National Parks and Reserves in Costa Rica
NORTH PACIFIC
1 Bolanos Island National Wildlife Refuge
2 Santa Rosa National Park
3 Guanacaste National Park
4 Rincon de la Vieja Volcano & National Park
5 laguna las Camelias National Wildlife Reserve
6 Miravalles Volcano National Park
7 Tenorio Volcano National Park
8 Iguanita National Wildlife Reserve
9 Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve
10 Palo Verde National Park
11 las Baulas National Marine Park |
12 Barra Honda National Park
13 Mata Redonda Wildlife Reserve
14 Ostional National Wildlife Reserve
15 Bosque Diria National Wildlife Reserve
16 Camaronal National Wildlife Reserve
17 Werner Sauter National Wildlife Reserve
18 Nicolas Wesberg Nature Reserve
19 Cabo Blanco Wildlife Reserve
20 Curu National Wildlife Reserve
21 Guayabo, Negritos & Los Pajaros Islands |
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NORTHERN HIGHLANDS
22 Cano Negro Wildlife Reserve
23 Arenal Volcano National Park
24 Juan Castro Blanco N.P.
CLOUD FOREST
25 Monteverde C.F.R. & Santa Elena C.F.R.
26 Penas Blancas Wildlife Refuge
27 Alberto MI. Brenes B.R.
28 Bosque Alegre N.W.R.
29 Poas Volcano National Park
30 Braulio Carrillo National Park
31 Barva Volcano National Park
32 Irazu Volcano National Park
33 Turrialba Volcano National Park
CENTRAL VALLEY
34 Carara N P Cerro Vueltas B. R.
36 Macizo la Muerte-Tapantf N.P.
37 Chirripo National Park
CENTRAL PACIFIC
38 F.Castro Cervantes N.W.R.
39 Manuel Antonio National Park
40 Portalon Wildlife Reserve
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CARIBBEAN
41 Barra del Colorado National Park
42 Tortuguero National Park
43 Dr. Archie Carr National Wildlife Reserve
44 Guayabo National Monument
45 Barbilla National Park
46 Limoncito National Wildlife Reserve
47 Cahuita National Park
48 Hitoy-Cerere Biological Reserve
49 Gandoca-Manzanillo National Park
50 La Amistad International Park |
SOUTH PACIFIC
51 Baru del Pacifico National Wildlife Reserve
52 Ballena National Marine Park
53 Cocos Island National Park
54 Cano Island Biological Reserve
55 Punta Rio Claro National Wildlife Reserve
56 Corcovado National Park
57 Piedras Blancas National Park
58 Golfito National Wildlife Reserve
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The protection of Costa Rica's natural heritage is managed by the respective national parks and reserves. These areas protect many species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fresh and salt water fish, and a vast number of identified vascular plants-representing 4% of the world's total floral and faunal species.
In addition, these management groups protect examples of almost all the existing natural habitats such as deciduous forests, mangrove swamps, rain forests, herbaceous swamps, cloud forests, paramos, hilillo forests and marshlands. They also protect areas of historical and archaeological interest, such as pre-Columbian settlements and early battlefields, as well as beautiful areas of scenic interest, such as beaches, valleys and waterfalls. But above all, the areas of particular interest to the conservationist are the zones which protect the last remaining examples of Central American dry forest and the beaches where the sea turtles nest.
The protection of Costa Rica's natural resources has implications beyond its borders because they encompass an incredible biodiversity, including numerous species on the verge of extinction. All of this is the reason the country has become one of the most popular destinations for visiting ecologists and biologists.
On the whole, access to these areas and facilities are freely available provided the visitor respects the need to protect them. These protected areas are ideal for hiking and rafting, for watching the birds and other wildlife, for camping and just for enjoying in general, their rivers, beaches, jungles, mountain forests, volcanoes as well as their historic and archaeological sites.
