| National Parks of Costa Rica | ||
Manuel Antonio National Park | ||
| First Park | Poás Volcano National Park, 1955 | |
| Smallest Park | San Lucas Island National Park, 4.49 km2 | |
| Largest Park | La Amistad International Park, 1991 km2 | |
| Governing body | SINAC | |
In 2023 thirty National Parks of Costa Rica are managed under the umbrella of SINAC (Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservacion), a department of Costa Rica's Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE). All told, Costa Rica's protected areas, including national parks, encompass more than 25% of the country's total land area.[1] Many of these protected areas are national parks.
Costa Rica's progressive policies on environmental protection and sustainable ecotourism in the National Parks System have been lauded as a model for other countries. The rainforests, tropical forests, marine areas and wetlands of Costa Rica are the subject of many university and scientific organization studies. The enrichment of the world's knowledge of these important habitats is an invaluable contribution from the National Parks System of Costa Rica.
The Cordillera de Talamanca is home to an impressive collection of national parks and other preserved areas, including the La Amistad International Park, which extends into Panamá. On the southern Osa Peninsula is the internationally renowned Corcovado National Park, which preserves a remnant of sizeable lowland tropical rainforest that is unique in the world. Manuel Antonio National Park was listed by Forbes in 2011 among the world's 12 most beautiful national parks.[2]
The Camino de Costa Rica is a 280 km long hiking trail across Costa Rica. It runs from the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean coast), the southernmost part of the Tortuguero Canals, up the mountain and through indigenous territory near the Barbilla National Park and through valleys and mountain ranges of the central region of the country, just south of the Turrialba and Irazu Volcanos and through the Los Santos coffee region down to the Pacific coast in Quepos.
| Park | Coordinates[3] | Area[4] | Attractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.46°N -84.7°W | Arenal Volcano, in elevation, has been active almost continuously since 1968. A second volcano, Chato, has a lake in the crater.[5] | ||
| 9.16°N -83.75°W | Located on the Pacific Ocean. of park is water with seasonal visits by humpback whales, dolphins, and other marine life.[6] | ||
| 9.98°N -83.45°W | Elevations from to, The park features foot travel in wet and very wet rain forests and pumas, jaguars, ocelots, and tapirs.[7] | ||
| 10.18°N -85.37°W | The park features extensive limestone caves, some unexplored, with stalagtite and stalagmite formations.[8] | ||
| 10.21°N -84.02°W | Steep topography, several volcanoes, rain forests, and proximity to the capital city of San José are attractions. The highest elevation is [9] | ||
| 9.74°N -92.84°W | On the Atlantic coast, of the park is water. The park includes Costa Rica's largest coral reef and preserves marine life.[10] | ||
| 9.78°N -84.61°W | Near the Pacific Ocean, Carara is the northernmost coastal rain forest in Costa Rica. The park is popular with bird watchers and has a large population of scarlet macaws.[11] | ||
| 9.73°N -84.61°W | Chirripó features Costa Rica's highest mountain with an elevation of . Alpine tundra (Costa Rican Paramo) and glacial lakes are found at elevations above [12] | ||
| 5.53°N -87.06°W | A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cocos Island is off the Pacific Ocean coast of Costa Rica and features marine life, evergreen forests, and waterfalls.[13] | ||
| 8.54°N -83.57°W | On the Pacific coast, most of the park is shallow lagoons, mangrove forests, beaches, and low altitude cloud forests. Access is only with approved guide.[14] | ||
| 10.16°N -85.58°W | The park features wetlands and forests.[15] | ||
| 10.96°N -85.51°W | Part of the Guancaste World Heritage Site, the park has two volcanos, Orosi and Cacao; dry, wet, and cloud forests; and a large population of collared peccary. Access is through Santa Rosa National Park.[16] | ||
| 9.98°N -63.895°W | Irazú is Costa Rica's highest volcano at . A paved road reaches to near the summit from where both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts can be seen.[17] | ||
