Barra Honda National Park

Barra Honda National Park is located in the north western part of Costa Rica within the Tempisque Conservation area home of the Tempisque River. The park has an area of 5,675 acres was created in 1974 to protect a cave system that is under the Barra Honda Peak. This is one of Costa Rica’s most intriguing national parks.

For several years, this peak was considered to be a volcano as many people believed that the sound of the bats was volcanic activity and the smell of the bat droppings was confused with the smell of sulfur typical of a volcano. However, later on the peak’s tectonic origin was discovered, proving in fact that it was not a volcano.

Barra Honda National Park is a dry forest which makes animal viewing easy to watch due to low growing, sparse vegetation. Some of the animals that can be seen in this desert like setting include: capuchin & howler monkeys, anteaters, deer, peccaries, agoutis, raccoons, and kinkajous. You will also notice that over the years the area has seen many natural forest fires due to the dry hot climate.

From the summit of the Barra Honda Peak, is a spectacular view of the Nicoya Peninsula. One unique feature of the park is that there is ranger station that operates in the park and offer lodging to the visitors. Additionally, camping is also available, which is not normally the case for national parks in Costa Rica.

Limestone is formed when calcium carbonate of the marine animal shells over the years were compacted into rocks. The rocks were then exposed due to tectonic movements, causing water from the rains and the Tempisque River to be filtered through the limestone creating the effects of corrosion and erosion hence the formation of the caves. Inside the caves stalactites and stalagmites unite floor to ceiling inside the caves for form columns which appear like droplets of candle wax.

Some of the caves may be toured by the public if they are accompanied by professional, local guides who know the area and the caves very well. Each of the caves at the Barr Honda National Park has special attributes as noted below:

1)      The Nicoa cavern is noted for its pre-Columbian human remains, ancient artifacts, and native jewelry were found at around 30 meters deep.

2)      The deepest cave at Barra Honda National Park is the Santa Ana cave measuring 240 meters deep. The Santa Ana cave is home to several formations of stalactites and columns.

3)       La Terciopelo cave, or viper cave, appropriately named so since the first time it was explored viper snakes were found dead at the bottom. This cave is 60 meters deep and is one of the most visited and is open to the public due to its easy access. 

4)      La Trampa (the trap) has the deepest precipice at 110 meters, with an astounding vertical entrance of 30 m length. In order to enter this cave you must be fitted with a rappelling harness and helmet in order to go down the 17 meter aluminum ladder.

5)      The Pozo Hediondo cave (Stinkpot hole), is home to numerous colonies of bats although it is uncertain why the bats prefer this cavern over the others. If you want to see the bats come out then you need to wait a half an hour after sunset to see them flock together outside the caves.

How to get there:

Coming from San Jose in the Interamericana highway, you’ll need to take the road to Nicoya, which is the one that crosses the La Amistad Bridge over the Tempisque River. The park is about 10 km from the bridge and is easy to follow the signs. If traveling by bus, you’ll need to take the San Jose-Nicoya bus and then the Nicoya-Santa Ana bus.

Barra Honda National Park is located in the north western part of Costa Rica within the Tempisque Conservation area home of the Tempisque River. The park has an area of 5,675 acres was created in 1974 to protect a cave system that is under the Barra Honda Peak. This is one of Costa Rica’s most intriguing national parks.

For several years, this peak was considered to be a volcano as many people believed that the sound of the bats was volcanic activity and the smell of the bat droppings was confused with the smell of sulfur typical of a volcano. However, later on the peak’s tectonic origin was discovered, proving in fact that it was not a volcano.

Barra Honda National Park is a dry forest which makes animal viewing easy to watch due to low growing, sparse vegetation. Some of the animals that can be seen in this desert like setting include: capuchin & howler monkeys, anteaters, deer, peccaries, agoutis, raccoons, and kinkajous. You will also notice that over the years the area has seen many natural forest fires due to the dry hot climate.

From the summit of the Barra Honda Peak, is a spectacular view of the Nicoya Peninsula. One unique feature of the park is that there is ranger station that operates in the park and offer lodging to the visitors. Additionally, camping is also available, which is not normally the case for national parks in Costa Rica.

Limestone is formed when calcium carbonate of the marine animal shells over the years were compacted into rocks. The rocks were then exposed due to tectonic movements, causing water from the rains and the Tempisque River to be filtered through the limestone creating the effects of corrosion and erosion hence the formation of the caves. Inside the caves stalactites and stalagmites unite floor to ceiling inside the caves for form columns which appear like droplets of candle wax.

