Juan Castro Blanco National Park Is Getting Ready for Visitors, but It Is Not Open Yet

Construction has started. The park is still closed. Here is what that means for your trip.

October 12, 2026 · 4 min read

Juan Castro Blanco National Park is one of the quietest protected areas in Costa Rica, and that is about to change. The Tico Times reported on October 12, 2026 that construction is underway on visitor facilities and an improved trail. Officials want to open part of the park to tourists for the first time under a formal visitor program.

What is being built

Recent photos show work on the foundations of the visitor facilities and on the planned trail. The project aims to open one of Costa Rica's harder-to-reach parks to a wider range of visitors. The park covers about 14,308 hectares and belongs to the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area.

It is still closed

SINAC, the national parks agency, still lists Juan Castro Blanco as closed to tourist visits. No new opening date has been announced. Do not plan a trip around it, and do not drive up and expect to walk in because construction has started.

Why people care about this park

It is also known as the Park of Waters. It protects the headwaters of rivers on the slopes of three extinct volcanoes, with mid-elevation wet forest and high cloud forest. Past reports put its visitors at fewer than 1,000 a year, which makes it one of the least visited parks in the country.

Where to go in the meantime

The Bajos del Toro area sits on the same mountains and has private reserves and waterfalls that already welcome visitors. Poás Volcano National Park lies nearby. Check current entry rules for any park before you go. Our Explore page lists the national parks in Alajuela Province.

Check before you go

Confirm a park's status with SINAC before you plan around it, and ask your hotel as well.

Source: The Tico Times, October 12, 2026.

Written by Insiders Costa Rica — Certified Travel Advisors based in Atenas, Costa Rica.

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