National Parks include:
- Arenal Volcano, located in the Arenal Conservation Area
- Ballena ("Whale"), located just south of Dominical, includes Punta Uvita, Playa Piñuela and Playa Ballena
- Braulio Carrillo, which includes Barva Volcano, Bajo la Hondura and Cacho Negro Peak
- Cahuita, includes Cahuita Point and Puerto Vargas
- Chirripo / La Amistad - two separate parks which form the Amistad-Talamanca Regional Conservation Unit. La Amistad extends into Panama.
- Cocos Island
- Corcovado, Osa Peninsula, along with Piedras Blancas National Park near Golfito
- Irazu Volcano
- Juan Castro Blanco, Bajos del Toro, at the head of the valley of the Río Toro
- Manuel Antonio, includes Playa Espadilla Sur, Playa Blanca, and Playa Puerto Escondido
- Playa Grande Marine Turtle, within the Tamarindo National Wildlife Refuge
- Poas Volcano
- Palo Verde, includes the Río Tempisque in the Gulf of Nicoya. contiguous with Caballero Wildlife Refuge and Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve, which with Barra Honda National Park and adjacent areas, form the Tempisque Megapark
- Rincon de la Vieja
- Santa Rosa covers much of the Santa Elena peninsula. part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area (GCA)--that incorporates Santa Rosa National Park, Rincón de la Vieja National Park, Bolaños Island Wildlife Refuge, the Junquillal Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and the Horizontes Experimental Station.
- Tapanti, situated in the Orosi Valley, surrounded by the Macho River Forest Reserve
- Tortuguero
National Reserves include:
- Barra del Colorado
- Cabo Blanco Strict, at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula
- Caño Island, off shore from Corcovado National Park (Osa Peninsula)
- Caño Negro
- Carara
- Gandoca Manzanillo
- Guayabo Monument, a prehistoric village near Turrialba
- Hitoy Cerere
- Lomas Barbudal