The story behind the creation of Barbilla National Park is interesting. The park is located on the Caribbean-facing slopes of the Talamanca Mountain Range, about 25 km east of Turrialba and approximately 3 km east of Siquirres, along the road leading to the port city of Limón. It spans across the provinces of Cartago and Limón.

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Barbilla National Park is famous not only for its rich biodiversity but also as one of the oldest geological regions in the country. Additionally, it is part of the Amistad Biosphere Reserve, covering 1.5 million acres and designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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The fate of the approximately 12,000 hectares of tropical rainforest within the park could have been very different. In 1990 and the following years, it was on the verge of being logged. In response to this threat, a group of conservation-minded individuals, including the families and relatives behind Barbilla Rainforest Lodge, established the Nairi Foundation with the goal of protecting the area. After organized efforts and with financial support from the Swedish organization Diakonia, the area was declared a Biological Reserve in 1992. However, a new threat emerged in 1996, prompting the Nairi Foundation to take further action. With the support of the local network of organizations, Foro Emaús, the Apostolic Vicariate of Limón, the Swedish government, and several environmental organizations, pressure was applied to the Costa Rican government to take action. Finally, in 1997, the area was declared a National Park, ensuring the protection of its biodiversity, including six species of felines and many endemic species.

 

In 2006, the Nairi Foundation published the guide Talamanca Indómita: Chronicles – Field Guide to Barbilla National Park, Costa Rica, in collaboration with the Department of Ecumenical Research. The author, Ingemar Hedström, describes the park as the primary source of endemic species in Costa Rica, including insects, birds, plants, and especially bromeliads, species found nowhere else in the world.
Additionally, Hedström and Rodríguez G. discovered a new species of crab, Ptychophallus barbillaensis. Costa Rican researcher Carolina Sánez, along with other scientists, published an article in 2019 describing the rare "jungle dogs" (Speothos venaticus) observed in the park.