PLAYA SAMARA: NEARBY PARKS

SANTA ROSA NATIONAL PARK

This park is located in the province of Guanacaste, less than 30 miles north of the town of Liberia.

Today the Santa Rosa Park is considered one of the most historic areas within Costa Rica. At the center of the is a ranch style house known as La Casona. It was at this site in 1856 that the Battle of Santa Rosa took place.

Outside of the historic importance of the park, the area is home to a wide range of flora and fauna. For examle for turtle lovers, the park has a lot to offer. At both the Nancite and Naranjo Beach areas both leatherback and green sea turtles come ashore to lay their precious eggs. Additionally Nancite beach is where one of the larger arribadas (mass nesting) of the Oliver Ridley Turtles in Latin America takes place.

Today the park is home to more than 160 species of mammals, 250 species of birds, more than 100 species of reptiles and amphibians, and literally thousands of insect species. To say this area is rich in wildlife would be an understatement.

Some of the more well known mammals include white faced and howler monkeys, coati, racoons, and the collared peccary. In terms of bird species you are likely to see parakeets, trogans, crested caracars, hawks, and wrens.

As you travel through the park you will notice there are at least ten different habitats in the park including savannas, dry forests, rainforests, and even evergreen forests.

If you have the chance stop by Santa Rosa Park. The visit will be worth your time!

Palo Verde National Park

This park is located in the province of Guanacaste. In specific the park is located to the west of Cañas and lies in the area between the Tempisque and Bebedero Rivers.

Palo Verde National Park is known for its fresh water lakes, grasslands, swamps, mangrove swamps, pasture areas, and wooded savannas. At least 15 distinct habitats have been identified just in one region of the park!

Due to the abundance of water, the park is home to a large concentration of water birds not only in Costa Rica, but in Central America. The birds found in this area are both native and migratory.

Some other creatures commonly seen in the park include crocidiles, deer, monkeys, and coati to name just a few.

Rincon de la Vieja National Park

Part of Guanacaste is made up of mountainous terreain and one park, the Rincon de la Vieja National Park is located in this region. In specific the park is located less than 25 miles northeast of the town of Liberia.

The Rincon de la Vieja is a volcano that rises roughly 6,000 ft and has at least different active areas. The park is well known for active fumaroles, and the most recent eruption took place in 1998.

In and around the volcano are numerous hotsprings that are a lot of fun to visit. Also found are geysers, areas of bubbling mud, and mud cones. If you have not been to an active volcano this place should be on your list of things to visit in Costa Rica.

The volcanic activity in this park has created a fertile area that today is home to a diverse array of natural habitats. Many of the differences in habitat are produced by a combination of rainfall, altitude, and which side of the volcano it is situated in.

Visitors to the park have the chance to see close to 300 species of birds. Some of the more prominent include toucanets, tragons, spectacled owls, guacos, and curassows.

In terms of mamal species visitors can see, agouti, sloths, monkeys (white faced, howler, spider), deer, and peccaries.

Of course insect species abound as well. Some of the more interesting and beautiful however and the beautiful morpho butterflies.

There are of course many other parks in Costa Rica and many that are also within a relatively short distance from the school area. Check with the school for latest information.

Much of the information on our site as it relates to Costa Rica is:

Courtesy of Christopher P. Baker and Avalon Travel Publishing.
© 2004 Christopher P. Baker. All Rights Reserved.

Spanish Abroad, Inc. highly recommends Christopher P. Baker's book: Moon Handbooks Costa Rica. Click on the image to visit his website where you can purchase this book or find out more about the author.