Juan Castro Blanco National Park, Cloud forest national park in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica
Juan Castro Blanco National Park is a protected area in northern Costa Rica, covering steep volcanic terrain with both rainforest and cloud forest zones. The park sits in Alajuela Province at elevations where the air stays cool and damp throughout much of the year.
The park was established in 1992 and named after Juan Castro Blanco, a Costa Rican conservationist who worked to protect local ecosystems. Its creation was part of a broader national effort during the 1980s and 1990s to set aside land for conservation.
The park serves as a place where visitors encounter wildlife in its natural setting, including species found nowhere else in the world. Local communities rely on the forests here as a source of fresh water and as a space deeply connected to their identity.
Ciudad Quesada is the nearest large town and a practical starting point for visiting the park. Sturdy footwear is strongly recommended because the trails can be slippery and the ground stays wet for much of the year.
The park is the source of several rivers, including the Aguas Zarcas, Platanar, and Toro, which supply drinking water to communities in the surrounding region. Inside the park lies Lago Pozo Verde, a small mountain lake that most visitors never reach because of the demanding trail leading to it.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
