Guanacaste National Park is a large protected natural area in the province of Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. The park is adjacent to the Santa Rosa National Park, the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park, and other conservation areas surrounding nearby volcanoes. The park was established to provide a contiguous protected area through which animals could migrate between rainforests and dry tropical forests. The zone is habitat to an immense array of plant and animal species. Together, the park and its adjacent protected zones make up the Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hiking in Guanacaste National Park

Understand

The park covers an area of 33,796 km².

History

Guanacaste National Park was declared part of the Costa Rica national parks system in 1994. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999.

Landscape

The park has three distinct types of landscape, known as the Maritza, Pitilla, and Cacao areas. Maritza is the foothills of the Orosi volcano. Its forests transition from wet to dry and is home to many bird species as well as the collared peccary. The Pitilla area is rainforest located near La Cruz. It's densely wooded trails offer the chance to see a number of tropical birds and miradors provide views of Lake Nicaragua in the distance. The Cacao area transitions from dry to wet forests, passing through the cloud forest with elevations up to 3,000 meters. Hiking to the volcano rim requires permission from the park administration.

Flora and fauna

The park has a very diverse array of plant and animal life. 140 species of mammals have been identified in the park as well as over 300 bird species, and 100 amphibians and reptiles. More than 10,000 species of insects have been identified in the park.

Get in

The nearest commercial airport to the park is Liberia International Airport (LIR ^IATA) (officially, but never actually called Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport). Rental cars are available at the airport (4WD trucks preferred for any travel that's not to a large city via the primary highways).

By car

From Liberia, drive north on the Inter-American highway (CA-1) for 45 km to La Cruz. The park entrance is on your right.

Fees and permits

The park entrance is open daily from 8AM to 4PM.

Park entry costs ₡1,100 for Costa Rica citizens and US$15 for foreign visitors.

Get around

Hike.

Sleep

Go next

• Bijagua
• Tenorio Volcano National Park
• Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park