To view detailed information on the protected areas, please click on the names
Parque Nacional Santa Rosa
This park protects both historical sites and tropical dry forest. The Santa Rosa battle was fought here. A group of filibusteres commanded by William Walker were trying to conquer Central America and were coming in from Nicaragua. The Costa Rican troops were defending the country's independence. This battle took place in 1856 on the grounds of the Santa Rosa ranch. The park protects a wide variety of animals, some of them endangered. Nancite beach is together with Ostional the place where the largest arribadas of olive ridley turtles in all of Tropical America take place. 
Parque Nacional Guanacaste
The Guanacaste National Park forms together with the Santa Rosa Park a megapark of 85,000 hectares that provides migratory routes and shelter for a wide variety of animals. It also protects the last few stands of tropical dry forest, which used to stretch the lenght of the Pacific coast all the way from Mexico and which have practically disappeared. It is a region of great scenic beauty, featuring volcanoes, raging rivers, heavy rains and winds as well as impressing views.
Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja
The Rincon de la Vieja National Park was created in 1973 to protect the flora and fauna and watersheds around the volcano. It stands at 1895 meters above sea level . It has an active crater which emits steam and gases of magmatic origin. A very interesting place to visit is the Sendero Las Pailas, a site with geysers and bubbling mud spots. Another attraction of this park is the group of 4 waterfalls.
Zona Protectora Miravalles
Miravalles Volcano, the highest of the volcanic Guancaste Range soars 2026 meters above sea level. The summit is usually covered in thick clouds and dense rain. Due to its solfataric activity, evidenced by bubbling mudholes and vents that expel gases and hot steam. The ICE (Costa Rican Institute of Electricity) is using the geothermal energy from this volcano to transform it into electric energy.
Parque Nacional Tenorio
This recently created National Park consists of four volcanic peaks and two craters. Its area is covered mostly with well preserved primary forest which gives shelter to a great variety of mammals, for exapmple the endangered tapir that has quite a respectable population here. One of the park's main attraction is the Rio Celeste (light blue river) which is literally blue due to the emanation of sulfur from the volcano and precipitation of calcium carbonate.
Parque Nacional Arenal
It is one of the most famous parks of Costa Rica, featuring the active Arenal Volcano as the main attraction. The Arenal Volcano, that soars 1633 meters above sea level has been active since 1968 and is considered one of the 10 most actve volcanoes of the world. The Arenal Lagoon located just beneath the volcano is of great scenic beauty and generates about 70% of the electricity used in Costa Rica. There are many activities that can be done in the surroundings of the volcano.
Parque Nacional Palo Verde
Palo Verde National Park comprehends over 13,000 hectares of marshes, floodplains, lagoons, meandering channels and pools in the lower basin of the Tempisque and Bebedero Rivers. The marshy lagoons provide feeding, nesting and rest sites for a great variety of birds especially during the dry season including some endangered species like the Jabiru.
Parque Nacional Las Baulas
This Park was created to protect endangered wildlife, especially the giant leatherback turtle, the largest sea turtle in the world. This turtle, that can measure up to 2,5 meters and weigh around 700 kilos comes here to lay its eggs from November to April.
Parque Nacional Diriá
This area was declared National Park in 2004 mainly to protect, restore and in the future manage the remaining forests as well as the watersheds in the area. In the lowlands there are some remains of tropical dry forest. Wildlife is rather scarce due to intervention of mankind.
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Ostional
This refuge was created to protect important nesting sites of sea turtles, especially the Pacific ridley and leatherback. Together with Nancite beach, this area was deisgnated the second most important hatchery of sea turtles in the world. They take over the beach in large arribadas that last 4-8 days mainly in the rainy season.
Parque Nacional Barra Honda
The main attraction of this park is an extensive limestone caverns network. There have been discovered 42 caves until now, but only 2 are open to the public. They are all well-preserved since their vertical entrances are difficult to access. The Terciopelo cave is one of the largest and most beautiful ones, with a large number of stalagtite and stalagmite formations and other capricious forms and figures.
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