Location: 35 km north of Liberia in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica.
Santa Rosa Sector GPS Coordinates: 10.877586,-85.585908 (10°52’39.31″N, 85°35’9.27″W)
Murcielago Sector entrance GPS Coordenates: 10.924295,-85.694911 (10°55’27.46″N, 85°41’41.68″W)
Size: 49,515 ha (123,500 acres)
Altitude: sea level to 500m (1640ft)
Schedule: from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Santa Rosa National Park Phone: +506 2666-5051
Fax: +(506) 2666-5020
Guanacaste Conservation Area Telephone (ACG): +506 2666-5051
INFOTUR Tourist Information: 1192
Santa Rosa National Park Costa Rica: created as a National Monument by law on July 1st 1966, and was declared as Santa Rosa National Park on March 27th, 1971, along with the surrounding land, to commemorate and preserve an historic site where the Battle of Santa Rosa took place, including the historic mansion and corrals of stone walls. The park also protects beautiful beaches, savannahs, grasslands, mangroves and abundant wildlife, including some endangered species, and also a great extension of one of the last dry tropical forests of the world. In 1980, it was expanded with the addition of the Murcielago Sector by Executive Order.
The Santa Rosa National Park is the largest and oldest park in the country located in the Santa Elena Peninsula, which is part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area (ACG in Spanish), so it has a warm climate with an average temperature of 28°C (83°F) and an average rainfall of 1500mm. Santa Rosa has more cultural, historical and geological interest than most other national parks. The rocks on the Santa Elena Peninsula are amongst the oldest in Costa Rica, dating back to some 130 million years ago.
The park is divided into two areas, the Santa Rosa Section and the Murcielago section. The section of Santa Rosa is home to La Casona, a historic mansion which contains photographs, pictures, paintings and military equipment that commemorates the Battle of Santa Rosa.
The Hacienda Santa Rosa is recorded in the pages of the Costa Rican battle history since the XIX century. The first, and the most famous, was on March 20th, 1856, when the North American William Walker and his filibusters were defeated at La Casona of Santa Rosa. The battle is said to have lasted a mere 14 minutes. The second battle occurred in 1919 against the Nicaraguans, and the third was in 1955, when the Nicaraguan dictator Somoza was put to flight. This is the sum total of Costa Rica´s recent military history, which gives and indication of how peaceful the country has been.
In this sector, you will also find well marked out walking trials, which lead visitors through spectacular forests and gushing waterfalls. Some popular trails are the Naked Indian loop trail and the Los Patos trail. Located 13 km from La Casona, are the stunning Naranjo and Nancite beaches. The white sand of Nancite Beach is famous for the nesting of Olive Ridley turtles, which combined with their ecological characteristics, makes access restriction to be required, while the gray sand of Naranjo beach, surrounded by mangroves, is home to the famous Witch’s Rock (Roca Bruja), besides being one of the best places for surfing in the world. The Murcielago sector, located 9 km from Cuajiniquil (60 km north of Liberia along the Pan-American Highway), mostly consists of extraordinary rock peaks and valleys, in which extraordinary efforts of conservation and reforestation haven been carried out, you will find an old CIA training camp, as well as the home of the Nicaraguan dictator 
Somoza. Visitors can also enjoy water sports at Blanca Beach, Santa Elena bay and El Hachal bay.
However, the main attraction of Santa Rosa National Park is that it is the only park in the world where you can find 10 different habitats, including deciduous forests, oak forests, mangrove swamps, littoral woodlands, evergreen forests, marshlands and savannahs which cover the entire park area, being the home of at least 115 species of mammals like White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata), white-faced or capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus), spider monkeys, White-nosed Coatis (Nasua narica), agouti, tapirs, coyotes, collared peccary, anteaters, armadillos, jaguars, margays, ocelots, pumas, jaguarundis (Puma yagouaroundi) and bats are just few of the many animals that can be found roaming freely in this park. More than 10,000 species of insects, 250 species of birds, predominating the White-throated Magpie-Jay (Calocitta formosa), Orange-fronted Parakeets (Aratinga canicularis), Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa), Scaly-breasted Hummingbird (Phaeochroa cuvierii) and the Grey-necked Wood-Rail (Aramides cajanea) as well as about 100 species of amphibians and other reptiles such as the famous Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), tropical rattlesnakes (Crotalus durissus) and the Black Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura similis).
The Santa Rosa National Park forest is characterized by a marked difference between rainy and dry season filled with lush vegetation during the rainy season, the park turns into a tropical dry forest in summer, with many meandering trails and stunning beaches. Santa Rosa preserves the most important collection of protected dry forest of Central America, forest species such as Guanacaste (Enterolobium cyclocarpum), the Gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba), the Pochote (Bombacopsis quinata), the Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and the Guapinol (Hymenaea courbaril). Another interesting feature about the dry forest trees and plants is that many of them have spines and thorns. Furthermore, in the coastal area predominates the red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), as well as other species of mangrove vegetation in Costa Rica.
