Costa Rica is a dream destination for nature enthusiasts, and exploring its national parks is the ultimate way to experience the country’s incredible biodiversity. From lush rainforests and stunning volcanoes to pristine beaches and vibrant wildlife, the best national parks in Costa Rica showcase the essence of “Pura Vida.” In this blog post, I’ll take you through eight of the most beautiful national parks and nature reserves, offering insider tips to help you plan an unforgettable adventure into these ecological treasures.
On my 3-week Costa Rica trip, I visited a couple of these national parks and nature reserves myself. For some others on the list, I’ve asked my travel blogger friends for their tips and recommendations.
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Map of the 8 Best National Parks in Costa Rica
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A List of the Best National Parks in Costa Rica
Whether you’re a hiker, birdwatcher, or beach lover, these 8 best national parks in Costa Rica promise breathtaking landscapes and once-in-a-lifetime experiences!
Manuel Antonio National Park
Recommended by Veronika from Travel Geekery.
Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most beautiful places in Costa Rica and the country’s most visited national park. Located on the Pacific coast near the city of Quepos, this national park offers a perfect blend of experiences. You can enjoy hiking through the lush jungle to your heart’s content, spot incredible Costa Rican wildlife, and spend time on beautiful beaches. Many locals come here to relax at the main beach, Playa Manuel Antonio, especially on weekends.
You can reach the park by driving independently from Quepos or taking a tour. While tours are available from cities like Jaco and San José, these options involve a longer ride. Before you go, there are a few important things to know. You’re not allowed to bring any food inside the park – the local capuchin monkeys are notoriously ruthless! Only drinks are permitted, and reusable bottles are recommended. If you get hungry during your visit, there’s a cafeteria with plenty of food options.
To maximize your experience, I recommend that you visit as early as possible. The number of visitors is limited and entry is based on a first-come, first-served basis. Visiting during the workweek can help you avoid larger crowds.
Wildlife enthusiasts might be thrilled to know you could spot a sloth or two during your visit. To increase your chances of seeing these elusive creatures, consider hiring a local guide who can easily locate them.
Tenorio National Park
Recommended by Tom from Tom Henty’s Travel.
Tenorio National Park is one of the best national parks in Costa Rica as it has some of the most iconic nature spots in the country. Rio Celeste Waterfall is the main attraction at Tenorio National Park. However, it is only one of many. As you complete the picturesque hike around the park, you will encounter rare wildlife, walking trees, and a multicolored river.
The bluely colored Rio Celeste Waterfall is picture perfect and draws tourists in from all over the world. The bright-colored water is due to a unique natural phenomenon, which involves sulfur compounds and mineral reactions, as a result of the geothermal landscape of the Tenorio Volcano.
Heading to Tenorio National Park as part of one of the popular tours from La Fortuna is the best way to experience it. The park is located around 70km away from the small jungle town, with many day tours including a hike, hot springs, and a trip to see the oldest tree in Costa Rica.
You can visit the park on your own, but the benefits of a guided tour are clear, as the park has such a rare geographical background.
The best time to visit the national park is during the dry season between November and April, as the humidity is lower, and the weather is more predictable with sunny days and warm temperatures. It is a moderately difficult hike, but the day trips are special, and feel more like a hands-on geography lesson, with the odd sloth or two making an appearance.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve
Recommended by Liza from Atlas Rambler Travel Guides.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is located in Puntarenas near the town of Santa Elena. It is a highly biodiverse area and a must-see on any Costa Rican travel itinerary. The reserve contains over 2500 living species, including more species of orchid than any other single area on Earth.
Being a cloud forest, the area is almost constantly coated in a blanket of fog or cloud that creates a unique ecosystem below it. It is possible to spot sloths, anteaters, jaguars, and many different monkeys including the howler monkey, which you can often hear as you wander the paths within the reserve.
If you are staying in one of the nearby towns, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve can easily be accessed by shuttle. These can be organized through most hotels or travel agencies in town.
It is best to visit in the dry season between December and April, although being a cloud forest, there is likely to be some rain year-round. No matter what time of the year you visit, bringing a rain jacket and wearing waterproof shoes is always a good idea.
For your best shot at spotting some wildlife, I recommend going with a guide. The guides are incredible at spotting wildlife that you would ordinarily miss. You can book your guided walking tour in advance.
Arenal Volcano National Park
Recommended by Stephanie from Just Book the Flight.
Arenal Volcano National Park is near La Fortuna, about three hours from San Jose International Airport. The Volcano began erupting in 1968 and became dormant in 2010. You can hike along the Arenal 1968 trail among the lava fields. The hike is moderate because it is steep and uneven in places. There are lots of rocks (lava) to hike over. However, the trail is a fun outing to see where some of the lava flowed up close. You can do this trail without a guide.
There are also hiking tours you can take in Arenal Park. Hiking is moderate because you will have some steep inclines, but the terrain is mostly flat. A hiking tour with a guide is the best way to see wildlife. The guides know where to look, and they know a lot about the wildlife. We saw pit vipers, tarantulas, and an assortment of birds. We also heard howler monkeys.
You can also zipline through the treetops of the forest around Arenal. Experiencing the national park from the air is thrilling and not to be missed!
The best time to visit Arenal Volcano National Park is December through April. We toured the La Fortuna region during October. It was the rainy season, and it rained every evening, but we were not rained out of any activity.
Corcovado National Park
Recommended by Melanie from Postcards & Places.
A visit to Corcovado National Park, located on the Osa Peninsula in southwestern Costa Rica, is a highlight of any trip to the country. It’s the largest national park in Costa Rica, and its landscape is stunning: dense rainforests, pristine beaches, and rugged mountains.
