My four favorite National Parks in Costa Rica

Manuel Antonio National Park

Open time: The park is open from 7 AM to 4 PM. The last entrance is at 11 AM. The park is closed on Tuesdays.

Writers tips: You have to book your ticket online on the official (SINAC) website because the number of visitors is limited every day. You can not bring food inside of the park. There is no need to wear hiking shoes, but it is recommended if you plan want to do hiking off the main trail and walkways.  After your initial hike or tour, you will arrive at the parks pristine beaches. Make sure you have your bathing suit and a towel so you can spend some time soaking up the sun on these incredible beaches. For more in depth information visit our Blog post> Manuel Antonio National Park .

Do I need a guide?: Once the tickets are taken, I strongly advise you to take a guide who will help you find animals that are not necessarily visible to the naked eye. It is not mandatory, but if you want to enjoy your experience in Manuel Antonio, it is a plus! At Villa Jacquelina, we offer all-inclusive National Park tours at $55 per person with the ticket included. Honestly, our guide was so passionate, he noticed a lot of animals! Manuel Antonio is a paradise for monkeys, frogs, birds, cute animals with crazy names and of course our friends the sloths. 

Is it easy to get to?: The national park has a parking lot in front of the entrance and the tour providers offer shuttles to get there.

Cahuita National Park

Open time: This time, let’s go to the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica! I visited the Cahuita National Park. It is located only 15 minutes by taxi and there is also a public bus that passes several times a day that takes 30 minutes to get there. The park is open from 8 AM to 4 PM. The last entrance is at 2 PM. 

Writers tips: There are two entrances: the main entrance located in Cahuita itself which is on a donation basis, and the other entrance closer to Puerto Viejo located in Puerto Vargas which is 5$ for foreigners and 1000 colones for locals. The must do activity of the trip is to go along the most beautiful and almost deserted beaches of the Caribbean. 

Do I  need a guide?: I personally didn't take a guide. I was able to see a lot of animals like raccoons, a lot of monkeys, different species of frogs, and many other unusual creatures. The raccoons seemed hungry and were on the hunt for food, so make sure you keep your bags closed and secure.

Is it easy to get to?: The access is pretty easy, there is parking in front of the main entrance, and in front of the Puerto Vargas entrance you can find parking in the surrounding streets. 

Tortuguero National Park

Open time: Back on the Caribbean coast, we find ourselves at the Tortuguero National Park, located in the small town of Tortuguero. The park is open every day from 6 AM to 12 PM and from 1 PM to 4 PM. 

Writers tips: I booked a tour from our hostel, which is recommended in this park. The visit can be done in different ways: by boat, the visit is done with a guide and on foot, the visit does not need to be done with a guide.

Do I need a Guide? The boat tour is done with a guide, the tour will include the entrance to the park which is $17. We had a great guide, who showed us a lot of animals and especially a lot of caimans! Just the boat ride in the mangroves is an experience and nature is beautiful. If you are lucky, you may see turtles at night on the beach. The season to see them is from July to October. 

Is it easy to get to? There are two ways to go to Tortuguero, by boat or by plane. I took the boat from the port of Moin (easier if you arrive from Puerto Viejo, Limon) and it is also possible to take the boat from La Pavona (easier if you arrive from La Fortuna, San Jose). The trip takes about 1 hour but the ride is worth it! I saw large sea turtles and monkeys.

Corcovado National Park

Open time: The park is open everyday from 8am to 4pm. 

Writers tips: Our accommodation was in Drake Bay for the first night, and the next day we hiked to reach Corcovado Adventures. (which can also be reached by cab from Drake Bay) At Villas Jacquelina, they offer all inclusive packages and tours with this company, and we stayed in a cabin facing the sea and had the best experience! 

The walk from Drake Bay to Corcovado was beautiful. We went from the beach of Drake Bay to Las Caletas beach, where Corcovado Adventures is located. We walked for 1.5 hours and it was really worth it!

Do I need a guide? To visit Corcovado, the visit with a guide is mandatory. The tour starts early in the morning, around 6am and ends around 1pm. The walk takes about 4/5 hours. 

Is it easy to get to? Access to the park is only by boat, so it is necessary to book a tour. Corcovado park is definitely my favorite national park in Costa Rica. The access is not easy and the cost of the tour (about 100 dollars which includes the entrance of the park) makes the park is less frequented than the others. It is a very preserved place, the beaches are almost deserted and the wildlife is very rich.