Santa Rosa National Park is for the hikers and naturalist who like it rough!  It is the largest area of tropical dry forest in Central America. Wildlife is abundant and easy to spot due to the sparce foliage. Santa Rosa National Park protects some of the last remaining tropical dry forest in the world.  Tropical dry forest consist of oak, wild cherry, mahogany, calabash, bullhorn acacia, and gumbo-limbo.  You may spot howler monkeys, spider monkeys and white-faced monkeys along with deer, coatis, ocelots,  armadillos, tapirs, and maybe even a pit-viper snake!  Sea turtles utilize the beaches of Santa Rosa for nesting.

It is difficult to access Santa Rosa National Park, as you must first hike 4 ½ miles to the park headquarters from the park entrance.  To get to Witch’s Rock (the famed surf beach) you would need to hike almost 8 miles which is why most people take a boat from nearby Playa Hermosa area.

Activities in Santa Rosa National Park include camping, hiking, surfing, and bird watching.  There are some campsites within the park, but they are very basic. There are no services (including restrooms) in the park.

Santa Rosa National Park is located 22 miles north of Liberia. The GPS coordinates are Lat - 10.851, Long - 85-7883.

The dry season of Santa Rosa National Park runs Dec - April and can be very hot with high temperatures 90-100 degrees F, but is quite comfortable near the Pacific with the ocean breezes and low humidity.

Although Costa Rica national park entrance fees do change often, plan on $10 park admission fee – open 8am-4pm daily. The fee does not include a guide. We highly recommend a guide to thoroughly get the most out of the natural flora and fauna and wildlife that you almost certainly will not see on your own.

Note:  This is a park for the pure naturalist!