{"id":2952,"date":"2026-01-09T10:28:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T09:28:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/?p=2952"},"modified":"2025-05-03T08:00:27","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T07:00:27","slug":"national-parks-in-costa-rica-the-best-of-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/2026\/01\/09\/national-parks-in-costa-rica-the-best-of-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"National Parks in Costa Rica: the best of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>The best national parks in Costa Rica<\/h1>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Costa Rica<\/b> is a land that has its greatest attraction in nature, both on a tourist level and on a more strictly environmental level. In fact, thanks to its vegetation, the small Central American state contributes largely to the balance of the global ecosystem. For this reason, the government has been fighting for years to protect the country&#8217;s <b>natural heritage<\/b>, ensuring that it is not distorted or violated by external factors dependent on human activities. In this article we show you which, in our opinion, are <b>the best <\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>national parks in Costa Rica.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Manuel Antonio National Park<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1943\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1943\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1943 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Playa-Espadilla-Sur-Parco-Nazionale-Manuel-Antonio-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"The beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Playa-Espadilla-Sur-Parco-Nazionale-Manuel-Antonio-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Playa-Espadilla-Sur-Parco-Nazionale-Manuel-Antonio-600x338.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Playa-Espadilla-Sur-Parco-Nazionale-Manuel-Antonio-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Playa-Espadilla-Sur-Parco-Nazionale-Manuel-Antonio-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Playa-Espadilla-Sur-Parco-Nazionale-Manuel-Antonio.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1943\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 2024 Trip Around Costa Rica: Playa Espadilla Sur &#8211; Manuel Antonio National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Manuel Antonio National Park<\/b> is the best known in Costa Rica. Among the 10 most visited parks in the world, it is also <b>one of the smallest<\/b>, but despite this it provides visitors with an extremely varied and suggestive ecosystem. Among the faunal species, <b>Manuel Antonio<\/b> includes <b>iguanas, capuchin monkeys, squirrel monkeys, raccoons, turtles, pelicans, sloths, toucans, Scarlet Macaws, tamanduas, agoutis<\/b> and much more. <b>Manuel Antonio National Park<\/b> is located in southern Costa Rica, on the Pacific coast.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">You can read the complete 2024 guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/2026\/01\/04\/manuel-antonio-national-park-guide-2024\/\">Manuel Antonio National Park at <\/a><span class=\"s1\">this address.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><b>Manuel Antonio Prices: <\/b>Adults $18, Children 2-12 years $5.65, infants under 2 years free.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><b>Manuel Antonio Tickets: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr\/?indice=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">BUY<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"li4\"><b>Directions: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/3sP6UznoZyRMfboZ8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">ITINERARY<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Cahuita National Park<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1938\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1938\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1938 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Pianificare-un-viaggio-in-Costa-Rica-2024-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"Cahuita National Park - Playa Blanca\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Pianificare-un-viaggio-in-Costa-Rica-2024-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Pianificare-un-viaggio-in-Costa-Rica-2024-600x338.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Pianificare-un-viaggio-in-Costa-Rica-2024-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Pianificare-un-viaggio-in-Costa-Rica-2024-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Pianificare-un-viaggio-in-Costa-Rica-2024.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1938\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 2024 Trip Around Costa Rica &#8211; Cahuita National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"p1\">On the Caribbean coast lies the <b>Cahuita National Park<\/b>, which has the particularity of developing along the coast along a single <b>path of approximately 7 km<\/b>. This park is suitable for everyone thanks to its flat route and has two entrances: one from <b>Puerto Vargas<\/b> and the other from <b>Playa Blanca<\/b>. Here too you will admire a varied fauna that is very accustomed to human presence, a particularly valid argument for <b>raccoons<\/b> who are also a bit of pranksters. Among all the <span class=\"s1\">national parks in Costa Rica<\/span>, Cahuita is one of the quietest and most private.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">If you want to know opening hours, prices and attractions of the <b>Cahuita National Park<\/b>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/2026\/01\/06\/cahuita-national-park-complete-guide-2024\/\"><span class=\"s2\">read our dedicated 2024 guide<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><b>Cahuita Park Prices<\/b>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\">Playa Blanca entrance: voluntary donation<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\">Puerto Vargas entrance: $5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><b>Tickets: <\/b>to be purchased on site<\/li>\n<li class=\"li4\"><b>Directions: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/aRHPpbkrYXX9ayGj7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s2\">ITINERARY<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tenorio Volcano National Park<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2004\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2004\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2004 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Rio-Celeste-Parco-Nazionale-Vulcano-Tenorio-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"Rio Celeste - Tenorio Volcano National Park\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Rio-Celeste-Parco-Nazionale-Vulcano-Tenorio-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Rio-Celeste-Parco-Nazionale-Vulcano-Tenorio-600x338.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Rio-Celeste-Parco-Nazionale-Vulcano-Tenorio-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Rio-Celeste-Parco-Nazionale-Vulcano-Tenorio-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Rio-Celeste-Parco-Nazionale-Vulcano-Tenorio.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2004\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 2024 Trip Around Costa Rica &#8211; Rio Celeste &#8211; Tenorio Volcano National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"p1\">Located in the northern area of the country, the <b>Tenorio Volcano National Park<\/b> is famous above all for the blue waters of the <b>Rio Celeste<\/b> that runs through it. Although it is not among the most visited, seeing the waters of the river change color is an experience you cannot miss. Among other things, <b>Tenorio Park<\/b> is home to rich fauna and surprising vegetation, as well as unforgettable paths for those who love <b>trekking <\/b>with a more advanced level of difficulty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/2026\/01\/05\/tenorio-volcano-national-park-experience-the-complete-guide-2024\/\">reading this 2024 guide<\/a><\/span> to the <b>Tenorio Volcano National Park<\/b> you can learn in detail about opening times, prices, paths and attractions. Probably <a href=\"https:\/\/discovercars.tp.st\/ZXnJyrmg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">you will need a car<\/a> to reach the park.