TripAdvisor

Arenal Volcano National Park
Extension: 2920 hectares. 
Location: Guanacaste Province, north of the Tilarán Mountain range, in the canton of Tilarán, San Carlos and San Ramón. 
Description: Cloud forest, forest tropical premontano..

Barra Honda National Park
Extension: 2,295 hectares.  
location: Guanacaste Province, 22 kilometers north of Nicoya. 
Description: Important formation of stalactites and stalagmites of calcareous stone, this area was submerged about 60 million years ago, it possesses a very well-known system of caverns, besides certain areas have not been explored. It requires the supervision of an experienced guide.

Braulio Carrillo National Park
Extension: 45,899 hectáreas.
location: northwest of the central valley. Among the Poás and Irazú volcanoes. It extends from the Alto de la Palma until The La Selva Biologica in Sarapiquí.
Description: 4500 mm. of rain per year makes numerous rivers and waterfalls and about 6500 species of plants and animals are found in here. Its size and vicinity to San José makes this place an ideal destination. 

Cabo Blanco National Reserve
Extension: 1,172 hectares of land and 1790 marine hectares.
location: Puntarenas Province, south of the Nicoya Peninsula.
Description: Refuge of fauna and flora of the Pacific dry region.119 species of trees. This is officially the oldest Biological station in Costa Rica.

Cangreja National Park
Extension: 1973 hectares. 
location: Puriscal, San José, northwest of San José.
Descripcion: Although than the area of the park is relatively small for being a refuge of migratory birds it has more bird species than the Corcovado National Park. It is also remarkable that it contains more varied of flora than Corcovado.   

Cahuita National Park
Extension: 1,068 hectáreas de tierra, 22,400 hectáreas marinas.
location: Limon Province, on the Caribbean Coast, 42 kilometers south of Limon.
Description: : The turquoise waters and the big extensions of coral reefs make this place one of the most popular destinations for those fanatics of the diving. The inability of controlling the marine access has damaged considerably the reef. The experts are concerned because the not well trained divers may end up destroying the place.

Isla del Caño Biological Reserve.
Extension: 200 hectares of land, 2700 marine hectares.
location: In the Pacific Ocean, 15 kilometers from the coast of Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula.
Description: Primary rainforest, also an important pre-Columbian archaeological place. Coral Reefs, dolphins and whales.

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge
Extension: 9,969 hectares. 
location: North of Alajuela Province, Guatuso lowlands, 20 kilometers south of Los Chiles. 
Description: The swamps of the lowlands and the fresh water that drains from Rio Frio protect thousands of migratory birds and also jaguars, tapirs and many species of monkeys.

Carara Biological Reserve
Extension: 4,700 hectares.
location:Puntarenas Province, southeast of Orotina..
Description: Transition area between the humid forest and I dry forest. The human illegal usurpation, the bad control of the admission of tourists and the fires are harming this small forest surrounded by natural beauty.

Chirripo National Park
Extension: 50,150 hectares. 
location: It is part of Biosfera La Amistad Reserve, in the area of the Talamanca Mountain, 20 kilometers northeast of San Isidro del General.
Description: It is the highest mountain in the country of 3,820 meters above sea level. An extremely difficult land and some visitors make of this a paradise a perfect place for the climbing sport.

Isla del Coco National Park
Extension: 2400 hectares of land and 97,235 marine hectares.
location: Ocean Pacifico, 532 kilometers from the coast of Cabo Blanco. 
Descripction: The only way to get to Isla del Coco is by ship, this inhabited island is surrounded by an extraordinary transparent turquoise sea and it is also known as the “Island of the Treasure” of Costa Rica. Many companies offer all tours type daily.

Corcovado National Park 
Extension: 54,538 hectares of land, 2400 marine hectares. 
location: Puntarenas Province in Osa Peninsula. 
Description: Tropical rainforest of the Pacific with 5000 mm. of rain annually. This unaffected primary Forest has an unique tropical ecosystem and it is one of the most protected in the world because of the number of mammals that live there in danger of extinction. The difficulty of the access has maintained a low level of visitors.

Gandoca Mazanillo Wildlife Refuge
Extension: 5,013 hectares of land, 4,436 marine hectares. 
location: South frontier between Costa Rica and Panama on the Caribbean coast.
Description: Forest, grasslands and swamps, but it is known by most of divers by the 5 Km of coral reef that it possesses.

Guanacaste National Park 
Extension: 32,512 hectares. 
location: Guanacaste Province, 36 kilometers north of Liberia. 
Description: Tropical dry forest and tropical cloud forest. Its origin is the Tempisque River, the main source of fresh water for the province of Guanacaste. It protects the felines, 300 species of birds and 5000 species of butterflies.  

