Carara National Park
Carara National Park
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
272 reviews
Excellent
160
Very good
79
Average
27
Poor
2
Terrible
4
Connie S
Wayland, MA461 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
There are many trails to explore. The ant crossings, for both Leaf Cutters and Army Ants, are well marked with rocks but it is always important to stay alert. One can find a huge variety of birds in the park. It can be warm and humid so take plenty of water and a snack.
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ken E
Kailua, HI69 contributions
Apr 2022
We had a lovely 3 hour tour with our guide Mauricio Vasguez (what's app 506-8889-6061). He is very skilled and patient at finding monkeys and birds to see, and also explains about the rain forest flora. We loved seeing a large group of about 30 spider monkeys swinging through the trees. We also saw a male howler monkey.
We had visited Manual Antonio National Park the day before, and Carara was by far a much better choice. There are few visitors here and there are a lot more animals to see in a transitional rain forest. We traveled the easy paved handicapped trail, then drove several minutes down the road to a much more jungle-like trail. We arrived at 7 am to get the best opportunity to see animals, and were glad to have done so, as there were far fewer to see by 10 am.
We purchased the tickets the day we visited.
We had visited Manual Antonio National Park the day before, and Carara was by far a much better choice. There are few visitors here and there are a lot more animals to see in a transitional rain forest. We traveled the easy paved handicapped trail, then drove several minutes down the road to a much more jungle-like trail. We arrived at 7 am to get the best opportunity to see animals, and were glad to have done so, as there were far fewer to see by 10 am.
We purchased the tickets the day we visited.
Written April 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ray and Kristi
Chicago, IL1 contribution
Feb 2020
My husband and I, and two friends, had an extraordinary 4 hour guided tour with Carlo Z in Caracas National Park. He was a great teacher, excellent at spotting birds and other animals, and describing the flora and pressures on the ecosystem. He is also simply a lovely man. I would highly recommend him for a tour of this park. Also there are two options in trails: one was built using universal design principles so it is inclusive for people with all ability levels. It included a paved path for w/c users, and a rope-guide with carved models of animals for blind and vision impaired folks. The other is unpaved-- requiring more knowledge of where to go and how to navigate the paths. Both are beautiful. This will be a highlight of our visit!
Written February 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kimp4896
Adell, WI34 contributions
Jan 2020
We did see a bunch of iguanas in the parking lot, we took the short tour. Saw some Capuchin monkeys but they were high up in the trees so really you could hear them more than see them but it was still pretty cool. Saw a Jesus Christ lizard. Lots of other smaller items. Interesting but not the best tour we took. We took the short walk and others in our group did the longer one. Set up for wheelchairs which is great. Paths were very easy to walk. When waiting for the long tour group, saw two Scarlet Macaws fly overhead and land in tree right at the front of the park and then take off again. Simply amazing and made this stop worth the trip!
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jay s
3 contributions
Aug 2023
my wife and teenage daughter and I took this tour that began with a 30 minute Jeep ride through the jungle.On the ride we stopped as Randall hear Toucan calls and after a short time they appeared.A beautiful sight! the ride lead to an area that was too difficult to navigate and we began a 20 minute hike up the mountain.We saw plenty of plants & animals that Andres pointed out and he was very knowledgeable and informative.The hike lead us to a beautiful waterfall in which we all swam in the cool,clear water.My daughter was in heaven! The hike back was much easier as it was downhill.The trail was cleared and built by an indigenous Costa Rican who installed guide ropes to help assist hikers.A very memorable experience was provided by Andres and Randall.
Written August 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Davethetraveller47
London, UK475 contributions
Feb 2023
If nature is your thing, the Carara National Park is a must when visiting Costa Rica. It's full of birdlife and wildlife but can be difficult to spot without a guide. There are plenty of guides at the reserve. Take you time and you will see plenty, including Scarlet Macaws in the tree tops and flying over.
Written March 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lizgreg
Houston 34 contributions
Jul 2022
Visited Carara National Park in July 2022 with my husband and two sons (19 and 23). Based on feedback on Trip Advisor, we contacted Mauricio (via What's App: 011-506-8889-6061). Best decision EVER ! He was always prompt in answering all my questions before the trip. Told me what to pack for our tour to Carara and he was spot on. He is a certified naturalist and knowledgeable beyond belief. He was patient in finding us wildlife, setting up the telescopes, and helping us take pictures. He gave us so much information about the wildlife we saw. At the end of the trip, we hadn't spotted any macaws. Even though our tour time was over, he drove us to a location outside the park to ensure that we saw the macaws. He absolutely didn't have to do this, but, he knew that we wanted to see the macaws. No tour company would ever have done this for us. We have some friends who also visited Manuel Antonio National Park with Mauricio and said he was equally as awesome. Please don't hesitate for a minute in booking your adventures with Mauricio. Next time we are in Costa Rica, I will book all my tours with him !!
