Piedras Blancas National Park
Piedras Blancas National Park
Piedras Blancas National Park
4.5
About
We offer different Guided tours to the Piedras Blancas National Park, expert guides will take you to an amazing adventure. Piedras Blancas National Park forms part of the Osa Conservation Area, included in the National Conservation Areas System. It has an area of 14 350 hectares. With the objective of protecting the last tropical rain forest in the Golfito sector including the Esquinas River basin, Piedras Blancas National Park was created in January of 1993. This bio-geographical area has acquired great importance, becoming a gathering spot for flora and fauna species coming from North America, as well as South America. It constitutes a high diversity zone of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The very humid tropical forests seen here have tall evergreen trees, and are dense with large quantities of plants that live amongst the trees.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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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
4.5
79 reviews
Excellent
60
Very good
10
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
3
Chinoloco078
Schaumburg, IL17 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
A truly disappointing experience. We started with the worst rangers I've ever spoken to in any park. They were coming their breakfast as we arrived and we're worries more about their food than telling us where to go. We paid $10 pet adult and literally saw nothing. The trail that the ranger station told us to go to was underwater because the river it borders was overflowing. We were thinking with our two young boys and the teachers saw them with us when we bought the tickets. But none of them warned us that we were going to cross waist high waters in a strong flowing river in order to start their inexistent trail. We tried other entrances without success. And when we returned to ask for more information, they basically shrugged and repeated the same info. Is this how you run a Park? No wonder Boone comes here. Stay away and go see Drake Bay or something else in the OSA peninsula. This place is not for families.
Written 10 July 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.
Otto B
Alajuela, Costa Rica2 contributions
Jan 2022
As soon as we arrived we saw three interesting bird species. But as soon as we started our hike we had to cross the river and hike up a muddy trail. We never spotted any birds after the first 5 minutes. The biggest disappointment was there were no entrance station or information center or anybody to recommend where the best trail was or other information. It appears that most of the park contains old palm oil orchards. ?
Written 7 January 2022
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.
Debbie s
8 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
The road to the ranger station from golfito is curvy and rugged. At the range station you can park and pay and get the map for the trail. This is a beautiful, first growth jungle.
Be aware that this is a difficult trail. Very steep going up and down. There was a lot of clay that made up the trail that got slippery as it got wet ( it rained about half way through).
We are in our sixties and not terrible or great shape. It was too much for us. We didn't do enough research and the ranger didn't tell us how hard it was. Please be aware of this. It is difficult and four people who are in great shape.
The family that oversee this are just LOVELY. They literally came to our rescue.
Be aware that this is a difficult trail. Very steep going up and down. There was a lot of clay that made up the trail that got slippery as it got wet ( it rained about half way through).
We are in our sixties and not terrible or great shape. It was too much for us. We didn't do enough research and the ranger didn't tell us how hard it was. Please be aware of this. It is difficult and four people who are in great shape.
The family that oversee this are just LOVELY. They literally came to our rescue.
Written 10 April 2023
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.
Sean K
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States63 contributions
Jan 2013 • Solo
I will start with this place is not for everyone. It is hot, humid, remote, no ac (if that matters), and some might consider not as easy to get to. However, if you are staying at one of the lodges around the park then getting there is not so hard at all. The lodges tend to have it figured out for you. That being said, I really enjoyed hiking through a limited section of the Piedras Blancas National Park. Great place for seeing scarlet macaws, parrots, lizards, pecarries, iguanas, monkeys, kinkajous, and amphibians. The place is and feels very remote and off the beaten path. I accessed it through one of the lodges on the Golfo Dulce. I was able to hire a guide which was helpful in spotting some of the wildlife one day. the other days I simply struck out on my own and was rewarded with an plenty of wildlife sightings. I highly recommend this place for travelers looking for wildlife, rainforest, and solitude. Come with realistic expectations that you will find things, but it might take some time and will help to do a little homework on the species habits you are trying to see. This area seemed to have many species that I had not been able to locate in other parts of the country. Some of which being found easily. Also keep in mind that many of the trails are dry river courses or game trails. The place can give you quite the feeling of being an explorer and I did not see a single other person during my solo trips into the forest. I will definitely be coming back.