But the biggest reason to visit Corcovado is to see the wild animals. We saw many wildlife on our overnight tour, including scarlet macaws, endangered tapirs, and howler monkeys. Exploring the trails with our expert guide helped us spot rare creatures and learn about the park’s ecosystems and history.
Part of Corcovado’s appeal is its remoteness, limiting the number of tourists who make the long trek. It’s more difficult to get to than other parks, yet it’s possible to visit without renting a car. The journey will include a boat trip from Drake or from Uvita. Be prepared to have a “wet landing” upon arrival.
Booking a guided tour is required for overnight stays, which I highly recommend. Sirena Station, a ranger station, offers the only overnight accommodation. Listening to the animals from the open-air dormitory at night was one of my favorite parts of the experience.
The best time to visit Corcovado is during the dry season, from December to April. (In the rainy season, September and October, the park may be closed.) Don’t forget to bring plenty of water, sturdy shoes, and insect repellent—this jungle is as wild as it gets!
Rincón de la Vieja National Park
Recommended by Jen from Adventurous Family with Kids.
Rincón de la Vieja National Park in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, is one of the coolest places our family has ever explored! This massive park is home to the “Colossus of Guanacaste,” the largest and most active volcano in the region. It’s part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and stretches across more than 24,800 acres of wild landscapes, including steaming volcanic features, tropical forests, and stunning waterfalls.
The best part? Hiking the Las Pailas loop trail! This 2.5-mile (3.5 km) hike is super family-friendly and full of surprises. We saw bubbling mud pots, mini-geysers, and steam rising from the earth. There were even howler monkeys hanging out in the trees. The trail is just challenging enough to keep everyone engaged but easy enough for kids to tackle without complaints. Plus, there are lots of interesting lookout points that are other-worldly for any volcano newbies.
If you’re planning a visit, we highly recommend staying at Hacienda Guachipelín, right by the Las Pailas entrance to the park. It’s perfect for families, with cozy rooms, great food, and plenty of activities. You also can’t skip the nearby Rio Negro Hot Springs. While technically outside the park, these natural thermal pools and mud baths are a great way to get up close and personal with the volcano.
The park is about 15.5 miles (25 km) from Liberia, and you can get there by car on your own, or book a tour. The entrance fee is $15 for adults and $5 for children. Visit during the dry season (December to April) for the best experience.
Tortuguero National Park
Recommended by Tom from Trekking the Dream.
Situated on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, Tortuguero National Park is home to some of the most pristine natural beauty on the planet. As a family, we love nothing more than exploring a rainforest, but there is something that makes this one particularly special. We visited Tortuguero in mid-June, near the start of the Green Sea Turtle nesting season. Access to the beaches is strictly controlled, and we recommend booking a government-approved guide before you arrive to ensure you have the best chance of seeing them.
Our guide led us onto the beach as part of a small group to an area where a large female had begun to prepare a nest. For the next 90 minutes, we watched as she dug a hole, laid her eggs, and covered them in sand before making her way back out to sea. Stepping back into the jungle, we found sloths, howler monkeys, and thousands of species of colorful birds, insects, and reptiles.
Access to the National Park can be gained by either light aircraft from San Jose, or by boat from La Pavona or Moin. While much faster, the plane costs considerably more and we opted to go by water. This not only saved us money but allowed us to immerse ourselves in the spectacular scenery and spot caiman basking in the sun on the banks.
The best time to visit Tortuguero National Park depends on what you are looking for. The Green Sea Turtle nesting season runs from June through to October, while the dry season lasts from December to April.
Marino Ballena National Park
Marino Ballena National Park is one of the best places to see when visiting Uvita. The park offers the chance to explore Whale’s Tail Beach, known for its distinctive whale-tail shape visible from above. This iconic beach is part of Marino Ballena National Park, named after the Spanish word for “whale.” If you’re visiting Uvita sometime between mid-July to mid-November, chances are high that you’ll be able to see humpback whales on the coast.
Entry to the Marino Ballena National Park costs $6, granting multiple access throughout the same day. Guided walking tours are available to help you spot wildlife and learn about conservation efforts.
To reach the beach, you’ll pass through a short jungle trail where local wildlife can often be seen. During our visit, we spotted two playful raccoons along the way. The beach itself features rows of palm trees merging beautifully with golden sand. Low tide is the ideal time to visit, as the full whale-tail shape becomes visible. Drone enthusiasts will love capturing breathtaking aerial shots of this natural formation.
Don’t forget to save this list of the best national parks in Costa Rica for your next trip!
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This post is so amazing. Costa Rica has been on my wishlist since I was 15. The rawness in the nature there has always fascinated me.
Fell in love with CR from first site, this could be a great trip, just hitting every park in a slow travel mode 🙂
This is really useful and well put together. We hope to get back to Costa Rica in the next year…will save this to use as a guide. Thanks.
I visited Santa Teresa beach on the Pacific Coast and absolutely fell in love with the rugged landscape and oceanfront. Costa Rica is a stunning company.
We had only one quick day in Costa Rica but knew we wanted to return one day. It was great to read about all the wonderful National Parks for us to visit on a longer stay. I am loving the biodiversity you can find in Costa Rica. And would not pass on the volcano sites. Keeping this post for future planning.
We love visiting Costa Rica’s national parks. Next on our list is Corcovado–we meant to visit the Osa peninsula before but had to cancel our trip. Hoping to squeeze this in during 2025.
Corcovado was my favorite national park on my trip – definitely worth visiting! Enjoy your trip 🙂
This is amazing! I actually have a friend heading to Costa Rica next year and she will absolutely love this, so I will definitely be sending it to her. It looks like such a beautiful, lush destination.
Oh thank you, that’s so kind!