Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PARQUE NACIONAL GUANACASTE
With the addition of this national park in 1989, the Area de Conservación Guanacaste be-
came part of a protected nature corridor that stretches from the Pacific to the Caribbean
coast. The 345-sq-km park is one of the least-visited parks in the country because tourist
access is highly restricted. For information on visiting the park, contact the
ACG
headquarters
(
2666-5051;
www.acguanacaste.ac.cr
; adult/child US$10/1) in Parque Nacional
Santa Rosa.
In its lower western reaches, the park is composed of the dry tropical rainforest charac-
teristic of much of Guanacaste, but the terrain soon begins to climb toward two volca-
noes: Volcán Orosí (1487m) and Volcán Cacao (1659m). Here the landscape slowly trans-
itions to the humid cloud forest of the highland Cordillera de Guanacaste. This habitat
provides a refuge for altitudinal migrants that move between the coast and the highlands.
PN Guanacaste is more the domain of biologists than tourists (admission is by reserva-
tion only), and there are two active research stations within the borders of the park. From
Maritza Biological Station
( 2666-5051;
www.acguanacaste.ac.cr
;
adult/child $10/1, dm
US$15-20), there are rough trails to the summits of Volcán Orosí and Volcán Cacao (about
five to six hours). A better trail leads to a site of ancient petroglyphs. To get here, turn
east off the Interamericana opposite the turnoff for Cuajiniquíl. The station is about 17km
east of the highway along a rough dirt road.
The
Pitilla Biological Station
( 2666-5051; adult/child US$10/1, dm US$15) lies on the
northeastern side of Volcán Orosí, which is on the eastern side of the continental divide.
The surrounding forests here are humid, lush and unlike anything you'll find in the rest of
Guanacaste. To get to the station, turn east off the Interamericana about 12km north of
the Cuajiniquíl turnoff, or 3km before reaching the small town of La Cruz. Follow the
paved eastbound road for about 28km to the community of Santa Cecilia. From here, a
dirt road in truly terrible condition heads 11km south to the station - you'll need a 4WD
year-round.
La Cruz
Pop 4800
La Cruz is the closest town to the Peñas Blancas border crossing with Nicaragua, and it's
the principal gateway to Bahía Salinas, Costa Rica's premier kitesurfing destination. La