You can find lowlands and plains on either side of the entrance road and all throughout the park. These lands are not a natural occurrence, but the result of extensive slash and burn practices used by farmers on their lands.
Santa Rosa National Park has several ranger stations, viewpoints, research center, biological station, camping area, restrooms, drinking water, lunch area with food, information area, trails, museum and parking lot. 
The park entrance station at the Santa Rosa Sector sells maps showing trails and campgrounds. The Dry Tropical Forest Investigation Center, next to the administrative center, undertakes biological research. It is not open to visitors.
Santa Rosa National Park has an internal paved road of 7 km in length that leads to the Historical Museum La Casona of Santa Rosa, camping area and administrative area. Other nearby parks include the Guanacaste National Park, Iguanita National Wildlife Refuge, Bahia Junquillal National Wildlife Refuge and Rincon de la Vieja National Park.
Santa Rosa Sector
The Historical Museum at La Casona in Santa Rosa National Park contains exhibit rooms with antiquities, information and specimens from around the Guanacaste Conservation Area (ACG). Trails around the site lead to interesting artifacts of the various battles in the area. The Museum is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the camping area is open 24 hours. It has picnic areas with tables and charcoal cookstoves, potable water, restrooms and showers.
Getting there
From San José, drive north to Puntarenas and then follow the Pan-American Highway to Liberia and continue about 35 km (22 miles) to the Santa Rosa National Park entrance, which is on your left. This route requires a total of 5 hours from San José.
From Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR), follow the highway to Liberia and continue about 35 km (22 miles) to the Santa Rosa National Park entrance, which is on your left.
By bus
Take a bus from the route San Jose – La Cruz – Peñas Blancas, Nicaraguan Border, which takes 5 hours, making the stop at Santa Rosa National Park entrance (Transportes Deldú, +506 2256-9072).
By plane
You can also take a flight from the Juan Santamaria Airport to the Liberia airport, either with Sansa or Aerobell Airlines every day. From here you can take a taxi or rent a car and drive to Santa Rosa National Park, which takes about 20 minutes.
Naranjo Station
Some 12 km from the administration is Naranjo Beach, a gorgeous beach where the route can be done only by foot or with a four wheel drive vehicle in the dry season, following the trail. The beach at Naranjo is popular with surfers and is home for the famous Witch’s Rock is located in Naranjo Bay. The camping area at Naranjo Beach is open 24 hours and provides picnic tables and charcoal cookstoves. Restrooms and showers are available, but no potable water.
Getting there:
Playa Naranjo is reached by an 8 mile stretch of dirt road from the Santa Rosa Station. This road is only accessible during dry season with 4WD.
Nancite Station
Some 17 km from the administration, is Nancite beach, one of the world’s largest nesting grounds for Sea Olive Ridley Turtles, along with Ostional Beach to the south. The arrivals, when hundreds of thousands of turtles arrive to lay their eggs, are primarily from July through November. This area is an absolute protected zone, with restricted access. There are very rustic lodging facilities available at the Nancite Biological Station for investigators and students. Nancite Beach can only be reached by a hiking trail from Naranjo Station through the Royal Estuary (Estuario Real).
Santa Elena Sector
The Santa Elena Sector, covering the central portion of the peninsula, was finally annexed into the Guanacaste Conservation Area in 2004. The entrance to the Santa Elena Station can be found along the Interamerican Highway, about 8 miles past the entrance to Santa Rosa Sector.
Murcielago Sector
Murcielago Sector (Murcielago is the Spanish word for bat) covers the northern portion of the Santa Elena Peninsula and provides access to multiple beaches, bays and coves along the coast. The camping area in Murcielago is open 24 hours with visitors attention from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It provides picnic tables and charcoal cookstoves, potable water, restrooms and showers. There are also a few buildings that provide rustic lodging for investigators and students. Other important beaches located in the Murcielago sector are: Blanca Beach (17 km from the camping area) and Santa Elena and El Hachal Bays.
Getting there:
Follow Costa Rica’s Interamerican Highway, about 12 miles past the entrance to Santa Rosa Sector, turn left toward the town of Cuajiniquil, and continue for 15 km (9 miles) over a dirt road until you reach the entrance to the Murcielago station from Santa Rosa National Park. Since this road is often inaccessible, it is best to stop at Santa Rosa Station ahead of time to inquire about road conditions throughout the park.
Islas Station
The Islas Station is located on a small string of islands known as the Murcielagos (Bat Islands). These islands provide a home for many marine species and are popular for scuba diving. The station is manned and camping is allowed. It has minimal facilities and no potable water. The Murcielagos Islands are accessible only by boat.
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