Founded in 1972, the immense Santa Rosa National Park covers most of the Santa Elena Peninsula in the north. Actually, it's part of a conglomeration of parks and reserves that make up the 110,000-hectare Guanacaste Conservation Area. Other portions of the conservation area include Rincón de la Vieja National Park, Bolaños Island Wildlife Refuge, the Junquillal Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and the Horizontes Experimental Station.
This park is home to Costa Rica’s most treasured national monument, known as the Hacienda Santa Rosa. It was here that a small band of Costa Ricans defeated the mercenary army of American William Walker. The hacienda now serves as a museum.
Ten different habitats can be found inside the confines of Santa Rosa National Park. Visitors can explore mangrove, oak forest, and savanna, just to mention a few. More than 100 species of mammals can be viewed throughout the park as well as about 250 species of birds. Commonly seen animals include white-tailed deer, coatimundis, howler, spider, and white-faced monkeys, and anteaters. Other less-seen animals include jaguars, ocelots, pumas, and margays. Santa Rosa is also a vital nesting site for ridley turtles as well as a few other varieties.
If you’re visiting the park, you’ll find it’s divided into two sectors: the Santa Rosa sector and the Murcielago sector. The former is more easily accessible and boasts several excellent marked trails for exploration. Brave travelers with 4WD vehicles can also head to the beaches via a rather bumpy dirt road. Once there, you’ll be greeted by a few of the greatest surfing beaches in the world – Playa Naranjo and Playa Portrero Grande – where professionals head to test their mettle.
The Murcielago sector, though harder to reach, boasts a pretty beach and some interesting history. On the road to the beach, visitors will pass the old American CIA training camp for Nicaraguan contras and the airstrip built by Oliver North for use in supplying weapons to the contras. The beach is a haven for pelicans and frigate birds.