|
Location: 258 km (160 mi.) northwest of San José via the Inter-American Highway, 36 km (22 mi.) north of the city of Liberia
See North Pacific Tourism Region
Size: 37,217 Terrestrial Ha, 78,000 Maritime Ha (91,926 acres, 192,660 acres)
Part of: Guanacaste Conservation Area
About :
Santa Rosa National Park is the mother of the Costa Rican National Parks System because it is the first parkland the people of Costa Rican took to their hearts and protected as their own.
The National Parks Program was a disaster until 1969 when laws were passed that set aside land for protection. Local ranchers, lumbermen and miners were taking over these parklands and using them for their own purposes.
The ranchers slashed and burned huge tracts of forest in order to squeeze one or two crops from the earth before over planting, overgrazing and erosion destroyed the value of the land. The same thing was happening to Santa Rosa National Park. Squatters were well on their way to wrecking one of the most beautiful coast side areas on earth - except this time - someone was watching.
That someone was a student named Mario Boza. He was studying the Santa Rosa forest, experimenting with new ideas about conservation. He was appalled by what he saw, but it was dangerous to confront the owners of ranch lands adjacent to the park who were getting rich by feeding their cattle on public lands. So young Mario went to the people.
He knew that Costa Ricans had read newspaper stories about the creation of the Santa Rosa Park. He knew they were proud of the sacrifice they had made, setting these lands aside as a gift to themselves and to their children and grandchildren. Now, suddenly, they found themselves reading about squatters stealing these park lands from them, burning the forests and wetlands, killing the earth with their primitive methods of farming.
Boza's method worked. The newspapers and then the people took notice. Voters brought pressure to bear on political leaders who, in a very short time, drove the ranchers, lumbermen and squatters from all the national parks. Today, the study of conservation and rehabilitation of these fragile ecosystems is a gift to the whole world.
Back to Top
The History
Santa Rosa National Park is famous not only as a place of beauty, but also as a place of great historical significance. Costa Rica has been invaded three times by armies attempting to impose their will on the people of this nation. All three times, the invaders were defeated. All three times, they were defeated here, on the site of the park.
The best known of these was The Battle of Santa Rosa, March 20th, 1856. On that date, 9,000 Costa Ricans met the hated "Filibusters," an army of foreign pirates and adventurers. The final fight took place at "La Casona," a ranch house. The Costa Ricans were victorious, but more than half of them were killed, fighting to save their nation.
The La Casona is preserved as a national monument, dedicated to the memory of those men. The building also functions as a modest museum, showing photographs and artifacts belonging to peasant farmers (called "Sabaneros") who worked these lands.
The most recent battle at Santa Rosa is described on bronze plates displayed in the park. These tell how, in 1955, Costa Ricans drove out an invading Nicaraguan army led by dictator Anastasio Somoza. Somoza's tank, burned and battered, sits where the Nicaraguans abandoned it, in a ditch beside the road, just beyond the entrance to the park.
Back to Top
Weather:
During the dry season, the streams and small lakes dry up and trees lose their leaves. The rainy season is greener, but you won't see many animals. They hide in the dense the vegetation. August to November nights, you may see the Olive Ridley turtles (llora) on Playa Nancite by moonlight; September and October are the busiest. Remember, you'll need a permit from the rangers to visit these sites.
Activities:
Hiking, bird and wildlife watching and dolphin & whale watching are all possible in the park. Most evenings during turtle nesting season, you will see some 8,000 turtles, weighing some 40 kg (90 lbs) each, virtually covering the beach, depositing some 11 million eggs.
The rip currents along Playa Nancite and Naranjo are not good for swimming, but the waves make the beaches hotspots for surfing. For the best surf, make the two hour hike along a narrow trail that leads across a rocky headland between the two beaches.
Santa Rosa has one of the best camping spots in Costa Rica. Cost: $2 per person payable at the administration center. La Casona site has restrooms and grill pits. Playa Nancite has no water or restrooms. Playa Naranjo has picnic tables, grill pits and a ranger's hut with outhouse and showers. The beach is accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicle, boat or a good long hike along interesting trails.
