Mexico and Central America have many National Parks and Natural Preserves beckoning for you to visit. Visit the links below to begin your adventure!
Baja California
Constitución de 1857 (National Park)
This 13,000-acre park, located in the Sierra Juárez Mountains, has some of the cleanest air on the planet. View deer, bald eagles, pine and oak forest while hiking or camping. Laguna Hanson sits in the middle of the park.
Sierra de San Pedro Mártir (National Park)
This massive range of mountains, 165,000 acres in size, is covered with pine, oak and madrone forests. It is home to over thirty species of bats, pumas, mountain lions, and bighorn sheep. The park is the wettest area on the Baja Peninsula, and from October to May the mountains are covered with snow. The park also boasts Baja's highest peak at 3,086 m., Picacho del Diablo.
Isla Rasa (Special Biosphere Reserve)
Located in the Gulf of California, this reserve is only 17 acres in size. On this island 90% of the world's brown sea gulls (larus hermanni) make their nests. Seals and the yellow-footed sea gull also inhabit the area.
El Vizcaíno (Biosphere Reserve)
This reserve is the largest in the world, made up of over six and one half million acres of islands, deserts, and coniferous forests. The gray whale is the reserve's most interesting inhabitant, where it hibernates and reproduces. Wildlife such as the lynx, puma, red-tail falcon, and white pelican also reside in the unique area.
Isla Guadalupe (Special Biosphere Reserve)
One of the first protected areas of Mexico, this 62,500-acre island in the Pacific Ocean is a prime refuge to sea lions and seals. Unique volcanic geology and specially adapted plants make this reserve a scientist's paradise.
Isla del Golfo (Special Biosphere Reserve)
Fifty-three islands in the Gulf of California make up this well preserved 375,000-acre reserve. The are is very isolated, making it ideally suited for scientific research and environmental education. Iguanas, lizards, ospreys, sea gulls and cormorant are some of the island's many inhabitants.
Campeche
Calakmul (Biosphere Reserve)
This important archaeological zone covers 1,807,961 acres of dense jungle and Mayan ruins. The ancient city of Calakmul was Mayan city second in importance only to Tikal in Guatemala. This reserve is also one of the most important habitats in Mexico for wild felines.
Coahuila
Balneario de Los Novillos (National Park)
Just across the United States border, this 105-acre park is an oasis in the desert. The lake is surrounded by walnut, oak and willow, and also many species of cactus. Wildlife such as coyote, tortoises, deer and jack rabbit find this park the ideal habitat.
Colima
Volcán Nevado de Colima (National Park)
Two volcanoes are located within the boundaries of this 55,500-acre park. The dormant 4,335-m. Nevado de Colima is visited frequently by European mountaineers, who compare it to Mount Cervino in the Alps. The foothills of this volcano are covered with pine, fir, and oak forests inhabited by falcons, hummingbirds and many species of reptiles.
A second volcano with active vents, Volcán de Fuego, at 3,600 m., is also located within the park. Just south of the park is Coyutlan Beach where the famous "green wave" appears a few times each year.
Chiapas
Palenque (National Park)
This 4,398-acre park protects on of the most important archaeological sites and some of Mexico's great cultural treasures, including the Mayan inscription temple and a Myana palace. The park is surrounded by tropical forest. Toucans, parrots, ocelots, spider monkeys - all endangered species - live within its boundaries. The ruins themselves are situated on a high plain, where magnificent sunrises and sunsets can be seen.
Cañon del Sumidero (National Park)
One of the largest national parks in the country with 54,470 acres, this spectacular canyon has walls up to 1,000 m. high. Within the canyon's oak jungles are deer, spider monkeys, anteaters, and many aquatic bird species. The park offers camping, river rafting, and various lookout points to view the magnificent scenery.
Cascadas de Agua Azúl (Special Biosphere Reserve)
Near the Palenqu ruins, this 6,450-acre reserve features the turquoise blue waters of Shumuljá and Tulijá rivers and falls, flowing through evergreen forests and the habitat of jaguars, tapir, and the toucan.
El Triunfo (Biosphere Reserve)
This cloud forest in Jaltenango de la Paz consists of twelve different micro-climates. Spanish cedar and mahogany are abundant. Quetzal birds, jaguars, and toucans can be found here.
