BARRA HONDA NATIONAL PARK
SANTA ROSA NATIONAL PARK
A ninety-minute drive from the Villa. Santa Rosa National Park is located the norther Guanacaste Provnice. Ten unique natural habitats are within the park including savannas, deciduous forests, marshlands and mangrove woodlands.
The park is home is to coyotes, tapirs, sea turtles and terrestrial turtles and three species of monkeys., Several cat species are also present including jaguarundis, cougars and jaguars although they are rarely seen. In total, there are an estimated 250 bird species and 115 mammal species that live within the park.
A ninety-minute drive from the Villa, Barra Honda National Park is located in the southern area of the Guanacaste Province. Barra Honda is known for its large system of limestone caves. Only 19 of Barra Honda’s 42 caves have been explored. One bat cave, Pozo Hediondo, is home to a colony of over 5000 bats. Shortly after sunset, bats can be seen swarming from their underground lair to seek food. Terciopelo and la Cuevita are the only two caves open to the public. All tours require a local guide. The caves of Barra Honda can be visited year-through. For a caving tour you should be at the ranger station between 8 am and 1 pm.
A ninety-minute drive from the Villa, Palo Verde National Park is home to the largest concentration of aquatic birds and migratory birds of the Central American Pacific Coast. In addition to the impressive avian population, the Tempisque River also has the largest concentration of crocodiles in the country. On a boat ride, you will see crocodiles, howler monkeys, anteaters, bats, iguanas and white-tailed deer. Tours are available in combo options. We recommend you explore these. Tour guides will provide a thorough insight of the park.
PALO VERDE NATIONAL PARK
A scenic two-hour drive from the Villa, Rincon de La Vieja National Park is home to the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano. Trails extend from the Santa Maria ranger station and wind through hot springs and waterfalls. Mammals within the park include sloths, tapirs, kinkajous, and both howler and spider monkeys. As of September 22, 2011, access to the crater is no longer available due to the eruption of September 16, 2011. Several tour companies in the area offer hiking, forest canopy tours, horseback riding, river-rafting, all-terrain-vehicle riding and wall-climbing.
RINCON NATIONAL PARK