This post will share everything you need to know about visiting the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, the first ever protected area in Costa Rica. We’ll cover the trail options, wildlife and important visitor info.
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About the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve
Located at the southern point of the Nicoya Peninsula in the tiny town of Cabuya, the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco) is a protected area offering jungle hiking, remote beaches and plenty of wildlife.
The reserve spans a land area of 1,373 hectares (3,393 acres) and a marine area of 1,688 hectares (4,171 acres), housing a huge variety of animals, birds, marine life and native flora.
There are three trails, but the most common is the lengthy 10 km / 6.2 mi Sueco Trail, which leads to the remote and untouched Playa Cabo Blanco.
Within easy reach of Montezuma and Santa Teresa / Mal Pais, spending a day hiking the trails of the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve is a must-do in the area.
History of the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve
The Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve is a very special place in Costa Rica and plays a significant and meaningful part in the country’s conservation ethos.
Cabo Blanco was the country’s first ever nature reserve, preserving a piece of primary forest for conservation purposes.
A Swedish man, Nicolas Wessberg, came to Costa Rica in the 1960s with his Danish wife Karen Mogenson, in search of a life in harmony with nature.
After purchasing a parcel of land on the coast of Montezuma (which nowadays is the Nicolas Wessenberg Nature Reserve that you will pass if you hike to Playa Cocalito and El Chorro Waterfall), Nicolas travelled to Cabo Blanco to search for seeds to grow more native plants on their farm.
At this time, the Costa Rican government was encouraging locals to clear the area of forest, in order to have productive agricultural land. The reward for clearing a parcel of forest was that you were awarded ownership of the land.
Nicolas realised how biologically diverse this area was, and with the help of international conservation organisations, he purchased the land. He urged the Costa Rican government to declare the area as protected, to avoid further destruction.
In 1963, the Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco was created, the first national park in Costa Rica. The ‘absoluta’ means absolute, and initially, the area was preserved absolutely for nature, with access only permitted to scientists.
The reserve has since been opened up to visitors, albeit in a controlled way, and the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve has paved the way for Costa Rica’s strong commitment to the conservation and preservation of nature. The network of national parks across the country all started here!
The two main trails in the park are named in their honour. The Sendero Danes or Danish Trail for Karen, and the Sendero Sueco or Swedish Trail for Nicolas.
Nicolas Wessburg was actually assassinated in the Osa Peninsula, whilst advocating for the creation of the Corcovado National Park. It’s a crazy story, and we learned more about it during our tour of the park. Corcovado is now the largest and most important national park in the whole country, and considered the most biologically intense place on earth – I’m so glad he fought for it.
You can read more about the important work of Nicolas and his wife Karen here.
How to get to the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve
Although the park spans the tip of the peninsula, there is only one access point for visitors. At the ranger station just past the small town of Cabuya, here.
There is a large car park right next to the ranger station that is free to use if you’re driving.
From Montezuma
🚙 By car
It’s an easy 30-minute drive from Montezuma. You just drive straight down the main road until it ends at the reserve. Plug this location into your map. The roads are partly dirt, but you don’t need a 4×4.
🚌 By bus
If you don’t have a car, Montezuma is the easiest jump-off point to get to the park via bus. Buses leave from the bus stop in town, and are bound for the town of Cabuya, but will take travellers near to the entrance of the park. Expect to pay around 1,200 Colones per person (~$2 USD). The ride will take about 50 minutes.
Montezuma – Cabo Blanco
- 8:20 am*
- 11:20 am
- 2:20 pm
Cabo Blanco – Montezuma
- 9:30 am
- 12:30 pm
- 3:30 pm*
I found these times from this semi-recent review on Google Maps. The schedule differs depending on the day of the week. On the days the park is open there is a consistent morning bus at 8:20 am which I would recommend, and a consistent return bus at 3:30 pm. Pop into the bus stop the day before your visit, to triple-check the latest times.
From Santa Teresa / Mal Pais
🚙 By car
There are two possible routes to drive from Santa Teresa/Mal Pais to Cabo Blanco.