Seva del Ocote (Special Biosphere Reserve)
This 120,350-acre reserve is made up of several rivers and watersheds, which run through evergreen forests inhabited by many endangered species such as the harp eagle, king vulture, jaguar, and tapir.
Lagunas de Montebello (National Park)
Some of the most beautiful natural scenery in Mexico is found in this 15,055-acre park. Fifty-two lakes ranging in color from turquoise to black are surrounded by pine and hardwood forests. The rare quetzal bird, as well as other wildlife and migratory birds, are found here. The park offers opportunites for camping, swimming, exploring nearby Mayan ruins and the "Bridge of God" caves.
Montes Azules (Biosphere Reserve)
Rich in tropical wood and covered with rivers, this 828,000-acre reserve is home to several indigenous tribes such as the Lacandona, Chnoles, Tzetzales, Tzotziles, Mames and Chus. Two scientific research sites exist within the reserve, and opportunities are plentiful to study quetzal birds, harp eagles, spider monkeys, jaguar, tapir, and toucan.
Chihuahua
Casacada de Basaseachic (National Park)
The highest waterfall in the country at 313m. is located in this 14,505 acre pine and oak forest. White tail deer, mountain lion, pumas, falcons, and woodpeckers inhabit the area. The falls are the Sierra Tarahumara region known as the Copper Canyon.
Cumbres de Majalca (National Park)
Large rock formations and big cliffs are found in this 11,930 acre park norht of Chihuahua city. Many streams run through pine and oak forest here, where black bear, falcons, and woodpeckers are found. Camping and hiking are among the several opportunities available to enjoy the fabulous scenery.
Federal District (D.F.)
Desierto de Los Leones (National Park)
This 4,667 acre pine and oak forest provides water and oxygen to Mexico City. The park is well-kept and is ideal for day hikes.
El Tepeyac (National Park)
Located in the foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains, this 755 acre park is the only natural recreation area in the northern section of Mexico City. The main attraction of the park is Tepeyac Hill, which offers a view of the Basilica de Guadalupe.
Cerro de la Estrella (National Park)
Considered the most important natural area in the East Mexican Valley, this 2,750 acre park has been reforested with eucalyptus trees. The prak's museum contains the remains of an ancient ceremonial center. During Easter, the scenes of the cross are played out in the park.
Cumbres del Ajusco (National Park)
This 2,300 acres park southwest of mexico City is the natural "lung" of the Mexican Valley. Three mountains over 3,700 m. in altitude make the park ideal for mountaineers and hikers. Sqyuirrels, rabbits and falcons are just some of the natural inhabitants.
Durango
Mapimí (Biosphere Reserve)
Surprising scenery is found in this 50,000 acre reserve. The wide plains situated between isolated mountain ranges are the prime habitats for the desrt tortoise, the largest tortoise in North America. Ongoing research to protect the tortoise takes places in this reserve.
La Michilía (Biosphere Reserve)
This 86,000 acre reserve located on the western slope of the Sierra Madre showcases temperate pine forest, pastures, and swamps inhabited by various fauna including wolves, black bear, white-tail deer, and wild boar.
Estado de Mexico
Nevado de Toluca (National Park)
This 127,500 acre park consists of evergreen forest, grass prairies and high plains. The Volcano Nevado fr Toluca, at over 4,500m., is well known known for it's crater containing two lakes. Scuba diving is sometimes practiced in the lakes, and mountain climbing and fishing are also available.
Desierto del Carmen o de Nixcongo (National Park)
This park features a dense old growth forest of pine and oak trees. Falcons,swans, doves and other wildlife are abundant here. Within the park exists an old monastery constructed in 1801. Beautiful paintings adorn the site. Here also lie the remains of a monk who restored and maintained the monastery for twenty years. Many natural springs are found in the hills; the park is ideal for day hikes.
Los Remedios (National Park)
1,000 acre park north of Mexico City is a popular getaway spot for the city's inhabitants. It offers a cool climate and many opportunities to hike or just enjoy the outdoors.
Izta - Popo (National Park)
Pine forests and high plains make up this 64,197 acre park. Two of Mexico's highest and most famous volcanoes, Popocatépetl and Iztacíhuatl, are popular for mountain and rock climbing. A climber's hotel with dormitory rooms is located within the park.
