Fodor's Expert Review Santa Rosa National Park

Thanks to sparse foliage, it's not difficult to spot wildlife within Santa Rosa's tropical dry forest, especially if you're with an experienced guide. There are impressive flora and fauna, and even on a half-day visit you might see monkeys, birds, deer, and coatis hiding in the dry-forest vegetation. Santa Rosa's wealth of natural beauty is due in part to its remoteness—it isn't as busy as some of Costa Rica's other parks. Most trails are easily accessible and relatively flat. To get deep into the park, you must have a 4WD vehicle, and many roads are impassable in rainy season. The park headquarters, a historic ranch house and museum called La Casona, and a nearby camping area are 7 km (4½ miles) from the Pan-American Highway via a paved road.

From park headquarters it's 11 km (7 miles) to Playa Naranjo, where the famed Witch's Rock surf break is located (surfers get there by boat). The road here is rough (4WD only). Playa Nancite—the site of one of the world's few completely protected olive ridley turtle arribada, or mass nesting (permit required)—is an additional 3 miles (5 km) by footpath north of Playa Naranjo. The arribadas occur during rainy season (July to November). A permit can be obtained from the Ecotourism Office in the administrative center. The most impressive coastal views are from the Mirador Valle Naranjo and Mirador Tierras Emergidas. For bird-watching, follow the Los Platos trail about 5 km (3 miles) past the administrative center on the way to the coast. It’s best to visit the park with a guide.