Guanacaste National Park, known in Spanish as Parque Nacional Guanacaste, is a protected area located in northern Costa Rica. It is part of the Area de Conservación Guanacaste World Heritage Site and spans from the slopes of the Orosí and Cacao volcanoes westward to the Interamerican Highway, where it borders Santa Rosa National Park. Established in 1989, the park was partly created because of Dr. Daniel Janzen’s advocacy and fundraising efforts to create a wildlife corridor connecting dry forest and rainforest regions, which many species use for seasonal migration. The park covers about 340 square kilometers and is home to 140 mammal species, over 300 bird species, 100 amphibian and reptile species, and more than 10,000 identified insect species. This high level of biodiversity led the Costa Rican government to protect the area. Guanacaste National Park connects Santa Rosa National Park with the high-altitude forests of the Orosí and Cacao volcanoes and the rainforests of northern Costa Rica.
The Tempisque River flows through the park’s lowland regions. The park includes dry forests at lower elevations and cloud forests at higher elevations. Several trails are available for hiking, including a path to the Orosí Volcano, which features pre-Columbian petroglyphs near El Pedregal.
The nearest city is La Cruz, located to the northwest. The park includes several facilities, such as the headquarters of the Guanacaste Conservation Area, as well as stations at Pitilla in the northeastern part of the park, Cacao on the southwestern slope of the volcano with the same name, and Maritza, which is near both volcanoes.
History
In 1989, the park was created by an executive order to become part of Area de Conservación Guanacaste, joining Santa Rosa and Rincón de la Vieja National Parks, which already existed. Together, these areas became part of the National System of Conservation Units (SINAC) in 1994. In 1999, the area was designated a World Heritage Site. In 1995, the Junquillal Bay Wildlife Refuge was added to the group.
In 1989, 12,000 tons of orange waste were placed on empty soil with the permission of park officials. After 15 years, the area had many different types of plants growing there.