Carara National Park

Carara National Park sits in the Central Pacific Conservation Area near the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, about 48 kilometers west of San Jose and 24 kilometers north of Jaco. It was established as a biological reserve on 27 April 1978 and was upgraded to national park status in November 1998 after growing visitor numbers. The park protects the basin of the Rio Tarcoles and holds more primary rainforest than nearby Manuel Antonio National Park, supporting 432 confirmed bird species, the largest population of Central American crocodiles in the country, and fifteen pre-Columbian archaeological sites from two periods of occupation.