Las Cascadas
Command the Waters
Ostional Wildlife Reserve
Another must-see event is the turtle “arribatas” along the Nicoya Peninsula Pacific Coast, most prominently at the Ostional Wildlife Reserve (near Samara), when tens of thousands of olive Ridley-green turtles, and sometimes the rare and endangered giant Leatherback turtle and green sea turtles, arrive each year to lay their eggs, resulting in a most memorable event. The giant sea turtles arrive, sometimes in the thousands, to lay their eggs in the fine grained black volcanic sand along a narrow (200 meter wide), 15 km stretch of shoreline that includes the beaches of Ostional, Nosara and Guiones.
Palo Verde National Park
The Palo Verde National Park is located on the banks of the Rio Tempisque and is considered one of Central American’s best wildlife and bird watching spots. This remote wetland sanctuary is home to one of largest concentrations of aquatic birds and is considered the most important Central American migratory bird sites, and home to over 250,000 birds. Best time to visit is after the rainy season, from January to April, as the wetlands begin to shed accumulated water.
Barra Honda National Park
For the more adventurous explorer, the spectacular caves of Barra Honda National Park are just off the road on the way to and from the Capital. The park is made up of a complex system of limestone caverns and is unique among the National Parks of Costa Rica. The flat mesa of Barra Honda hill rises 300 meters from the valley, with the peak at 450 meters above sea level. The base of the formation is a fossil coral reef over 60 million years old. Uplifting, rainfall, and erosion created a system of waterways, while the slow seeping drip of calcium carbonate built up the stalactites and stalagmites that decorate the interior walls, floors, and natural art forms of the caves themselves. Given the degree of difficulty of the initial descent (50 feet/17 meters) into the cave, straight down a very long aluminum ladder to the cave floor, while carefully attached to a security rope and rappelling harness and helmet.