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><b>Tenorio Volcano National Park Prices: <\/b>Adults $13.56, Children 2-12 years $5.65, Infants under 2 years free<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><b>Tickets: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr\/?indice=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">BUY<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"li4\"><b>Directions: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/ecd8A9SMZJghtBwp6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">ITINERARY<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Marino Ballena National Park<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2556\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2556\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2556 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Un-cucciolo-di-balena-in-Costa-Rica-1024x683.webp\" alt=\"Come vedere le balene in Costa Rica\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Un-cucciolo-di-balena-in-Costa-Rica-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Un-cucciolo-di-balena-in-Costa-Rica-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Un-cucciolo-di-balena-in-Costa-Rica-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Un-cucciolo-di-balena-in-Costa-Rica-600x400.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Un-cucciolo-di-balena-in-Costa-Rica-750x500.webp 750w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Un-cucciolo-di-balena-in-Costa-Rica-1140x760.webp 1140w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Un-cucciolo-di-balena-in-Costa-Rica.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2556\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 2024 Trip Around Costa Rica &#8211; Humpback whale calf at Marino Ballena National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"p1\">If you like marine life, <b>Marino Ballena National Park<\/b> is ideal for you. This place is the first marine park in Central America and is the eighth in the ranking of the best spots for <b>whale<\/b> watching. Here you can observe <b>humpback whales, dolphins, sea turtles, manta rays and hammerhead sharks.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/2026\/01\/08\/see-whales-in-costa-rica\/\"><span class=\"s1\">Read our experience<\/span> with a mother whale and her calf<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><b>Marino Ballena National Park Prices: <\/b>Adults $6.78, Children under 11 years free<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><b>Tickets: <\/b>can be purchased on site only by credit card<\/li>\n<li class=\"li4\"><b>Directions: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/7oXMiMmyKAc3NuG48\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">ITINERARY<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tortuguero National Park<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2632\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2632\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2632 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Parco-Nazionale-Tortuguero-1024x851.webp\" alt=\"Tortuguero National Park\" width=\"1024\" height=\"851\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Parco-Nazionale-Tortuguero-1024x851.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Parco-Nazionale-Tortuguero-300x249.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Parco-Nazionale-Tortuguero-768x638.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Parco-Nazionale-Tortuguero-600x499.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Parco-Nazionale-Tortuguero-750x623.webp 750w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Parco-Nazionale-Tortuguero-1140x948.webp 1140w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Parco-Nazionale-Tortuguero.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2632\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Baby sea turtle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"p1\">This park is one of the largest parks in terms of <b>biodiversity<\/b> in all of Costa Rica. What gives the <b>Tortuguero National Park<\/b> its name is precisely the vast presence of <b>green turtles<\/b> and other species, which usually lay their eggs on the coasts of this protected area. The park is open every day from 6.00 to 16.00.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li2\"><b>Tortuguero National Park Prices<\/b>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li2\">Cuatro Esquinas y Jalova sector: Adults $16.95, Children between 2 and 12 years old $5.65<\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\">Cerro Tortuguero Path Sector: Adults and children $2.26<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\">Tickets: <a href=\"https:\/\/serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr\/?indice=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">BUY<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\">Directions: <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/Xt8ZTv8BoF9dsaSG6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">ITINERARY<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Other National Parks in Costa Rica<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2079\" src=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Riserva-Biologica-Monteverde-Ponte-Sospeso-1024x578.webp\" alt=\"Riserva Biologica di Monteverde - tra ponti sospesi e nubi\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Riserva-Biologica-Monteverde-Ponte-Sospeso-1024x578.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Riserva-Biologica-Monteverde-Ponte-Sospeso-600x339.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Riserva-Biologica-Monteverde-Ponte-Sospeso-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Riserva-Biologica-Monteverde-Ponte-Sospeso-768x434.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Riserva-Biologica-Monteverde-Ponte-Sospeso.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">There are many other <b>national parks in Costa Rica<\/b> that you can visit during your trip. However, this is our Top 5 for importance and diversity. You won&#8217;t find the Monteverde Biological Reserve on this list because it is actually a private protected area, but it too is definitely worth a visit. For this reason we have drawn up a <span class=\"s1\">very <a href=\"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/2026\/01\/05\/monteverde-biological-reserve-guide-2024\/\">detailed guide that we recommend you read<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The best national parks in Costa Rica Costa Rica is a land that has its greatest attraction in nature, both on a tourist level and on a more strictly environmental level. In fact, thanks to its vegetation, the small Central American state contributes largely to the balance of the global ecosystem. For this reason, the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"","format":"standard","video":"","gallery":"","source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"template":"2","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"0","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"bottom","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"0","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"1","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"0","show_popup_post":"0","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"override_image_size":"0","image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"no-crop","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post":"0","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo_enable":"0","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":"","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":"","hide":""},"jnews_social_meta":{"fb_title":"","fb_description":"","fb_image":"2887","twitter_title":"","twitter_description":"","twitter_image":""},"jnews_review":[],"enable_review":"","type":"","name":"","summary":"","brand":"","sku":"","good":[],"bad":[],"score_override":"","override_value":"","rating":[],"price":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"override_view_counter":"0","view_counter_number":"0","override_share_counter":"0","share_counter_number":"0","override_like_counter":"0","like_counter_number":"0","override_dislike_counter":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[96],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-parks-costa-rica"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2952"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2952"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2952\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3675,"href":"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2952\/revisions\/3675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.triparoundcostarica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}