Some of the caves may be toured by the public if they are accompanied by professional, local guides who know the area and the caves very well. Each of the caves at the Barr Honda National Park has special attributes as noted below:

1)      The Nicoa cavern is noted for its pre-Columbian human remains, ancient artifacts, and native jewelry were found at around 30 meters deep.

2)      The deepest cave at Barra Honda National Park is the Santa Ana cave measuring 240 meters deep. The Santa Ana cave is home to several formations of stalactites and columns.

3)       La Terciopelo cave, or viper cave, appropriately named so since the first time it was explored viper snakes were found dead at the bottom. This cave is 60 meters deep and is one of the most visited and is open to the public due to its easy access. 

4)      La Trampa (the trap) has the deepest precipice at 110 meters, with an astounding vertical entrance of 30 m length. In order to enter this cave you must be fitted with a rappelling harness and helmet in order to go down the 17 meter aluminum ladder.

5)      The Pozo Hediondo cave (Stinkpot hole), is home to numerous colonies of bats although it is uncertain why the bats prefer this cavern over the others. If you want to see the bats come out then you need to wait a half an hour after sunset to see them flock together outside the caves.

How to get there:

Coming from San Jose in the Interamericana highway, you’ll need to take the road to Nicoya, which is the one that crosses the La Amistad Bridge over the Tempisque River. The park is about 10 km from the bridge and is easy to follow the signs. If traveling by bus, you’ll need to take the San Jose-Nicoya bus and then the Nicoya-Santa Ana bus.

Barra Honda National Park is located in the north western part of Costa Rica within the Tempisque Conservation area home of the Tempisque River. The park has an area of 5,675 acres was created in 1974 to protect a cave system that is under the Barra Honda Peak. This is one of Costa Rica’s most intriguing national parks.

For several years, this peak was considered to be a volcano as many people believed that the sound of the bats was volcanic activity and the smell of the bat droppings was confused with the smell of sulfur typical of a volcano. However, later on the peak’s tectonic origin was discovered, proving in fact that it was not a volcano.

Barra Honda National Park is a dry forest which makes animal viewing easy to watch due to low growing, sparse vegetation. Some of the animals that can be seen in this desert like setting include: capuchin & howler monkeys, anteaters, deer, peccaries, agoutis, raccoons, and kinkajous. You will also notice that over the years the area has seen many natural forest fires due to the dry hot climate.

From the summit of the Barra Honda Peak, is a spectacular view of the Nicoya Peninsula. One unique feature of the park is that there is ranger station that operates in the park and offer lodging to the visitors. Additionally, camping is also available, which is not normally the case for national parks in Costa Rica.

Limestone is formed when calcium carbonate of the marine animal shells over the years were compacted into rocks. The rocks were then exposed due to tectonic movements, causing water from the rains and the Tempisque River to be filtered through the limestone creating the effects of corrosion and erosion hence the formation of the caves. Inside the caves stalactites and stalagmites unite floor to ceiling inside the caves for form columns which appear like droplets of candle wax.

Some of the caves may be toured by the public if they are accompanied by professional, local guides who know the area and the caves very well. Each of the caves at the Barr Honda National Park has special attributes as noted below:

1)      The Nicoa cavern is noted for its pre-Columbian human remains, ancient artifacts, and native jewelry were found at around 30 meters deep.

2)      The deepest cave at Barra Honda National Park is the Santa Ana cave measuring 240 meters deep. The Santa Ana cave is home to several formations of stalactites and columns.

3)       La Terciopelo cave, or viper cave, appropriately named so since the first time it was explored viper snakes were found dead at the bottom. This cave is 60 meters deep and is one of the most visited and is open to the public due to its easy access. 

4)      La Trampa (the trap) has the deepest precipice at 110 meters, with an astounding vertical entrance of 30 m length. In order to enter this cave you must be fitted with a rappelling harness and helmet in order to go down the 17 meter aluminum ladder.

5)      The Pozo Hediondo cave (Stinkpot hole), is home to numerous colonies of bats although it is uncertain why the bats prefer this cavern over the others. If you want to see the bats come out then you need to wait a half an hour after sunset to see them flock together outside the caves.

How to get there:

Coming from San Jose in the Interamericana highway, you’ll need to take the road to Nicoya, which is the one that crosses the La Amistad Bridge over the Tempisque River. The park is about 10 km from the bridge and is easy to follow the signs. If traveling by bus, you’ll need to take the San Jose-Nicoya bus and then the Nicoya-Santa Ana bus.