PIEDRAS BLANCAS NATIONAL PARK
Costa Rica’s Most Overlooked Natural Wonder
Explore the Secret Jungle of Costa Rica’s South Pacific
Piedras Blancas is not a tourist park, it’s a living sanctuary.
Tucked away in southern Costa Rica, this national park was once part of the famed Corcovado ecosystem. Today, it protects one of the last remaining tracts of primary rainforest on the Pacific coast. In Piedras Blancas, nature doesn’t adjust to human schedules. There are no crowds, no guaranteed sightings, no artificial trails. Instead, there are living paths, mysterious trees that die after blooming, nocturnal birds active by day, and—if you’re lucky—signs of tapirs or wildcats. This is a park for those who seek to experience the jungle with humility, patience, and respect. Piedras Blancas is still relatively unknown—and that’s exactly what makes it special. It offers a truly authentic, non-commercial encounter that blends education, conservation, and adventure.
Once Part of Corcovado
Piedras Blancas was originally part of Corcovado National Park. It was declared a separate protected area in 1991 to help expand conservation in the biodiverse Osa region.
Home to Elusive Wildlife
Jaguars, pumas, ocelots, tapirs, and all four monkey species still inhabit the park, but seeing them requires patience and luck, as human traffic is minimal and animals are truly wild.
Tree of Mystery: The “Suicide Tree”
Along the Ocelote Trail, you’ll encounter the Reseco tree, known as the « suicide tree » because it mysteriously dies after blooming and producing fruit, still a mystery to science.
WHY VISIT PIEDRAS BLANCAS?
Because it’s one of Costa Rica’s last truly wild places. Because you can walk for hours and never meet another person, knowing you shared that trail with jaguars, monkeys, and hundreds of bird species. Because this national park remains off the beaten path, and that’s its greatest strength. Here, every step is an opportunity. Every tree has a story. Every sound is a message from the forest.
TOUR 1 : Ocelote Trail
Discover the hidden beauty of Piedras Blancas: spot exotic birds and wildlife, walk through lush rainforest, learn the story of the “Suicide Tree,” and enjoy the refreshing Los Chorros waterfall.
TOUR 2 : Ceiba Tree Trail
Along the Ocelote Trail, you’ll encounter the Reseco tree, known as the « suicide tree » because it mysteriously dies after blooming and producing fruit, still a mystery to science.
TOUR 3 : San Josecito Beach
Along the Ocelote Trail, you’ll encounter the Reseco tree, known as the « suicide tree » because it mysteriously dies after blooming and producing fruit, still a mystery to science.