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Barra Honda Caverns, Mammoths in Guanacaste & UTV TOURS

Ready for an adventure that combines natural beauty and historical intrigue? Join us as we explore Barra Honda National Park and its incredible cave system. This blog post is your complete guide to planning the perfect tour, from exploring the stunning caverns to uncovering the secrets of Guanacaste's past, including the captivating story of mammoths in the region. We'll provide all the details you need to book your unforgettable experience.

Daniel Sánchez

12/27/20247 min read

More than a Tour...

The Tour

Off-Road Adventure: Nosara to Barra Honda National Park

Embark on an exhilarating off-road adventure from Nosara to Barra Honda National Park in Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula. This tour takes you beyond the typical beach experience, offering a unique opportunity to explore untouched landscapes, local culture, and hidden gems.

Starting in Nosara, known for its laid-back vibe, you’ll journey through tropical forests, rugged hills, and secluded beaches, all while immersing yourself in the beauty of Costa Rica’s natural diversity. At Barra Honda, discover the park’s stunning limestone caves and abundant wildlife, perfect for hiking and nature enthusiasts.

This adventure is ideal for those seeking an authentic, off-the-beaten-path experience. With the help of rugged vehicles, you’ll explore areas most tours miss, connecting with both nature and local life in an unforgettable way.

The minimum age for the tour to the Terciopelo Cave is 12 years old. For children under 13 years old, there is a special tour to the cave, a small cave for children.

To visit the caves, it is essential to hire a guide from the local guides association of the Barra Honda National Park, an organization that has an agreement with SINAC for tourist operations.

The visit to the caves requires footwear with non-slip soles for the safety of visitors

The use of repellent and sunscreen is recommended for the protection of visitors

The administrative area is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. However, the route to the viewing point has a medium to high level of difficulty, so the maximum time for visitors to enter is at 1:00 p.m.


During the rainy season, it is recommended to bring a coat or poncho and appropriate footwear.

In case of rain or other extreme weather events, which may put the safety of visitors and area staff at risk, the operation may be limited or the park may be closed completely, so it is advisable to call ahead to find out the conditions.

To guarantee your space and adequate attention, it is recommended to make a reservation prior to your visit

EASY AS... 1,2,3 Booked! 🤝 Click here to start your reservation process


Welcome to Central America!

Can the Smithsonian Tropical Research let me know…why they refer to Central America as the "Panama Isthmus"?

It was not Panama that appeared alone, and Panama is a Country not the Isthmus itself. This is not Panama territory, if anything will be Central America. The home of Costa Rica...the capital of the Universe! ( this last part is a joke of course 😉😂).

Isthmus:

isth·mus / ˈis(TH)məs /

"A narrow strip of land with sea on either side, forming a link between two larger areas of land." - Oxford Languages

Barra Honda & Nacaome Lookout

Costa Rica

You will be riding along the last land that emerged from the ocean to connect North and South America.

Image: Google Maps Satellite View of Costa Rica

You will glance into the ground where ancient nomads once coexisted with mammoths, and many of the animals that might have passed through this biological bridge. Experience the land and honor the remarkable Aboriginal Knowledge.

How Costa Rica was formed?

Image by "La Nacion" a local newspaper

Costa Rica is part of the Central American isthmus and borders Nicaragua to the North, Panama to the South, the Atlantic Ocean to the East, and the Pacific Ocean to the West

Millions of years ago, when the isthmus emerged from the sea to join North and South America, mammals had the opportunity to cross the land bridge in both directions. But the result of this mass migration—a large proportion of North American mammals moving toward South America, but limited movement in the opposite direction—was limited.

Barra Honda, National Park

Description adapted and translated from “Tesoro Natural: Parque Nacional Barra Honda” - by Audiovisuales UNED - Jul 24, 2019


If you are learning Spanish or know Spanish send me a request to receive the original link, the words used by the UNED Narrator are like a poem.

