Parque Nacional Santa Rosa

Introducing Parque Nacional Santa Rosa

Among the oldest (established in 1971) and largest national parks in Costa Rica, Santa Rosa’s sprawling 38, 674 hectares of the Península Santa Elena protects the largest remaining stand of tropical dry forest in Central America, and some of the most important nesting sites of several species of sea turtle. However, Santa Rosa is also famous among Ticos as a symbol of historical pride – Costa Rica has only been invaded by a foreign army three times, and each time the attackers were defeated in Santa Rosa.

A good number of travelers are here for one reason – the chance to surf the near-perfect beach break at Playa Naranjo, which is created by the legendary offshore monolith known as Witch’s Rock (also known locally as Roca Bruja). The park is also home to another break of arguably equal fame, namely Ollie’s Point, which was immortalized in the film Endless Summer II, and is named after US Marine Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North. North is most famous for illegally selling weapons to Iran during the Reagan Era, and using the profits to fund the Contras in Nicaragua – Ollie’s Point refers to the nearby troop staging area that everyone but the US Congress knew about.

Difficult access means that Santa Rosa is fairly empty, though it can get reasonably busy on weekends in the dry season when Ticos flock to the park in search of their often-hardto- find history. In the wet months from July through December, particularly September and October, you’ll often have the park virtually to yourself.

Last updated: Jul 29, 2009