| 10.48°N -84.33°W | The mountainous park has volcanoic cones and vents, Lake Pozo Verde, waterfalls, and many bird species, including quetzals.[18] | ||
| 9.42°N -82.98°W | A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest wilderness area in Costa Rica, the park extends into Panama. Rugged terrain and some of the highest mountains in the country are features. Bio-diversity is outstanding for both flora and fauna.[19] | ||
| 0.7°N -84.4°W | Forty-four species of plants are endemic to Costa Rica and crystalline water from the sources of two rivers.[20] | ||
| 10.33°N -85.85°W | Most of this park is ocean. The beaches of Las Baulas are the largest nesting ground in the world for sea turtles. The coastal area of the park features mangrove forests.[21] | ||
| 9.61°N -83.82°W | A mountainous park reaching an elevation of . As the name indicates the quetzal bird is the main attraction.[22] | ||
| 9.39°N -84.14°W | One of the few remaining homes of the Grey-crowned Central American squirrel monkey, an endangered species. Most of the park is ocean. Twelve islands shelter marine birds.[23] | ||
| 10.75°N -95.15°W | The Miravalles Volcano rises to . The Miravalles Geothermal Power Project is on the slopes of the volcano.[24] | ||
| 10.38°N -85.33°W | Decalared a wetland of international importance, about one-half of the park is water or wetland, hosting migratory and non-migratory aquatic birds.[25] | ||
| 8.71°N -83.27°W | Rich as it is in biological life, Piedras Blancas is also part of the Osa Conservation Area along with several adjoining parks and reserves devoted to conservation. | ||
| 10.2°N -84.23°W | The volcano, in elevation, has several fumaroles emitting gas and causing acid rain which has killed much of the vegetation and force frequent closure of the park.[26] | ||
| 10.77°N -85.34°W | The volcano, in elevation is continuously active with foot trails to nine volcanic cones, fumaroles, mud pits, and hot springs.[27] [28] | ||
| 10.84°N -85.71°W | Santa Rosa protects a dry tropical forest and beaches with sea turtle nests. The park is the site of the Battle of Santa Rosa and military monuments.[29] | ||
| 9.94°N -84.91°W | Located off shore in the Pacific Ocean, the park is a former prison and wildlife preserve.[30] | ||
| 9.76°N -83.78°W | Elevations up to, rain forests, ancient oak and alder trees characterize this park in one of the rainiest parts of Costa Rica.[31] Precipitation exceeds annually.[32] | ||
| 10.71°N -84.99°W | The park is characterized by cloud forests and rain forests. The volcano reaches an elevation of . | ||
| 10.45°N -83.57°W | Two-thirds of the park is water. The park hosts the largest green turtle nesting beach in the Americas. Ninety-nine percent of the park is for preservation; one percent is open to visitors.[33] | ||
| 10.02°N -83.77°W | Turrialba is the second highest volcano in Costa Rica with an elevation of . The volcano is periodically active.[34] | ||
| Total | (including ocean) | The land area of national parks make up 13 percent of the area of Costa Rica and about one-half of the total protected land area in Costa Rica. | |
| Rank | Park | Total visitors (2012–2022)[35] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manuel Antonio | 4,388,469 | |
| 2 | Irazú Volcano | 2,732,394 | |
| 3 | Poás Volcano | 2,503,944 | |
| 4 | Marino Ballena | 1,878,848 | |
| 5 | Tortaguero | 1,277,816 | |
| 6 | Cahuita | 1,113,911 | |
| 7 | Arenal Volcano | 1,010, 866 | |
| 8 | Tenoro Volcano | 975,754 | |
| 9 | Rincón de La Vieja Volcano | 769,719 | |
| 10 | Corcovado | 551,101 | |
| 11 | Santa Rosa | 425,388 | |
| 12 | Carara | 398,910 | |
| 13 | Tapanti-Macizo de la Muerte | 240,482 | |
| 14 | Braulio Carrillo | 240,089 | |
| 15 | Chirripó | 155,696 | |
| 16 | Coco Island | 107,295 | |
| 17 | Palo Verde | 68,591 | |
| 18 | Barra Honda | 52,067 | |
| 19 | Los Quetzales | 28,751 | |
| 20 | San Lucas Island | 18,872 | |
| 21 | Marino Las Baulas | 18,012 | |
| 22 | Diriá | 16,300 | |
| 23 | La Cangreja | 12,556 | |
| 24 | La Amistad International Park | 7,985 | |
| 25 | Turrialba Volcano | 7,234 | |
| 26 | Barbilla | 4,157 | |
| 27 | Piedras Blancas | 3,727 | |
| 28 | Juan Castro Blanco | 732 | |
| 29 | Guancaste | n/a | |
| 30 | Miravalles Jorge Manuel Dengo | n/a |