Guayabo National Monument
Extension: 218 hectares. 
location: Cartago province, 19 kilometers northeast of Turrialba. 
Description: Considered as the most important archaeological place of the country, with structures of 100 years before Christ. Some consider Guayabo as a spiritual center of supreme importance for the new era. 

Hitoy Cerere Biological Reserve
Extension: 9,154 hectares. 
location: Part of Biosfera La Amistad Reserve, southeast of Valle de la Estrella, 45 kilometers from Limon. 
Description: Abrupt land with 3500 mm of rain a year, it is a tropical mountain with dense forests. It has the most dangerous rivers and waterfalls. It protects the Bribri indigenous reserve.

Irazu Volcano National Park
Extension: 2,309 hectares
location: Central Volcanic Mountain Range, 31 kilometers northeast of Cartago.
Description: Active volcano with beautiful views of the two costs and the Braulio Carrillo National Park from its highest point.

Guayabo Island, Negritos Islands and Pajaros Island Biological Reserve
Islas Negritos/Isla de los Pájaros
location: Gulf of Nicoya
Description: Chain of Islands designated to protect the habitat of marine birds.

Juan Castro Blanco National Park
Extension: 14,258 hectares.
location: Alajuela Province, east of Ciudad Quesada. 
North area, with origins in the rivers Platanar, Tora, Aguas Zarcas, Tress Amigos and La Vieja. Long extensions of primary forest. This is one of the most recent National Parks, founded on June 1992.

La Amistad National Park
Extension: 193,929 hectares.
location: Talamanca Mountain Range. 
Description: A jewel taken care through the international cooperation with Panama protecting other 207,000 hectares in its side of the frontier. Declared as" Biosfera Reserve" by UNESCO in 1982 and a “patrimony of the world " in 1983. One of the largest tropical forests in the world that have not affected by the humanity, surrounded of climatic areas that go from the 100 to 3549 meters above sea level, and protected by several Indigenous reserves. It protects several national and private parks.

Las Baulas de Guanacaste National Park.
Extension: 112 hectares.
location: Guanacaste province in the pacific coast, 10 kilometers north of Tamarindo in Playa Grande Description
Description: It was founded in 1991 to protect the last place in the world used by the Baula Turtles to nest.

Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve.
Extension: 2,279 hectares. 
location: Guanacaste Province, 15 kilometers Southwest of Bagaces.
Description: Tropical dry forest, with very little fresh water and a big number of tropical trees in danger of extinction, as the ron ron, pochote, cristobal and cocobolo.

Manuel Antonio National Park
Extension: 683 hectares of land, 55,000 marine hectares.
location: Puntarenas Province, 157 kilometers south of San José, 7 kilometers south of Quepos.
Description: This is a small place of beautiful lands, beaches with palms and Squirrel monkeys that make of this place one of the most visited of the country.

Marino Ballena National Park
Extension: 100 hectares of land, 5375 marine hectares.
location: Puntarenas Province in Pacific coast, from Punta Uvita to Punta Piuela.
Description: Considered as a critic habitat for the breeding of numerous marine species. There are also habitats in the beaches that are protected and some of them are the only reefs in the Pacific coast.

Palo Verde National Park
Extension: 16,804 hectares.
location: Provincia de Guanacaste, 30 kilómetros al oeste de Canas.
Description: One of the most diverse ecological places, with about 15 different topographical formations and marshes, swamps and green forests. This is one of the most important places in Central America for the migration of marine birds.

Poás Volcano National Park
Extension:5,600 hectares.
location: Central Volcanic Mountain Range, 37 kilometers north of Alajuela.
Description:Famous for the beautiful landscape and the variety of habitats including a cloud forest. This is one of the most visited places in the country. The volcano is been active since 1894, causing damage to the environment around the area.

Rincon de la Vieja National Park
Extension: 14,083 hectares.
location: Guanacaste and Alajuela, 27 kilometers northeast of Liberia. 
Description: A volcanic lagoon of fresh water, this is one of the most important areas of the country for the preservation of felines.

Santa Rosa National Park
Extension: 37,117 hectares of land, 78,000 hectares of marine area. 
location: Guanacaste Procince, 36 kilometers north of Liberia. 
Description: Pacific dry forest with important nests of marine turtles.

National park Tapanti
Extension: 6,080 hectares.
location:It is part also of Biosfera La Amistad Reserve in the district of Orosi, Paraiso, Cartago.
Description: It was transformed into a Wildlife National Refuge in 1992, it varies from low mountains until premontano forest. It rains about 8000mm every year. The good maintenance of the highways makes this a popular place for the cyclists.

Tortuguero National Park
Extension:18,946 hectares of land, 52,265 marine hectares.
location:Limon Province in the Caribbean coast, 80 kilometers north of Limon.
Description:Tropical lowlands that extend through a natural system of lakes and channels, one of the most important places for the pro creation and breeding of the green turtles.