing.
Manuel Antonio National Park
If one beach isn’t enough, Manuel Antonio National Park will be sure to satisfy your cravings. The perfect powdery pin-up, this small outcrop is where tropical jungle dreams come true. Fringed by turquoise waves and filled with tropical rainforest, you’ll find yourselves spoilt for choice with what to do. Coo at baby monkeys and ogle slow coach sloths at Greentique Wildlife Refuge, be bewildered by geography at the Sendero Punta Catedral and hike to hidden beaches shouldered by rocky headlands. Again, preparing yourself for the crowds is key here. As one of the most popular national parks in Costa Rica, overtourism has quickly become Manuel’s middle name; especially in the once-sleepy fishing town Quepos. But don’t fear, its blockbuster beaches more than make up for it.