Costa Rica National Parks - CostaRicaInfoLink.com

Costa Rica National Parks: if you scroll down, after the text you will find a list ordered by province, if you click on top of the name of each National Park, the link will take you to the page dedicated to your selection, with information, schedules, phone numbers (if available), GPS coordinates, photos and address maps.

Haga click en el siguiente enlace para leer está página en Español: Parques Nacionales de Costa Rica

Costa Rica, with more than 615 wildlife species per 10,000 km2, is located on the top of the list as the most bio-diversify region of the world, because it is home to an incredible abundance of exotic tropical flora and fauna. This small country in Latin America is home of 12 key ecological areas. With an estimated 5% of global biodiversity, makes undoubtedly that many scientists and Parque Nacional La Avellana, Costa Rica naturalists from around the world refer to Costa Rica as an “Alive Eden”.

That is why in 1970, Costa Rica established the National Park System to avoid the destruction of wilderness areas, so that 25% of the country’s land, in an effort to preserve much of the natural beauty and its surroundings, has been set aside and turned into parks and protected reserves to safeguard the spectacular environment and beauty, preventing deforestation and exploitation. This means that more than a quarter of Costa Rica has set aside for conservation.

Now 12 percent of the areas in Costa Rica are protected as national parks, and another 16% as biological reserves, wildlife refuges, protected areas and biological corridors. Costa Rica has about 27 national parks, 58 wildlife refuges, 32 protected areas, 15 swampy wetland areas, 11 forest reserves and 8 biological reserves, as well as 12 other conservation areas that protect the diverse natural habitats found throughout the country.

Costa Rica is home to 10,000 species of plants and trees, and at least 850 species of endemic and migratory birds, 205 species of mammals, 220 species of reptiles, 160 species of amphibians, about a 1013 species of freshwater and salt water fishes, and more than 35,000 species of insects. This diversity and richness of natural wildlife, makes Costa Rica a paradise.

Primary forests, rainforests, cloud forests, swamps, mangroves and coral reefs are just some of the habitats protected by Costa Rica national parks and reserves. Areas of geological and geophysical interest as active volcanoes, caves, areas of historical and Parque Nacional Cahuita, Costa Rica archaeological sites such as battlefields and Pre-Columbian settlements, areas of beautiful scenery such as beaches, waterfalls and important conservation areas for species such as the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) and the Magnificent Frigate (Fregata magnificens) nesting islands, or recent Mesoamerican dry forest left standing, or beaches where whales of the immense sea meet, are some of the sites are within protected parks and reserves in Costa Rica.

Some of the most popular parks in Costa Rica include the Poas Volcano National Park with its stunning crater and lake; Manuel Antonio National Park is definitely one of the most exuberant in Costa Rica, with spectacular white sand beaches bordered by the lush tropical jungle; Arenal Volcano National Park being the most active volcano in the country; the Tortuguero National Park, where thousands of turtles as the Green, the Leatherback and the Hawksbill Turtle, come to nest along the vast beach; the Chirripo National Park with the highest mountains of Costa Rica; Corcovado National Park, a pristine tropical jungle of undeniable beauty, considered one of the most biologically intense places in the world, as well as one of the most important natural resources of America; the Ballena Marine National Park, where visitors can see large populations of humpback whales and dolphins; and Cahuita National Park, one of the best areas for diving in the world thanks to the extraordinary spectacle of the coral reef and colorful fishes.

Most national parks and reserves in Costa Rica are easily accessible for visitors, where ecotourism is an important factor in generating the necessary funds to continue the protection of the wilderness. Below is a list of parks and reserves in Costa Rica that are running at the time by province: