Parque Nacional Santa Rosa
Parque Nacional Santa Rosa
4
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
125 reviews
Excellent
60
Very good
38
Average
16
Poor
6
Terrible
5
Ed98052
Sarasota, FL20 contributions
Apr 2021
My wife and I made a reservation at $15 USA for today at 11am. Arrived and was told that most of the hiking areas are closed. We spent 1 hour and 15 minutes there which included eating out lunches in our car. This was not worth it this after after 1 hour 30 minute drive.
Written 4 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TexasStarshine
Quitman, TX540 contributions
Feb 2012 • Couples
Made the one-hour drive from Playa Hermosa to visit Santa Rosa National Park today. Overall impression: unpaved road inside the park was the worst road we've ever been on (and we've been on several in Costa Rica), BUT there were so many wonderful things about that park that made it worthwhile! La Casona was an enlightening history lesson - a shock to learn that an American imperialist (with the approval of a sitting U.S. President) sought to invade and take over Costa Rica in the 1800's but was defeated during a "14-minute battle". After visiting the museum, we drove the formidable 11 km drive over indescribably horrible dirt and rock road to Playa Naranjo and hiked the 4-mile round trip hike through tropical dry forest to the beach -- the reward was seeing "Witches' Rock", the beautiful beach and the surf break. Park staff members at the front gate, La Casona and Playa Naranjo were so nice, helpful and polite. The entire day was delightful. Must have a high clearance vehicle (did not use 4 WD even though we had it) to make the drive. Took us an hour to drive the 11 km (6 3/4 mile ) dirt road - left Playa Hermosa at 9:00 a.m. and returned home between 3:30 and 4:00. Packed sandwiches and drinks - a necessity since no food or potable water is available after embarking on the dirt road portion of the park. The foot hike on the "Sendera Natural Acietunos" trail was gentle, but sunscreen and a hat are helpful. Entrance fee is $10 per person.
Written 22 February 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MrLatte
Port Macquarie, Australia16 contributions
Mar 2017 • Solo
This park is probably only worth going if you make it to the campsite at witches rock on the beach. But unless you have a real tough big 4x4 car (not a SUV) and are an experienced off road driver you can't drive there. Last time I did it I walked the 12 km and carried 12l of water tent and food and stayed 1 night. Extremely hot. Ran out of water next afternoon but was lucky and hitched a ride back. Only saw a handful of people. Stunning! wild and eerie. Best in dry season as you can go to the remaining waterhole at sunset and sunrise and see amazing wild life. I saw crocodiles, a wild cat hunting down a monkey and many more animals. If you lucky also turtles lying eggs. Noone else there. Hope they never fix that road because it would ruin the place. With a world class surf break it would be swamped by surfers. If you are tough fit and don't shy risks go but you have to stay a night. Then it could be one of the most memorable things in your life. It was for me.
Written 28 February 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chander C
Moraga, CA7 contributions
Dec 2013 • Couples
We visited Santa Rosa National Park a couple of weeks ago for bird watching. We made our own transportation arrangement with Xplore Costa Rica and hired own birding guide, Olivier Esquivel. It was a long, wonderful and rewarding day. Paul (co-owner of Explore Costa Rica) picked us up in a nice 4 wheel drive at 4:45 am from JW Marriott Guanacaste. We drove to Liberia, picked up Olivier and then drove to Santa Rosa National Park. Paul drove well and kept up the conversation during our long drive. My wife, who is an avid bird watcher, found Olivier through trip advisor reviews of Carlos Jimenez. Carlos was not available for our dates so he recommended Olivier. We had a wonderful time birding with Olivier. He speaks very good English and is very knowledgeable and passionate about birds of Costa Rica and birding in general. He was determined to show us as many birds as possible in the short time we had. Olivier took us out for birding around Kuruvande lodge after our lunch there. Overall, we saw over 70 species of birds including Great Curassow, Keel-billed Toucan, two species of Motmots, three species of Trogans, Montezuma Oropendola. Olivier also narrated the history of Santa Rosa. We highly recommend Olivier if you plan to bird watch in the area. Olivier can be found through naturaldiscoverycostarica.com.
Written 29 December 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah
Mount Pleasant, IA29 contributions
Jan 2015 • Couples
The park was a good 2 hours from where we were staying (Playa Avellanas). Not a problem driving there and well marked along the highway.
The museum offers a lot of historic value (Spanish and English was provided). The outlook where the memorial is - is awesome...overlooking the volcanos, although it was a little cloudy when we were there.
We did take the road back to the beach and Witchs Rock. We had a small SUV rental, it did fine. Anything lower to the ground would not make it. It would help if you had some type of 4x4 adventure driving to maneuver over the pot holes, boulders, and gullies. (I wouldn't try it during the rainy season.) Be aware of high tide, as you may get stranded until the tide goes out.
Since not many traveled the road, we had the beach to ourselves! Pack a lunch and make a day of it!
The museum offers a lot of historic value (Spanish and English was provided). The outlook where the memorial is - is awesome...overlooking the volcanos, although it was a little cloudy when we were there.
