Located within the Turrubares and Garabito cantons, in the San José and Puntarenas provinces, the Carara National Park is a unique destination in Costa Rica that allows its visitors to enjoy the dry and humid forest in the same place.
This National Park, which was initially established as a Biological Reserve on April 26, 1978, has numerous vestiges of pre-Columbian indigenous occupations and was part of the great agricultural plain of the Pacific, when it was called Hacienda Coyolar.
Its name is derived from an indigenous term, which in the Huetar language means “river of lizards” and it has the only transition forest in the Central Pacific, which translates into a diversity of flora and fauna, where species typical of dry forests converge. and wet.
Carara is a world-renowned destination since it has a very diverse birdlife, where the Red Macaw stands out, a species that is in danger of extinction, being the second largest species of parrots in Costa Rica.
It is one of the main sites in the country for bird watching. Here you can observe more than 400 species. Due to its location and ease of access on Route 34, this park is ideal for a one-day visit, being able to easily travel from the capital. Another great option is to add it to your visit itinerary while staying for a weekend on the beautiful beaches of the Central Pacific.
Carara is also the first national park to have a universal access trail, where the visitor can live the experience of being inside the forest, meet endemic species, large trees and see the relationship that exists between some of the species.
The trail is accessible to anyone, it is fully cemented, making it ideal for walks with the elderly, children and people in wheelchairs.
The tour is very pleasant since it is under the shade all the time and animals such as sloths, monkeys, coatis, frogs, agoutis, birds and insects of all kinds can be easily seen.
For people with better physical condition and more adventurous there is a longer trail, this is dirt and it can take up to two hours to do it. On the trail there is a beautiful river where you can bathe or have a picnic with family and friends.
If you are one of those who prefers to eat in a restaurant after a good day of walking, near the park on the road there is a wide variety of delicious restaurants that offer an exquisite and representative menu of the canton.
If you want to know other places to visit in the central Pacific, do not hesitate to contact us.
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