If you’ve got a 4×4, or it’s the dry season and you’ve got a relatively high clearance SUV, you can take the quick route past Mal Pais. We did this and had no problem. They are dirt roads, but in the dry season, there were no real rivers to cross. This route is the quickest, around 40 minutes.
Otherwise, you’ll need to head north to Cobano, into Montezuma and approach from there. This route takes approximately 1 hour.
🚌 By bus
Although it’s possible to take the bus from Santa Teresa to Cabo Blanco, I wouldn’t recommend it.
You’ll first need to get to Montezuma, which involves a bus from Santa Teresa to Cobano, where you’ll change to a Montezuma-bound bus. Then you’ll connect with the bus from Montezuma to Cabuya as above.
This is likely to take upwards of 4 hours. I don’t think you’d have enough time in the day to hike as well.
🚐 By tour
If you can’t dedicate a few nights in Montezuma to your itinerary (it’s sooo much better than Santa Teresa!), I would instead recommend taking a tour.
They’re not cheap, but unless you have your own vehicle, this is the only realistic way to have enough time at the reserve to do the hike and get back in one day.
Selina runs a tour, and I also found an option with local tour company Manakin Tours, who seem to specialise in wildlife and nature-based experiences. There are plenty of other tour operators around Santa Teresa advertising different excursions to Cabo Blanco.
Visiting the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve
Opening hours
The Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve is open from Wednesday – Sunday from 8 am – 4 pm. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday giving the park and wildlife a day to rest.
Although the park closes at 4 pm, if you are planning to hike to the beach, you should arrive by 11 am, to ensure you have enough time to get there and back. You need to leave the beach no later than 2 pm.
Entrance fee
The entrance fee for foreign visitors is $12 USD + 13% IVA tax, which equates to around $13.56.
Kids from 6 – 12 are $5 + tax, and kids under 5 are free. Locals have different prices.
You are encouraged to pay by credit card, but I believe you can also pay in cash in USD or Colones.
Hiking in Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve
There are only three trails inside the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, so it’s pretty easy to plan your day.
You can choose to do a short jungle loop, the Danes Trail, or hike all the way to Playa Cabo Blanco and back, the Sueco Trail. The Sueco Trail connects with the Danes Trail. There is one additional trail near the ranger’s office, the Arboretum Trail.
All the trails are clearly defined, but natural, jungle style. There are rocks, tree roots and uneven sections. The trails are quite steep in parts, and if it’s particularly uneven, there are some concrete pavers to assist.
There are a few small rivers to cross, most of which have make-shift bridges from wooden planks. In the dry season, it’s nothing more than a trickle, but in the wet season, they can be more substantial.
Something to be aware of is the incredibly oppressive heat. I love warm weather, but both Brayden and I were absolutely cooking. The type of forest and the generally higher temperatures of the Nicoya Peninsula combine to make this one sweaty hike. It’s a far cry from the moist and cool cloud forests of Monteverde, so please be prepared!
Sendero Arboretum / Arboretum Trail
- 🧭 Distance – 1 km / 0.6 mi
- 🥾 Trail type – loop
- 🔋 Difficulty – easy
- ⏰ Time needed – approximately 30 minutes
The Arboretum Trail is a short loop in the opposite direction of the ranger station. We didn’t do this, and I can’t specifically remember what this trail is about, but from memory, it is designed to showcase the large range of trees and plants in the reserve.
My understanding is that the loop trail is flat on a relatively even surface. If you have mobility issues or kids, this is a good one. You might like to combine it with the Danes Trail for a lengthier hike, but still not as long or as strenuous as the Sueco Trail.
Sendero Danes / Danish Trail
- 🧭 Distance – 2 km / 1.2 mi
- 🥾 Trail type – loop
- 🔋 Difficulty – easy – moderate
- ⏰ Time needed – approximately 1 hour
If you’re not up for a big walk, or you’ve got kids in tow, Sendero Danes is probably the best choice for you. It gives you a taste of what you can expect on the Sueco Trail, as both connect, without needing to commit to an all-day hike!