Zoquiapan y Anexas (National Park)
Thick forests with beautiful ravines and streams make up this 48,545 acre park. Deer, coyotes rabbits, and hummingbirds inhabit the area. Hiking and camping are possible, as well as horseback riding on the park's many trails.
Insurgente Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (National Park)
This 4,375 acre park is the site of famous Battle of Cross mountain during the first day of war of independence. A valley surrounded by mountains, this park offers brilliant flowering shrubs and dense forest. A trout hatchery is also operated here, with fishing and mountains climbing opportunities.
Molino de Flores Netzahualcóyotl (National Park)
The remains of a 17th century Gothic-style ranch and church are located within this 138 acre park. Eucalyptus and ash trees, as well as swallows, doves, and various species of reptiles inhabit the park.
Sacramonte (National Park)
A spectacular view of the Popocatépetl and Iztacíhuatl volcanoes is possible from the top of Sacramonte Hill in this 113 acre park. On top of the hill lieas a colonial temple used frequently for religious ceremonies. Cedars and oaks cover the park and many species of wildlife like falcons, rabbits, hummingbirds, and foxes are found within it's boundaries.
Bosencheve (National Park)
This beautiful 37,500 acre park is ideal for camping and day hikes. Two lakes are set within pine-covered forests, surrounded by valleys and mountains. Various species of migratory aquatic birds, woodpeckers and falcons inhabit the park.
Guerrero
El Veladero (National Park)
The deciduous forest of this park serves as an important source of water to the city of Acapulco. Various birds and reptiles live in the 7,900acre park which is one of the only natural areas surrounding the city. Trails exist for hiking and horseback riding through the park.
Hidalgo
El Chico (National Park)
This was the first national park in Mexico. Its 6,848 acres are made up of beautiful mountains covered with pine, fir and juniper. You'll find majestic rock formations and interesting geology.
Los Mármoles (National Park)
San Vicente gorge, almost 610 meters deep, and Cangando Mountain at 3,018 meters are the principal attractions of this 57,875 acre park. Forests of pine, juniper and wild walnut cover the gorge and mountains, and various animals and birds inhabit the area.
Tula (National Park)
The pyramid fo the Toltec God Quetzalcóatl lies in the center of this 248 acre park. Great monolithic sculptures are found at the top of the pyramid and the ruins of a ball court lie nearby. A museum is also located in the park.
Jalisco
Sierra de Manantlán (Biosphere Reserve)
This 34,894 acre reserve protects a variety of rare and endangered plants and animal species. A species of wild corn, in danger of extinction, is found in the reserve. Wildlife includes jaguars, badgers, wild turkeys, and migratory birds. The vegetation is mostly pine and oak forest mixed with deciduous jungle and savannas.
Michoacan
Lago de Camécuaro (National Park)
The Camécuaro Lake, formed by a series of natural springs, is the main attraction of this 23 acre park. Visitors can enjoy boating and swimming in the lake.
Mariposa Monarca (Special Biosphere Reserve)
This reserve is the hibernation point for the Monarch Butterfly. From November to March, visitors can follow trails to the forests where the butterfly spends the winter months. Make sure you see the Information Center and research areas.
Cerro de Garnica (National Park)
Tall rock formations offer fantastic views of the beautiful fir and pine forests in theis 2,420 acre park. It is an ideal place to camp and hike and to find wildlife such as the white-tail deer, gray fox and various reptiles.
Pico de Tancítaro (National Park)
The Tancítaro volcano is the main attraction in this 73,290 acre park. Forests of pine and fir situated on steep slopes offer beautiful scenery and ample opportunities exist to hile or rock climb.
Rayón (National Park)
This historic 85 acre park was the home of the Rayón brothers, famous soldiers during the War of Independence. This pine forest offers camping and hiking, as well as habitat for deer, falcons, and woodpeckers.
Insurgente José Maria Morelos y Pavón (National Park)
Natural springs and streams cover this 4,533 acre park. Pine and Mexican fir forests provide habitat for many birds and animals, and steep, broken slopes offer beautiful scenery.