“On the surface, you'll discover lush tropical vegetation, exotic plants, and wildlife like white-tailed deers and anteaters! 🦌 A true wild paradise! 🐜 🌿 and thanks to fire control and protection programs The animal population has thrived!

With 290 hectares of evergreen forest in Nicoya, Guanacaste, this place is a sanctuary for nature! Go now before it is too late! 🌳

Embrace the moment! Ready to venture underground? That's where the real magic happens!

Only 50% of this extraordinary cave system has been explored—about 19 caves! The rock formations are otherworldly—some look like popcorn, others like shark teeth! 🦈 You’ve got to experience this natural wonder for yourself!

This tour will explode your mobile phone storage with so many many many memories! 😱

Declared a National Park in 1974, Barra Honda is a hidden gem in Costa Rica, and it plays a vital role as an aquifer reserve for surrounding communities! 💧” - UNED

Book your tour with a driver or take the wheel of the UTV yourself!

Hurry up because, unfortunately, 2024 news stories were too often highlighted by irregularities in construction and deforestation permits in protected areas like Refugio de vida Silvestre and also Punta Mala-Playa Hermosa. Every visit helps preserve this park and its incredible biodiversity!

The tour includes lunch, park entry, snacks, an off-road four by four chaperone guide and another cavern expert guide.

Everything’s set for an unforgettable adventure!

Click here to: Contact Concierge or Book now on our website!

Nacaome Mammoths

Can you tell What's the difference between a mastodon and a mammoth?

Slight differences in skull, tooth, and tusk shape set these extinct proboscideans apart. D. Finnin/©AMNH

Mammoths (genus Mammuthus) and mastodons (genus Mammut) were both large, elephant-like mammals, but they belong to different branches of the elephant family.

Physical Differences: Mammoths had long, curved tusks and were adapted to cold environments, with long hair and a hump of fat for insulation. They were larger and had a more domed back. Mastodons were shorter, stockier, and had straighter tusks. They had shorter hair and were better adapted to forested environments, feeding more on shrubs and trees rather than grasses.

Diet: Mammoths were primarily grazers, feeding on grasses and other open, cold-climate vegetation.Mastodons were browsers, eating a variety of leaves, twigs, and shrubs.

Timeline: Mammoths roamed from the Pleistocene Epoch until they went extinct around 4,000 years ago.Mastodons appeared earlier, during the Miocene, and became extinct about 10,000 years ago.

Mastodon Fossils in Costa Rica

True Story!

In 1978, a local resident named Vetsalio Rivas found fossil remains of a mastodon, and in the early 1990s, the Museum's Anthropology Department excavated the site to find out if the mastodon was hunted by humans. Since then, paleontology specialists have found at least three extinct species that once lived in the area.

As for the mastodon found in Nacome, it is presumed to have died drinking water from the Nacaome River, near Quebrada Honda de Nicoya, when a flood or a landslide buried it alive.

Infographic by Geology Section of the Natural History Department of the National Museum of Costa Rica

By then, at the time when prehistoric elephants walked the beaches, rivers and forests of Costa Rica, there were indeed humans populating the continent but at the time there were still no complex societies.

It was still several thousand years before the Chorotegas arrived in these lands.

“There were isolated groups of humans who lived nomadically, moving from one point to another, looking for prey and collecting food. They created temporary camps, but there was a defined social structure” Javier Oviedo - geologist and anthropologist from the University of Costa Rica.

Nowadays, it is possible to observe coatis, raccoons, agoutis, white-tailed deer and anteaters. The increase in the animal population has been noticeable in recent years, due to the Fire Control and Protection programs.

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Image: Central American Isthmus

Costa Rica is part of the Central American isthmus and borders Nicaragua to the North, Panama to the South, the Atlantic Ocean to the East, and the Pacific Ocean to the West. Millions of years ago, when the isthmus emerged from the sea to join North and South America, mammals had the opportunity to cross the land bridge in both directions. But the result of this mass migration—a large proportion of North American mammals moving toward South America, but limited movement in the opposite direction—was limited.

A journey through culture and time!

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