Costa Rica protects roughly a quarter of its territory, and the parks that result are wildly different from one another. Choosing between them by name recognition is how visitors end up at the crowded one when they wanted the wild one, or at the remote one with two nights and no time to see it.
The big four, by what they deliver
Corcovado, reached via Drake Bay at 83.5 nautical miles. The wildest, the densest wildlife, and the hardest to arrange. Guides are required and station access is managed. Park fees and permits are not included in the flight.
Tortuguero, 53.4 nautical miles, with no road at all. Canals rather than trails, green turtle nesting in season, and a completely different landscape from the Pacific parks.
Manuel Antonio, 33.4 nautical miles. The easiest wildlife in the country and the busiest park. Excellent for a first visit or with children, and not the place for solitude.
Rincón de la Vieja, from Guanacaste at 86.9 nautical miles. Volcanic rather than biological — mud pots, fumaroles, waterfalls and hiking.
The ones people miss
Cahuita, on the Caribbean, where the reef and the forest meet and the entry works differently from the Pacific parks.
Santa Rosa, dry forest in the north, with the turtle arribadas and almost no visitors.
Piedras Blancas, next to Corcovado, wild and far quieter.
And Palo Verde, the wetland park, which is the best bird-watching in the country in the dry months and which almost no itinerary includes.
How access actually works
It varies by park and it changes. Some have capacity limits, some require certified guides, some require advance reservation, and the arrangements are set by the park authority rather than by operators. Park fees and permits are not included in the flight.
Check the current position for your specific park before you travel, and treat any article including this one as a description of the shape rather than the detail.
The planning consequence is the same everywhere: the more remote the park, the earlier you commit.
What reaching them costs
This is where the parks differ most and where itineraries break.
Manuel Antonio and Rincón are day trips from a base you were going to have anyway.
Tortuguero has no road, so the question is air or boat, not fly or drive.
Corcovado costs you the most in travel time, which is precisely why two-night Osa trips disappoint. We show a "from" price per route; the final fare depends on the date, the group and the baggage, and is confirmed in writing before booking.
How many parks is too many
Two properly, in a week. Three in ten days. Beyond that the parks start to blur, and the fourth one is usually the one nobody remembers afterwards.
The travellers who come back talking about a specific morning almost always did fewer parks and started earlier. The ones who describe a list usually did the opposite.
When to go
We fly year-round. In the rainy season the pilot in command decides; if weather stops a flight, it is rescheduled at no cost. Wildlife is most active in the wet months and the parks are emptiest. Some trails close and some lodges shut from September to November in the south.
Dawn, in every park, in every month. The difference between a seven o'clock start and a ten o'clock one is larger than the difference between parks.
Frequently asked
Which park is the wildest?
Corcovado, reached via Drake Bay. It also takes the most arranging and the most travel time.
Which is easiest with children?
Manuel Antonio — the easiest wildlife in the country, and the busiest park.
Which park is completely different?
Tortuguero: canals instead of trails, no road at all, and turtle nesting in season.
Which good parks do people miss?
Cahuita, Santa Rosa, Piedras Blancas and Palo Verde, which is the best dry-season birding in the country.
How do I check access rules?
With the park authority for your specific park, close to your travel date. Arrangements vary by park and change.
What matters more than which park?
What time you start. Seven against ten in the morning makes a bigger difference than the choice of park.
Plan it with us
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See also: Wildlife watching · Osa and Corcovado · Manuel Antonio · Weather by month · All destinations · Top destinations · Birding reserves