We did take the road back to the beach and Witchs Rock. We had a small SUV rental, it did fine. Anything lower to the ground would not make it. It would help if you had some type of 4x4 adventure driving to maneuver over the pot holes, boulders, and gullies. (I wouldn't try it during the rainy season.) Be aware of high tide, as you may get stranded until the tide goes out.
Since not many traveled the road, we had the beach to ourselves! Pack a lunch and make a day of it!
Written 27 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gil40100
Dax, France1,115 contributions
Jul 2015 • Friends
For the third time in Costa Rica and the second time near the Santa Rosa Park. I was really decided this time to discover completely this Park. Because this Park is one of the largest of Costa Rica with several most beautiful and wild beaches of the country.
With a Costa rican friend we went to the Santa Rosa sector the first day; we could only join the playa Naranjo (and not playa Nancite still closed: only scientists) but at the half of the way (the most dirty road of Costa Rica maybe !) with our unfortunately little 4 wheels car, we decided to stop. We only saw the view of playa Naranjo at the mirador : splendid. But it will be for the next time...
But the good news was that the murcielago sector was opened. So for the second day, direction to this relatively unknown and large area. Bad roads again but not like the road of Naranjo. And we discovered the most quietly area of Costa Rica : alone on the paths , alone at the exceptional Playa Blanca, stunning landscapes... The paradise with wildlife on the road (deers, monkeys, birds...) and in the sea : baby sharks, and a big crocodile at ten meters of us (in snorkeling) !!! What emotion !
For the next time in Costa Rica : the mythical playa Nancite, and hope the playa Naranjo and its paths. This national park is endless...
With a Costa rican friend we went to the Santa Rosa sector the first day; we could only join the playa Naranjo (and not playa Nancite still closed: only scientists) but at the half of the way (the most dirty road of Costa Rica maybe !) with our unfortunately little 4 wheels car, we decided to stop. We only saw the view of playa Naranjo at the mirador : splendid. But it will be for the next time...
But the good news was that the murcielago sector was opened. So for the second day, direction to this relatively unknown and large area. Bad roads again but not like the road of Naranjo. And we discovered the most quietly area of Costa Rica : alone on the paths , alone at the exceptional Playa Blanca, stunning landscapes... The paradise with wildlife on the road (deers, monkeys, birds...) and in the sea : baby sharks, and a big crocodile at ten meters of us (in snorkeling) !!! What emotion !
For the next time in Costa Rica : the mythical playa Nancite, and hope the playa Naranjo and its paths. This national park is endless...
Written 13 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wapikianimoosh
Gimli, Canada76 contributions
Jan 2014 • Family
Absolutely terrible road access to the northern region of Santa Rosa. The park warden accepts the $10 per person entry fee, but never mentions that the road is literally impassable. Not really a road at all, more like a trail running through the jungle. Fist sized to basketball sized rocks make up the road surface. Only the highest and largest 4x4's can possibly navigate this road. We had a Toyota Rav 4 and it was no where near vehicle enough to handle this road. After suffering approximately 15 kilometres of this sorry excuse for a road, we realized we didn't even have enough lee way to turn around! We managed to get out of there, wasted 4 or 5 hours and eventually found our way to the parks southern access. This route is entirely paved, has good signage and personnel that will help you locate certain park features. Instead of being a national park, the northern access route should be labelled a national disgrace. Stay far, far away!!
Written 23 February 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bernie H
Calgary, Canada33 contributions
Jan 2018 • Family
After missing our turn off to visit Rincon de la Vieja National Park, we saw signs for Santa Rosa N.P., so opted to go there instead. Seeming how we were on highway 1, the road was paved, which is a nice treat here in Costa Rica! We could only go as far as the historic ranch, La Casona. All roads and trails were closed past this point due to a bad storm in 2017 that made those trails unsafe. The $20 U.S. per person was a bit of a hefty price for this particular park, but we found out that had we planned our visit better, it will get you in to any other national park for that day only. Since this is the beginning of the dry season, the monkeys have mostly moved on to where the water is, but we did see a beautiful bird called a Collared Trogon. Because hubby is a history buff, this was a worthwhile stop.
Written 17 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Huasteco
San Francisco, CA355 contributions
Jul 2016 • Couples
...unless I'm driving a huge 4 x 4 to make it all the way to the beach.
I drove a small SUV all the way from Flamingo beach, so it was a long drive to get there. At the entrance, the guy show us a map explaining what we were about to see. I took a pic of if since he didn't have any to give us. We drove in (7 km) to get to La Casona and the first trail (Indio Desnudo: Naked Indian). We parked; my wife went to the bathroom. She came back to get toilet paper from the car (bring your own!). We took the trail (paved, well taken care of) and walked until it made a U and hit the main road again. We decided to walk back on the trail again and saw different paths taking you into the jungle (dirt paths, not paved). After walking in one of them, we heard some monkeys and decided to follow the sounds. We were lucky: we were able to see a spider monkey mother, holding a baby, trying to get close to a juvenile spider monkey (maybe her son too). He saw a few lizards and plenty of butterflies and birds.
We follow a second dirt path after that, and my main complain is that without a map or clear signs of where you are going, you have no way to know if you are walking towards La Casona or far from it (we parked close to La Casona). You need to have a good sense of direction to know where you are going.