If you want to stay for several days or want to drive to the beach sites, you must ask at the office in San José before arriving at the park. You can camp on the beaches outside arribada season with a permit. However, regulations change, so ask before you go. Don't forget to bring food and water. You might want to hire a guide to lead you along the most interesting routes. Cost: $10 to $15.
Back to Top
Facilities:
There are three sectors in the park, containing a total of eight ranger or biological stations. They are the Santa Rosa, Nancite, Santa Elena, Naranjo, Murcielago, Islas and Junquillal Stations and the ACG (Guanacaste Conservation Area) office.
Sector Santa Rosa: The La Casona historical museum is here (8am to 4pm). There is a camping area here with picnic tables, grills, potable water, showers and restrooms.
The Nancite station is part of the Santa Rosa Sector. The beach here is famous for turtle nesting (like Ostional). The only way to reach the Nancite Beach is by walking from the Naranjo station. The Nancite Biological station offers rustic facilities for researchers. The area is heavily protected and accessible only available with prior approval.
Sector Santa Elena: This sector covers the central part of the peninsula and includes the Santa Elena station and the Naranjo station. The Naranjo beach is also a famous surf break. There is a campground here with picnic tables, restrooms, showers and charcoal cook stoves. There is no potable water.
Sector Murcielago: The north western part of the Santa Rosa peninsula is the Murcielago sector. The Islas station is part of this sector and is located on an island that is part of the series of islands, known as the Bat Islands. These are accessible only by boat. There is camping at the Murcielago station offering rustic facilities and potable water.
The Junquillal station is not on the Santa Rosa Peninsula, but slightly to the north. The area is a reforestation laboratory, reached by driving along the Interamericana from the main park entrance park about 10 km (6.2 mi.) north to the hamlet of Cuajiniquil. From Cuajiniquil take the dirt road and go 15 km (9.3 mi.). The road ends at the Junquillal Area and Playa Blanca. And, the ACG office is on the eastern border of the park.
Back to Top
Trails:
There are lots of trails in Santa Rosa. You can walk to Sendero Nature Reserve, which will give you a good look at life in the tropical dry forest. Near La Casona, you'll find the Naked Indian trail. ("Sendero Indio Desnudo"), named for the peeling bark trees.
Flora & Fauna:
Flora: There are some 750 species of plants, including 240 species of shrubs and trees, such as live oak, shoemaker, ear, gumbo-limbo and Guanacaste, Costa Rica's national tree. The most common evergreen trees are the locust, chicle, oak, Tempisque and bitterwood.
More than 155 species of mammals have been identified in the Park: howler and white-faced monkeys, armadillo, white-tailed deer, white-nosed coati, collared peccary, raccoon and the spiny pocket mouse. More than half of the species are bats. During dry season nights, visitors are welcome to explore their caves.
Also at home in the park: 253 species of birds, including magpie jays, orange-fronted parakeets, elegant trogons, rufous-naped wrens, crested caracaras, great curassows, common black hawks and long-tailed manakins. One hundred types of amphibians and reptiles can be seen here, plus 10,000 types of insects, including 3,140 species of butterflies and moths.
Back to Top
Beaches:
Several well known beaches are in the park: Naranjo Beach, a nesting site for the Oliver Ridley, leatherback and Pacific green sea turtles and home of the famous surf break, Witch’s Rock; and the Nancite Beach, surrounded by jaragua grasslands.
Playa Nancite is a gray sand beach, the nesting home of the Olive Ridley turtles, a species that nests only here and at Ostional near Nosara in the Nicoya beaches.
Playa Blanca is a small white sand beach where you can swim without risking your life. It is one of the most isolated beaches in one of the least visited areas of the country.
Fees and Schedule:
The stations are open from 8am to 4pm. Campgrounds are open 24 hours.
Back to Top
Getting There:
The main entrance to the park is 35 km (21.7 mi.) north of Liberia; just follow the signs from the Inter-American Highway. Pay the fee, get a map and continue 6 km (3.7 mi.) to the administration center where you can check road and weather conditions and get your permits for camping or turtle watching.
Nearby Parks:
Guanacaste National Park
Rincon de la Vieja National Park
Contact Info:
ACG: Guanacaste Conservation Area
(506) 666-0630 Liberia
Back to Top
|
