Barra Honda National Park

Barra Honda National Park is a protected area in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, established to conserve a limestone karst massif and the caves it contains. The park conserves both cave systems and surrounding dry tropical forest.

Hiking trails lead to cave entrances and viewpoints over the surrounding forested landscape; some caves are accessible to visitors while others require specialist equipment and guides. The park is valued for its subterranean chambers, stalactites and stalagmites, and for above-ground wildlife in the dry forest.

The area was designated a national park to protect the karst formations and cave systems and the patches of dry tropical forest that surround them. Management emphasizes both cave conservation and visitor safety for guided cave access.

The park is located in northwestern Costa Rica in Guanacaste Province, inland from the Pacific coast within the country’s dry forest zone and karst topography.

• Karst caves: The park protects an extensive limestone karst massif with caves that are among the most accessible large cave systems in Costa Rica.
• Access and safety: Caving and guided cave tours are the main activities; visitors should check access rules and prepare for steep steps and narrow passages in the caves.

What to See #

• Cave system: A network of limestone caves and shafts forms the park's karst system and is the primary feature protected within the reserve.
• Trails and cave access: Trails and viewpoints provide access to the dry tropical forest and to cave entrances; some caves require ropes and specialist caving equipment for full exploration.