Starting from the entrance, this is a 2 km / 1.2 mi looping trail. You’ll experience the tropical forest of the area and have a good chance of spotting some wildlife like monkeys or deer.
Most of this trail is pretty flat, but there are a couple of steep inclines and declines to tackle.
Sendero Sueco / Swedish Trail
- 🧭 Distance – 8 km + 2 km (Danes Trail) = 10 km total / 5 mi + 1.2 mi (Danes Trail) = 6.2 mi total
- 🥾 Trail type – out and back
- 🔋 Difficulty – moderate – challenging
- ⏰ Time needed – 4 – 5 hours with time at the beach (combined with the Danes Trail)
The real hero of the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve is the Sueco Trail. If you’ve got the time and energy, it’s worth tackling this hike.
Branching off from the Danes Trail, this trail is 8 km / 5 mi on its own, combined for a total of 10 km / 6.2 mi return trip from the ranger station.
The trail leads to Playa Cabo Blanco, a remote beach only accessible via hiking or boat. It’s the perfect halfway point of the hike, giving you the chance to swim and rest, before turning back.
The first part of the hike on the Danes Trail is relatively flat, but gradually starts to incline once you reach the Sueco Trail. There are some pretty steep sections that had us sweating and puffing.
The trail peaks around 2 km / 1.2 mi into the Sueco Trail, and then you start the sharp decline to the beach. This is a killer coming back up again.
The Sueco Trail shouldn’t be underestimated! We found it quite challenging, with the long distance, intense heat and steep inclines.
We were rationing our water before we even arrived at the beach, and ran out on the way back. By the time we got back to the ranger station, we were parched and desperate for water. We met a couple of other travellers who had already run out before even reaching the beach, so please bring more than you think you’ll need.
Playa Cabo Blanco
The Sueco Trails leads to the Playa Cabo Blanco. Accessible only to those who tackle the challenging hike, the beach is raw and wild.
The island you’ll see offshore is the namesake of the reserve. Cabo Blanco means white cape in English, and the Spanish named the area as such because the rocky island was always covered in white guano from all the seabirds that lived there.
There isn’t a lot of soft sand to lay down your towel, as the beach is mostly made up of large pebbles. It makes a beautiful sound with the waves crashing over it.
When we visited, the waves were seriously strong, and combined with the pebbles thrashing around, it wasn’t ideal for a swim. But we had a quick dip to cool off and it was lovely. From what I can see, it isn’t always that rough, and I think it was high tide when we visited so that probably made it worse.
There are plenty of shady trees lining the shore to sit and rest. Bring a picnic lunch or some snacks to reward yourself at the beach.
There aren’t any toilets or change rooms at the beach. But there are some outdoor showers which were incredible to rinse all the sweat and salt off.
Obviously, this was fresh water, but there was nothing to indicate it was safe to drink. We didn’t take our chances, but with a filtration bottle, you could probably refill it here.
Wildlife inside the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve
There are so many different kinds of animals and birds that live inside the reserve, although some are more elusive than others.
One species that we saw a lot of here and not really anywhere else in Costa Rica was the white-tailed deer. They were everywhere in the forest, and we were so lucky to have a very cute encounter with a baby and its mum. We came across them on the trail and after carefully stopping a few metres away, they hung around for a while and weren’t scared of us.
We heard howler monkeys throughout our whole hike but didn’t get a great look at any. There are also white-faced capuchin monkeys around too.
We saw a couple of agoutis foraging on the forest floor, and a coati ran across our path at one point.
There is a lot of different birdlife, and this was the first time we got a good look at a lineated woodpecker. There was a family with a mum and two adolescents pecking away. The younger ones were so sweet trying to peck at the bark, but not making a whole lot of progress with their small and untrained beaks!
We saw a male and female pair of great curassows, and out on the coast, there is a range of seabirds like pelicans, frigate birds and boobies.
One thing we will always associate with Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve is land crabs. These crazy red and purple critters are all over Costa Rica, but our hike here was the first time we had encountered them.