After getting to our car, we decided to go and look for food and some drinks (had plenty of water in the car...) We followed the paved road (no clear signs if we were going towards a food place or not) and passed several office buildings. Finally, we came to a clearing with a sort of store/restaurant. I ask a guy in there if there was any food, and he told me, kind of bother by the question, that they only serve food with a reservation! I was the only person there... I told my wife I had to leave before I lost my patience with the guy.
Next we decided we were going to drive to the next look out area and see if we could go all the way down to the beach. Started down a dirt road, and it was clear very soon that it was going to be a challenge. I've driven in plenty of dirt roads back in my days (I was born and raised in Mexico), and even though I was driving a little SUV, it became clear that this road was different. At some point down the road (2 or so miles in), we encounter a couple coming back driving a huge jeep 4 x 4. I asked him if he had reached the beach and he said he had, but that I wasn't going to make it driving mine. He said it was a steep inclined full of huge rocks and in case I made it to the bottom, there was no way I was going to get back up that hill. We decided to turn back right there, and didn't even try to make it to the second look out.
All and all it was a good experience, just average. I didn't go inside La Casona, so I have no idea about what's inside or how good or bad it is.
If you visit: bring plenty of food, your own food (snacks, sandwiches...), plenty of mosquito repellent, and be ready to sweat. DO NOT try to drive down the beach unless you have a high-of-the-ground, real 4 x 4 truck, jeep....or a tank.
I drove a small SUV all the way from Flamingo beach, so it was a long drive to get there. At the entrance, the guy show us a map explaining what we were about to see. I took a pic of if since he didn't have any to give us. We drove in (7 km) to get to La Casona and the first trail (Indio Desnudo: Naked Indian). We parked; my wife went to the bathroom. She came back to get toilet paper from the car (bring your own!). We took the trail (paved, well taken care of) and walked until it made a U and hit the main road again. We decided to walk back on the trail again and saw different paths taking you into the jungle (dirt paths, not paved). After walking in one of them, we heard some monkeys and decided to follow the sounds. We were lucky: we were able to see a spider monkey mother, holding a baby, trying to get close to a juvenile spider monkey (maybe her son too). He saw a few lizards and plenty of butterflies and birds.
We follow a second dirt path after that, and my main complain is that without a map or clear signs of where you are going, you have no way to know if you are walking towards La Casona or far from it (we parked close to La Casona). You need to have a good sense of direction to know where you are going.
After getting to our car, we decided to go and look for food and some drinks (had plenty of water in the car...) We followed the paved road (no clear signs if we were going towards a food place or not) and passed several office buildings. Finally, we came to a clearing with a sort of store/restaurant. I ask a guy in there if there was any food, and he told me, kind of bother by the question, that they only serve food with a reservation! I was the only person there... I told my wife I had to leave before I lost my patience with the guy.
Next we decided we were going to drive to the next look out area and see if we could go all the way down to the beach. Started down a dirt road, and it was clear very soon that it was going to be a challenge. I've driven in plenty of dirt roads back in my days (I was born and raised in Mexico), and even though I was driving a little SUV, it became clear that this road was different. At some point down the road (2 or so miles in), we encounter a couple coming back driving a huge jeep 4 x 4. I asked him if he had reached the beach and he said he had, but that I wasn't going to make it driving mine. He said it was a steep inclined full of huge rocks and in case I made it to the bottom, there was no way I was going to get back up that hill. We decided to turn back right there, and didn't even try to make it to the second look out.
All and all it was a good experience, just average. I didn't go inside La Casona, so I have no idea about what's inside or how good or bad it is.
If you visit: bring plenty of food, your own food (snacks, sandwiches...), plenty of mosquito repellent, and be ready to sweat. DO NOT try to drive down the beach unless you have a high-of-the-ground, real 4 x 4 truck, jeep....or a tank.
Written 8 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Frank N
Rotterdam, The Netherlands57 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
When you want to go to the Santa Rosa beach( Playa Naranjo) you have to drive off road for 12 km. and back. Do not stop, when you think this is to heavy, because it isn't when you drive a 4WD car. We had just a small Suzuki Jimny and it was no problem, but, more important, it was fun, at least for the driver.
And at the end you can park your car and walk through a tropical dry forest with white-faced monkeys, coatis, etc.. But there are also a lot of different birds in that area.
A walk to the nice and quite beach is also recommended.
And at the end you can park your car and walk through a tropical dry forest with white-faced monkeys, coatis, etc.. But there are also a lot of different birds in that area.
A walk to the nice and quite beach is also recommended.
Written 8 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hola buenas espero que estén muy bien !
Hace un par de años fui y me quede en unas cabañas del parque me gustaría ir de nuevo pero no tengo el numero para poder contactarlos y poder reservar ! Alguna información que me brindar por favor ! Gracias
Written 29 July 2016
Hola
Es hat da sehr wenig Gäste, es geht auch ohne Reservation, Sie werden immer Platz haben. Die Rangerstation beinhaltet ja auch das Museum, das sehr sehenswert ist.
Grüsse
Written 16 September 2016
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