More information on Mexican National Parks
More information on Mexican National Parks
More information on Mexican National Parks
Tikal National Park
More Information on Tikal National Park
More Information on Tikal National Park
More Information on Tikal National Park
Rio Dulce National Park
When a visitor came to Río Dulce in 1839, he called it "a fairy scene of Titan land, combining exquisite beauty with colossal grandeur... On each side, rising perpendicularly from three to four hundred feet was a wall of living green. Trees grew from the water´s edge, with dense, unbroken foliage, to the top. Not a spot of barrenness was to be seen; and on both sides, from the tops of the highest trees, long tendrils descended to the water, as if to drink and carry life to the trunks that bore them." The area has not changed much since then because Río Dulce was declared a National Park and nearby Golfete's northern shore contains the Chocón-Machacas Biotopo, a refuge for manatees and mangrove swamps.
More Information on Rio Dulce National Park
More Information on Rio Dulce National Park
Rio Dulce Travel and Tourism Network
Rio Dulce. Tours and adventure travel at the historical and ecological impressively rich reserve... .
RioDulce.Net is a web portal focused in the promotion of Rio Dulce and its related points of interest, as a unique tourism, adventure, ecologic and boating destination.
Our mission is to provide to the world audience reliable information that may facilitate their travel or studies related to Rio Dulce.
We believe that Rio Dulce is a ‘one of a kind’ geographic, ecological and cultural destination for the world. However, Rio Dulce is endangered, but we know that we can ensure the conservation of its ecosystems and economic growth of its people by promoting this region as a tourism destination to be visited and cared.
LaTigra National Park
The La Tigra Cloud Forest was established as a reserve in 1952 and declared a national park in 1980. It was Honduras' first national park. It is 92.8 square miles and is the easiest cloud forest to access in Honduras. It is only about 12 miles from Tegucigalpa but still takes an hour by car.
More Information on La Tigra National Park
More Information on La Tigra National Park
More Information on La Tigra National Park
El Imposible National Park
El Imposible National Park is the largest and most biodiverse wilderness area in El Salvador, in addition to being one of the few existing examples of the typical Mesoamerican Pacific coastal rainforests. Also, El Imposible acts as the main source of air-purification for the southwestern part of the country and it is also the source of at least eight rivers supplying drinking water to neighboring communities and feeding Barra de Santiago mangroves, another wilderness area of great economic and ecological importance to El Salvador.
More Information on El Imposible National Park
More Information on El Imposible National Park
More information on Costa Rica National Parks
ARENAL VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK
Arenal volcano is the most spectacularly active in Costa Rica. Many people visit this park at night to watch the lava flows and red hot boulders ejected from the volcano glow in the darkness. Although eruptions are the main attraction, you should be aware that even in the dry season the clouds sometimes obscure the top of the volcano, and your chances of seeing a pyroclastic display are lessened in the rainy season. Volcano watching is better than a fifty-fifty proposition, but you should plan on taking advantage of some of the other attractions in the area, and consider it a bonus if you see Arenal put on a huge display.
More information on Arenal Volcano National Park
More information on Arenal Volcano National Park
BARRA HONDA NATIONAL PARK
Unlike the volcanic stone found throughout northern Costa Rica, the Barra Honda area of the Tempisque Basin where the Nicoya Peninsula joins the mainland has a foundation of limestone. Water has cut extensive caves through the small mountains of the park, and this is its best known feature. However, the park also has well maintained hiking trails. The protected tropical dry forest (though mostly secondary) within its borders is some of the last in the world, and very different from the rain and cloud forests that attract many ecological tourists to Costa Rica.
More information on Barra Honda National Park
More information on Barra Honda National Park
More information on Barra Honda National Park
BRAULIO CARRILLO NATIONAL PARK
Rugged mountains, dormant volcanoes, deep canyons, swollen rivers, and seemingly interminable clouds, torrential rains, and persistent drizzle characterize Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, 20 km northeast of San José. The park was established in 1978 as a compromise with environmentalists concerned that the construction of the Guápiles Highway to the Caribbean would lead to deforestation of the important watershed region. It was named in honor of the president who promoted the cultivation of coffee. The 44,099-hectare park (84 percent of which is primary forest) extends from 2,906 meters above sea level atop Volcán Barva down to 36 meters at La Selva, in Sarapiquí in the Caribbean lowlands. This represents the greatest altitudinal range of any Costa Rican park. Temperature and rainfall vary greatly and are extremely unpredictable. At higher elevations, temperatures range from 15° to 22° C. At the Carrillo, Magsasay, and El Ceibo biological stations, in the Atlantic lowlands, the average temperature is much warmer, ranging from 22° to 30° C. Annual rainfall is between 400 and 800 centimeters. Rains tend to diminish in March and April. With luck, you might even see the sun.
