Carara National Park
Parque Nacional Carara
A national park where dry forest meets humid rainforest along the Pacific coast. It is one of the easiest places in Costa Rica to see wild scarlet macaws.
Carara National Park lies on the Pacific coast in Puntarenas Province. It covers about 52 square km and sits in the transition zone between the dry forest of the north and the wet rainforest of the south, with more than 400 bird species. Its biggest highlight is the scarlet macaws flying in pairs at dusk. You may also see howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, coatis, green and black poison dart frogs, and a variety of lizards. A flat, wheelchair-accessible loop of about 1 km starts beside the ranger station, and several longer forest trails are also available. The best approach is to enter at opening time in the morning and hire a local birding guide. Foreign visitors pay an entrance fee of about USD 10, and tickets must be booked on the SINAC website. The park is about 1.5 hours' drive from San José and can be included on the way to Jacó or the Manuel Antonio route.
Opening hours
07:00–16:00
Nearby sights
- Bijagual Waterfall
- Tárcoles Crocodile Bridge
- Playa Blanca (Punta Leona)
- Vista Los Sueños Canopy
- Playa Herradura
- Los Sueños Marina
- Avenida Pastor Díaz
- Playa Jacó