Located just off the Pacific Coast Highway, on the way to Jacó, this is one of the best places in Costa Rica to see scarlet macaws. There are several trails through the park, including one that is wheelchair accessible. The park is comprised of various ecosystems, ranging from rainforests to transitional forests to mangroves.
Birds: Scarlet macaw, collared aracari, needle ducks, water rooster, American egret, great tinamou, turkey vulture, roseate spoonbille, jacanas, pied-bellied grebes, Mexican tiger-bitterns, hummingbirds
Vegetation
Transitional zone between dry and humid forests – evergreen forests, espavel, silk cotton, wild fig, nargusta, quamwood, cristobal, ron ron, water lily,
Services
Information center, primitive latrines, potable water, parking
Rugged topography with more than 3500 mm of rainfall per year leave this mountainous tropical forest full of dangerous rivers and waterfalls.But this is one of the most important examples of the biological complex formed by evergreen forest in the country. The high precipitation encourages the development of trees that rise a height of 50 meters. The wildlife can be difficult to observe as many species are nocturnal or live in the high canopy of the trees. However, over 115 bird species have been identified.
Attractions
Foliage, waterfalls, bird watching
Animals
Tapirs, jaguars, anteaters, peccaries, porcupines, armadillos, opossums, sloths, howler and white-faced monkeys, and a large variety of butterflies frogs, and snakes. Birds: green kingfisher, slaty-tailed trogon, blue-headed parrot, owls turkey, vultures, cayenne squirrel-cuckoo, spectacled owl, keel-billed toucans, blue-crested hummingbird, and the Montezuma oropendo.
Vegetation
Generally the trees and the forests rise high. Mosses and lichens, bromeliads and orchids cover the trees here. The trees that grow here are crabwood, Santa Maria, possum-wood, wild tamarind, silk cotton, malady, bully tree, balsa, gumbo-limbo and cow tree.
Services
None
Park Size
9,154 hectares (22,610 acres)
Location
Part of La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, southeast of Valle de la Estrella, 45 kilometers from Limón.
Wildlife is relatively sparse, with the most common being the garza del ganado, the gavilán cangrejero, the eagle fisher and the piquero moreno. Mammals are represented by four-eyed fox, the tepezcuintle, some rats species and several bats. Also evident are small snakes, the boa, frogs and lizards. Along the beach you can view whales, dolphins, sea stars.
Vegetation
Ferns, heliconias, bejucos and tree species like mango, oranges, guayabo and bananas.
Services
None
Park Size
200 hectares (494 acres) land
2,700 hectares ( 6,669 acres) marine
Location
Pacific Ocean in front of Corcovado National Park, on the Peninsula Osa.
ISLAS GUAYABO, NEGRITOS, and PÁJAROS BIOLIGIC RESERVES: These four islands are refuges for marine birds, particularly pelicans, sea snipes, laughing gulls and brown boobies. The islands also are rich in marine life including hermit crabs, oysters, conks and barnacles. The gulf and the islands have a dry climate and offer great scenic beauty.
Attractions
Scenic beauty – accessible only by boat from Puntarenas
Animals
GuayaboIsland is one of the four biggest nestling sites of the brown pelican and is an wintering site for the peregrine falcon. The Negritos Islands are are rich in marine life including dolphin tuna, mackerel, hermit crabs, oysters, conks and barnacles – on the island are raccoon, parrots, & doves. Pájaros has rock oyster, crustaceans and hermit crabs around the beach.
Vegetation
Guayabo Island has little vegetation; The Negritos Islands are covered with semidecisious forest with many trees, including flor blanca, pochote and indio desnudo. The Pájaros is covered with the guísaro bush. You can also find here monkey's creeper, a plant having medicinal properties.The gulf and the island have dry climate and offer great scenic beauty. Pájaros is round and dome shaped with the same kind of vegetation as GuayaboIsland: short and stunted vegetation with shrubs and low-growing forests. The main species growing in the forests are guava, stinking toe and crown fig.
This dry forest habitat with patches of evergreen forests along the streams in the reserve is estimated to hold 240 species of bees – almost ¼ of the world’s bee species. One of the more unique genus are the large, solitary, tunneling, Abejas Antofóridas-Centris bees. There are countless types of beetles, flies, and butterflies that inhabit this reserve. Lomas Barbudal (Bearded Hills) Biological Reserve also has excellent birdwatching potential for the species that occur in tropical dry forest
Attractions
Birds, Bees, Butterfly watching
Animals
Birds: Long-tailed Manakin, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Stub-tailed Spadebill, Olive Sparrow, and Black-headed Trogon). Mammals: Mantled Howler Monkeys, White-throated Capuchin Monkeys, Variegated Squirrels, Banded Anteaters, lions, raccoons and Tayras (an all black member of the weasel family).
Vegetation
Plant life is varied, (ron ron, pochote, cristobol and cocobolo) with many kinds of forests. The river forests are always green and dense. The savanna is covered with trees and pasture. Many of these trees, bushes and other kinds of plants are great producers of fruits, oil, nectar and pollen for birds, mammals and insects.
Services
Information center, picnic areas, potable water, parking
Park Size
2,279 hectares ( 5,629 acres)
Location
GuanacasteProvince, 15 km (3.7 miles) SW of Bagaces
The Monteverde (GreenMountain) Cloud Forest Reserve, a renowned birdwatchers’ paradise, spans the Continental Divide at 1,440 meters 4,662 feet. The upper ridges of the Reserve are noted for their wind-sculpted, dwarfed woodlands, while the lower, protected areas are home to rainforests that offer majestically tall trees which are often “decorated” with orchids, bromeliads, ferns, vines and mosses. The deeper gorges also allow for scenic waterfalls as you explore this Reserve. One of the most famous nature Reserves, Monteverde was founded by a dairy community of Quakers and Costa Ricans over 40 years ago, and even today the excellent cheeses of Monteverde are still made there. The tropical scienceCenter now administers the cloud forest reserve, which is home to many rare species of plants and animals.
Attractions
Cloud forest, Dwarfed Ridge woodlands, water falls, Bird Watching, 420 varieties of orchids, hiking
Animals
Bird Wildlife includes the Jaguar, Ocelot, Baird’s Tapir, Hummingbirds, Three-wattled Bellbird, Bare necked Umbrella Bird, Toucans, Tanagers and the Quetzal.
Vegetation
Dwarfed woodland, rainforest (depending on elevation)