There were thousands, and I mean thousands of crabs on the forest floor. They are constantly moving around, making scuttling noises in the leaf litter. It took us a while to realise what they were, and we were worried they were snakes! Once you see them, they are everywhere you look. They’re very funny to watch, getting defensive with their pincers in the air if you get near them. If they just sat still you wouldn’t even notice them, but instead they’re scuttling around like crazies!
A lot of people say there are felines and big cats living inside the reserve, like jaguarundis, margays and even pumas, but it’s almost impossible to see them.
If you’re very lucky you may also spot an anteater, an armadillo or a paca (a rodent-like creature similar to an agouti).
Amenities at the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve
At the ranger station at the entrance, there are toilets (you could change in here if needed) and taps with safe drinking water to fill up your bottles.
Once you start the hike, there are no other amenities.
There is an outdoor shower at Playa Cabo Blanco to rinse off the salt water, but I don’t believe this water is safe to drink. There are no bathrooms at the beach.
What to wear
Cool and comfortable clothes. It is insanely hot! Thankfully the trail is shaded most of the way, but don’t forget a hat and whatever other sun protection you use.
In terms of shoes, runners, hiking boots or hiking sandals are fine. The trail is steep and slippery in parts.
I would suggest wearing your swimmers or getting changed at the entrance as there is nowhere to get changed at the beach. Even if you don’t swim in the ocean, you’ll most likely want to have a rinse-off in the showers!
What to bring
This hike is long, hot and remote, so you need to come prepared!
- 🥾 Comfortable walking shoes – if you prefer hiking boots or runners, great. If you’ve got hiking sandals that you’re comfortable in, they can also work.
- 🩳 Lightweight hiking clothes – it is going to be seriously hot!
- 👙 Swimwear – I would suggest wearing it, as there aren’t any changing rooms at the beach.
- 🧖🏽♀️ Towel – for sitting on at the beach and drying off after a dip or shower.
- 🎒 Waterproof bag – to be prepared in case of rain. It can rain anytime in Costa Rica!
- 🌞 Sunscreen – reef friendly! A hat, sunglasses and a t-shirt aren’t a bad idea for sun protection either.
- 🦟 Insect repellent – I don’t recall the bugs being particularly bad, but you are in the jungle.
- 💧 Water – and LOTS of it! Minimum two litres per person if you’re hiking both ways. It is HOT and you will go through it very quickly.
- 🍍 Snacks – bring plenty of snacks or a picnic lunch. Fruit, lollies, chips, energy bars, sandwiches etc. you’ll need lots of fuel and a reward at the beach. There is nowhere to get food on the trail.
Where to stay in Montezuma
Being the closest jump-off point to the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, with a lovely laidback local vibe, we highly recommend spending a few days in Montezuma!
Montezuma hosts some fantastic accommodations, all exuding the chilled vibes and friendly nature of the town. There are great options at all price points. Here are some of our favourites:
- 💰 Luminosa Montezuma Hostel
- $10 USD + per night check prices and browse photos here
- 💰 Luz en el Cielo Eco B&B and Hostel
- $30 USD + per night check prices and browse photos here
- 💰💰 Hotel El Jardin
- $70 USD + per night check prices and browse photos here
- 💰💰 Hotel Amor de Mar
- $80 USD + per night check prices and browse photos here
- 💰💰💰 Hotel Nya
- $150 USD + per night check prices and browse photos here
- 💰💰💰 Casa Frangipani
- $150 USD + per night check prices and browse photos here
Where to after Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve?
If you’re hanging around in Montezuma, there are plenty of other great things to do! The Montezuma Waterfalls are a set of three waterfalls near the centre of town. If you’re up for another lengthy hike, on the beach this time, we recommend visiting Playa Cocalito and El Chorro Waterfall, where you’ll pass by the Nicolas Wessberg Reserve.
The Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve is a wonderful and underrated national park in Costa Rica. Enjoy a lengthy hike through dense tropical forests, a secluded beach and tons of wildlife for a cheap price without the crowds. Add it to your Nicoya Peninsula itinerary!
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