Written July 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carlo M
5 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
My wife and I had the pleasure of having Freddy Villarreal Aguna as our licensed guide. We joined him and a group of pharmacy students on a tour of Carara National park. No wonder he was leading these students. Besides being an expert on birds, he proved to be extremely knowledgable on the pharmacological value of many of the parks plants, he was knowledgable on its insects as well as the historical use of the parks resources going back a millennia. He was a natural teacher with a keen eye, a sense of humor and a generous spirit.
Written March 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Happy_Tica
California598 contributions
May 2021
Excelent National Park, great diversity of fungi, birds, snakes and other animals. Trails in great shape. The park has a parquing lot. No need for a guide as trails are well maintain. Entrance is easy to miss.
Written June 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dgqc
Kingston, Canada198 contributions
Jan 2015 • Couples
We had not visited Carara in many years prior to our most recent visit, but were pleased to find that the birding is still excellent in and around the park. We stayed in a rented house in Tárcoles which allowed us to visit the park four times on different days and to walk both the "river trail" (Sendero de la Laguna Meándrica) and the loop trails including the Quebrada Bonita trail. While we did not see some of our target birds (most notably Royal Flycatcher), we did have many other species including a good selection of antbirds, Fiery-billed Araçari, Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner (Quebrada Bonita trail), nesting Scarlet Macaws, and others. The entrance fee of $10 is reasonable. A watchman (José Alfonso as of this writing) is normally stationed at the parking lot for the river trail during opening hours: he is not salaried and a gratuity of ₡2000-3000 is considered appropriate if you walk the whole trail and spend a morning there. NB: the river trail is now considerably shorter than it used to be because of washouts, and ends at the Laguna Meándrica; it is poorly maintained and there is considerable clambering over fallen trees as well as one or two spots where the trail can be hard to find. But the birds are worth it!
Written January 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hi,
can I have guide justins contact no. please.Thankyou
Surendra+91 9920357009
Written January 7, 2024
Is it hard to get a taxi at the entrance to ride back to Jaco?
Written February 10, 2019
One taxi parked there when we visited and we drove down to Jaco after Carrara not too far enjoy the park.
Written February 14, 2019
fmirambel9
Tarragona, Spain
Hola me podriais informar sobre precios de entrada al parque con y sin guia, y el tiempo recompendable de visita. Venimos a fiables de Julio. Gracias, mi nombre es Ferran Mirambel, des-de Barcelona
Written April 13, 2018
Hola Ferran Mirambel, mi espanol no es bueno. Lo siento! Carara cuenta 10 $ para persona, Abierto martes a domingo 9 - 18 Hora. Lunes es cerrado. Es muy interessante, veo ara macao. Saludes de Berlin Tina
Written April 14, 2018
How does this park compare to Manuel Antonio park? I really want jungle, but also want to see toucans and macaws. I will be coming in July, so don't know which area would be best for seeing all the birds then.
Written December 25, 2016
Carara is much quieter, we seen more variety here but Manuel Antonio is well worth it for the beautiful beaches alone and you will absolutely seen plenty of wildlife also
Written April 9, 2018
How much does it cost for a tour guide of the park? Is the entrance fee 10 US $? Is there food/cafe in the park?
thank you-
Written May 26, 2015
Hi
The entrance fee was $10 US and they take US money. The park is very basic and small compared to the others and does not have food or drinks available and bring alot of water with you! (You may also want to bring toilet paper, there wasn't any in the washrooms when we were there). As for the guide- that is completely up to you if you feel it necessary but be very careful as we were told there are quite a few untrained people and some were in the parking lot waiting for tourists. We chose not to use a guide because of this and their fee ($25-40 US/person), just take your time and its amazing what small things you will see. We noticed the guides walking through very quickly and missed alot of things we saw. If you are going to any of the other larger parks you may want to guide it then. This isnt the park for monkeys although we did hear the Howlers. We liked this park better than Manuel Antonio simply because you dont have to wait in line to get in or see something (was more zoo like). If you choose to not use a guide we noticed they placed small flags/ markers at locations where they have either spotted or the usual hangout for an animal so they are not finding them all on their own. This park was amazing for insects, butterflies, (a morpho landed on my leg), flora, lizards, and we actually saw a poison dart frog just by taking our time. It was actually more distracting to have the groups with guides making alot of noise and not looking down to see the small stuff. If you want my opinion, grab the trail map at the entrance and explore on your own- more relaxing and you will see more. Hope this helps and i envy you- would go back in a heartbeat!
Written May 26, 2015
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