Originally established as a biological preserve in 1978, this park changed management systems some years after. A transition point from dry forest to tropical wet forest, Carara consists of 5,242 hectares containing three different life zones and many tree species valued for their wood, such as ojoche, guanacaste, cristobal and purpleheart.
Carara National Park
Standing out among the park's wildlife are peccaries, ocelots, white-faced monkeys and, perhaps most representative, scarlet macaws, which can be seen with relative ease in this park as well as on the Osa Peninsula. Visitor services offered in the park include parking, information, a park ranger station, drinking water, restrooms, picnic areas, viewpoints, sign age and trails, such as Las Araceas (1,200 meters) and Quebrada Bonita (1,500 meters).
Mesoamerican and Amazonian influences converge at Carara Natural Reserve rendering an amazing display of wildlife packed transitional forest. The 11,613-acre (4,700 ha) refuge protects a combination of dry and wet climatic zones and their representative species.
Flat terrain and clearly marked trails guide you through Carara as you get to know capuchin, spider and howler monkeys, coatis, ocelots, poison-dart frogs, peccaries, and great anteaters. Bird fanatics would be in heaven with toucans, kingfishers, parrots, fiery billed aracari and scarlet macaws flying through the forest. As if that wasn't enough, the nearby mangrove and wetland systems also provide a home to more than 400 species of birds, considered the largest collection of avian wildlife in Central America.
The endangered scarlet macaw is one of Carara's most valued residents. More than 50 pairs are bred in the reserve and can be seen migrating.
Must see:
Time your visit to Ballena with the low tide and cross the river mouth, heading towards the tombolo on Punta Uvita. Here the beaches are a tepid 88 degrees, waves are minimal and the current won't take you for a ride.
Punta Uvita
Cut open some coconuts, have a drink, catch some rays and understand what Pura Vida really means. Near the ranger station in Bah�a you can rent boats. If the water is calm, head out to Isla Ballena to snorkel and SCUBA within the largest coral formations on Costa Rica's Pacific coast.
Not to mention having a tropical island to yourself. Near the Ballena Islands, you can see humpback whales and their young between December and April. At other times, numerous birds nest on the island.
Where to stay:
Most people stay in nearby Dominical. However, you can easily commune with nature and camp in the coconut grove along the beach - just beware of falling fruit.