Guided Hike through Carara National Park

Carara is a protected biological reserve home to 48% of Costa Rica’s bird species. Expect to see Scarlet Macaws and maybe woodpeckers, hummingbirds, antbirds, and manakins.

Costa Rica Vacations travel agents recommend getting up quite early for this tour so you can see as much wildlife as possible as the creatures of the forest are just waking up. 

Carara is where the jungle meets the dry tropical forest, joining two ecosystems. This transitional forest supports Amazonian and Mesoamerican habitats and creatures. The zone boasts outstanding flora and fauna.

Your guide has trained eyes and can help you spot animals like snakes, lizards, insects, capuchin monkeys, frogs, deer, peccaries, and sloths. This park has vibrant biodiversity, so it’s ideal for nature lovers, birdwatchers, and any tourist who wants to experience an immense amount of the wildlife of Costa Rica all in one place. 

Carara national park tours make a great stop to break up the day if you’re traveling between Arenal and Manuel Antonio. Tourists typically like to stay about three hours enjoying the trails. The ride there is enjoyable because you pass beautiful plantations and ranches and observe the transition from dry forests to rainforests. You can also make a quick stop at the Tárcoles River to spot a vast quantity of crocodiles. 

While some like to spend the whole day exploring the park, most visitors hike for around 3 hours at a leisurely pace. There’s a 3.2-mile loop trail that’s paved and accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.

It’s just 20 kilometers from Jacó, 6 kilometers from San José, 66 kilometers from Manuel Antonio, and 76 kilometers from Arenal, easily accessible from any of these locations.

Carara is most well known for its Scarlet Macaws. It has one of the most significant populations of wild Scarlet Macaws in the whole country. Additionally, about 400 bird species live in Carara.