Guanacaste National Park

Guanacaste,
Northern National Parks
North by Northwest
Costa Rica
506/666-5051

Type: National Park
Addmission Fee: US $6 per day
Hours: Open 7:30-4:30 daily.

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The park that bears the name of the Province is a sizeable 32,500 hectares/80,275 miles of land reserved to protect animals and their migrations through the grasslands at the foot of the Orosí and Cacao volcanoes. Many rare and endangered species crisscross the park as part of their migratory routes and still others live in the area and depend upon a protected ecosystem for their survival. In the new ecological thinking, habitats – rather than individual species – are protected. This has the added benefit of helping multiple species. In the case of Guanacaste, naturalists are attempting to reclaim the original unique “dry forest” that once covered this corner of Costa Rica and the Pacific lowlands as far north as Mexico. Biologists have created a very successful program that trains local campesinos in identification of species, conservation and fire prevention – brush fires are the bane of reforestation efforts. Because the park was set aside to directly benefit animals, very little in the way of facilities are available for the public. Of the four Biological Research Stations in the park, the most interesting for visitors is the Maritza Station, located in the Pedregal section at the base of Orosí Volcano. It has rustic hostel accommodations. From here you can arrange a tour of the intricate, rock petroglyphs dating back to around 500 A.D. Turn east at the intersection where a west turn would be for Guajiniquil. The park is part of Area de Conservación Guanacaste, and you can contact their headquarters for information.