Parque Nacional Barra Honda — Attraction in San Antonio

The park was absolutely beautiful and we also did the cave tour! We had two others join us on the tour who spoke Spanish, but little English, and we spoke English and very little Spanish. Our guide Oscar was so kind and told us so much information about the park on the way to the caves and he happily repeated himself in both English and Spanish to accommodate all of us. We saw a big group of howler monkeys both on the way to the cave and the way back. We drove up the first few kilometers of the trail to a different parking lot to shorten the hike, but I wouldn't recommend this unless you have a 4x4 vehicle! It was very steep at times and extremely bumpy due to parts of the road being washed out. The cave was an awesome experience -- some of the formations in there were insane (both in size and shape!) and it was a very hands on experience given that you have to climb down and up a couple ladders. I am scared of heights, but the safety measures taken were very good and that put me at ease! Caves are a bit slippery so I would recommend wearing sturdy shoes and also shoes that you don't mind getting dirty!

Also, you can inquire for more information at the information point about doing other tours organized by the park employees. They offer a tortilla tour (actually done at Oscar's parents house!), which we became very interested in doing once Oscar told us about it. When we finished the cave tour, we inquired about the tortilla tour at the information point and were sad to find out that you normally have to book this tour 24 hours in advance and that the tour runs with a minimum of 4 people. However, the woman at the desk called Oscar's mother and she invited us (2 of us) over right away (11 minute drive from the park). She spoke very little English, but we had the most amazing time! She taught us how to make a traditional corn tortilla and also prepared a lunch of rice, beans, salad, cheese, and fresh natural orange juice for us. It was the most amazing experience we had on our entire trip (even better than volcano hikes, rio celeste, etc.) Oscar's family are an amazing bunch of people and we are so grateful they welcomed us into their home! I highly recommend the cave tour and the...

This was one of many highlights of my costs Rica adventure. I'll start by saying the hike was not a short one. It wasn't super tough. But it was super hot and much further than we were told. Bring lots of water for this hike. I ran out and there wasn't any along the way. Once you arrive you'll see there are lots of people standing around who once got there decided there's no way they were going in lol. You look into the hole and soon realize there about 12x24 foot ladders tied together ... yes tied together you have to climb down to reach the bottom. The ladders are tied all the same way so you feel as though you are going to fall off. I'm in shape and I'll tell you my arms were burning by the time I made it down. I was completed spent trying to climb out. You are given a helmet with a head lamp. You are harnessed and tied in. But the descent is sketchy at best. Once you're down it's well worth it. Stalagtites etc. Now there are little tunnels You can work your way through. Now half way through the tunnels there is a tiny space you have to slip through in order to keep going. 20% of the people couldn't squeeze through the hole to continue. So they headed back out. It's not about your height it's about your girth. I'm 6 foot 5 and made it. I'm skinny and was still a tight fit. Be prepared...

Visiting this park was a unique experience for me. I had never before explored a cave of this size. Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable excursion, although I thought it was overpriced and too short. Here are some tips/things you can expect: you pay park entry at the main entrance (about $14 US). The attendant there doesn’t speak much English at all. From there you can either park and walk up the entire way or drive up to one of two parking lots. You need a 4x4 or at least a vehicle with good traction and ground clearance to get past the main entrance lot. The top lot was full, so we had to park in the middle lot. It was about a 2km uphill walk from there to the caves. It’s a little strenuous, so bring lots of water. At the main cave we paid an additional $30 US per person (cash only) for the tour. The last descent into the cave is at 1pm, so arrive at the cave entrance before then. You climb down a ladder, safely harnessed in and belayed from above. At the bottom we were taken on a 10-15 min tour of the cavern, hardly going more than 100 meters. And that’s it. It’s very warm in the cave, so bring water and wear light clothing. Wear hiking boots or running shoes. Headlamps are provided. Overall, a neat experience, but the experience that you get for the price leaves...