Pura Vida
Pura Vida
Written 14 October 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.
Harvey W
Costa Rica113 contributions
Apr 2013 • Couples
If you can get into it. Only a few areas to access this least visited national park. Through La Gamba or some of the few all inclusive remote boat access lodges in the Golfo Dulce. With little pressure from large swarms of tourists this is one of the most pristine parts of Costa Rica.
Written 26 May 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.
Marina L
New York City, NY3 contributions
Dec 2014 • Family
My 64 year old mother, my eight year old daughter and I went hiking with two guides in the virgin forest. The first guide had to cut the road path for us and check for danger and the one behind was makig sure that nobody would attach from the back. It was thrilling and wonderful experiance all together! Highly recommend but with capable guide.
Written 7 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.
KipWilson
Victoria, B.C.141 contributions
Dec 2013
We took the zip line in Golfito and it was great; 10 lines several over a km long and fast with wonderful views; road in was rough
Written 19 January 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.
Therese V
Bern, Switzerland12 contributions
Apr 2013 • Couples
We went hiking into the national park from our lodge, which is located bordring the park. We saw white faced monkeys, spider monkeys and much more.
Written 8 May 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.
kayakdover
Advocate Harbour, Canada1,671 contributions
Mar 2012 • Couples
Remote and relativley untouched, this is the place to go to view wildlife and primary tropical rainforest. Check out the wilderness lodges along the Golfo Dulce to access this special place.
Written 24 March 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.
Silvia C
Palmela, Portugal149 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
We enter this park through Esquinas Lodge and we did the Ocelote trail. We paid 10 usd and we could use rubber bots, walking stiks and the toilet and fill up our botles.
It's a very nice trail, with lots of ups and downs, it was raining all the time so we didn't see many animals, but in Esquinas Lodge garden we could see some animals.
It would be very nice to visit again without any rain.
It's a very nice trail, with lots of ups and downs, it was raining all the time so we didn't see many animals, but in Esquinas Lodge garden we could see some animals.
It would be very nice to visit again without any rain.
Written 31 October 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.
Hallo
Ich habe Ihren interessanten Bericht gelesen und habe, da ich im Januar auch nach Golfito komme, folgende Fragen:
Ist die La Gamba Station von Golfito mit Fahrzeug gut erreichbar?(Schwierigkeitsgrad Straßenzustand)
Muss man für die von Ihnen beschriebene Führung einen Termin vereinbaren oder bekommt man diese auch unangemeldet ?
Welche Tageszeit ist für die Wanderung am besten ?
Vielen Dank und herzliche Grüße
Jürgen
Written 11 August 2019
Can an economy car get from Puerto-Jimenez to the park and can we do a self tour? Is there a boardwalk, how much does it cost to enter park?
Written 26 January 2019
First, I would not advise driving there without 4WD, though on some days you might make it - others not! :-)
Second, everyone I have known to visit the park does so with a guide from one of the nearby lodges. It is not a big, heavily visited park like Manuel Antonio but a wilderness park. I would not go without a guide.
Written 27 January 2019
Udo D
L'Estartit, Spain
Hola,
El national park piedras blancas esta abierto para publico todo el año ¿
Gracias un saludo udo
Written 8 September 2018
Hola! Alguien podría facilitarme el reglamento del Parque Nacional Piedras Blancas?
Gracias!!!
Written 26 August 2017
Did you used a guide or company for the Tour in Piedras Blancas?
Written 21 February 2016
Yes, you can book a Piedras Blancas National Park guided tour with company
Golfito Monkey Tours. Look for them on TripAdvisor or google
Written 28 November 2018
who did you use to book your tour through?
Written 22 January 2016
Directly with the lodge, Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, is almost always the way I book a lodge after researching which one I want to use. You can Google them for their site and reservation information. Esquinas is now one of my top 3 birding lodges for the number of birds I photographed there.
Written 27 January 2019
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