More information on Braulio Carillo National Park
More information on Braulio Carillo National Park
More information on Braulio Carillo National Park
CAHUITA NATIONAL PARK
Cahuita's 14 km of beaches are shaded by palm trees, lush forests, marshlands, and mangroves. Together they make up Cahuita National Park (1,067 hectares), created in 1970 to protect the 240 hectares of offshore coral reef that distinguish this park from its siblings. Animal life abounds in the diverse habitats behind the beach--an ideal place to catch a glimpse of tamanduas, pacas, coatis, raccoons, tree-dwelling sloths, agoutis, armadillos, iguanas, and, of course, troops of howler and capuchin monkeys that come down to the shore.
More information on Cahuita National Park
More information on Cahuita National Park
More information on Cahuita National Park
CHIRRIPÓ NATIONAL PARK
Chirripó Parque Nacional protects 50,150 hectares of high-elevation terrain surrounding Cerro Chirripó (3,819 meters), Central America's highest peak. The park is contiguous with La Amistad International Peace Park to the south; together they form the Amistad-Talamanca Regional Conservation Unit. Much of the area remains terra incognito--a boon for flora and fauna, which thrive here relatively unmolested by humans. One remote section of the park is called Savannah of the Lions, after its large population of pumas. Tapirs and jaguars are both common, though rarely seen. And the mountain forests protect several hundred bird species.
CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK
Parque Nacional Corcovado--the Amazon of Costa Rica--is the largest stronghold of primary forest on a Pacific coastline that has been all but destroyed from Mexico to South America. Its 41,788 hectares encompass eight habitats, from mangrove swamp and jolillo palm grove to montane forest. The park protects more than 400 species of birds (20 are endemic), 116 of amphibians and reptiles, and 139 of mammals--representing 10 percent of the mammals in the Americas--on only 0.000101777 percent of the landmass. Its healthy population of scarlet macaws (about 1,200 birds) is the largest concentration in Central America. You can expect to see large flocks of macaws in flight or feeding on almond trees by the shoreline.
More information on Corcovado National Park
More information on Corcovado National Park
More information on Corcovado National Park
GUANACASTE NATIONAL PARK
The mammoth Parque Nacional Guanacaste protects more than 84,000 hectares of savanna, dry forest, rainforest, and cloud forests extending east from Hwy. 1 to 1,659 meters atop Volcán Cacao. The park is contiguous with Santa Rosa National Park (to the west) and protects the migratory routes of myriad creatures: jaguars, tapirs, sloths, monkeys, three-wattled bellbirds, and other species, many of which move seasonally between the lowlands and the steep slopes of Volcán Cacao and the dramatically conical Volcán Orosí (1,487 meters), whose wind-battered and rain-drenched eastern slopes contrast sharply with the flora and fauna on the dry plains. Orosí long since ceased activity and, interestingly, shows no signs of a crater.
More information on Guanacaste National Park
More information on Guanacaste National Park
More information on Guanacaste National Park
IRAZÚ VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK
The slopes north of Cartago rise gradually up the flanks of Volcán Irazú. The views from on high are stupendous. Every corner reveals another picture-perfect landscape. You'll swear they were painted for a Hollywood set. The slopes are festooned with tidy little farming villages with brightly painted houses of orange, yellow, green, and light blue. Dairy farming is an important industry, and you'll pass by several communities known for their cheese. The fertile fields around Cot look like great salad bowls--carrots, onions, potatoes, and greens are grown intensively.
More information on Irazu Volcano National Park
More information on Irazu Volcano National Park
More information on Irazu Volcano National Park
JUAN CASTRO BLANCO NATIONAL PARK
From Sarchí, a road (the turn-off is 100 meters east of the Río Trojas, climbs north up the mountain slopes via Luisa and Angeles to the saddle between Poás and Platanar volcanoes--you are now high amid the cloud forest--before dropping sharply to Bajos del Toro, a tranquil Shangri-la hidden at the head of the valley of the Río Toro. The route is incredibly scenic, and at times daunting, as you weave along a road that clings precariously to the face of the cloud-shrouded mountains. You can also reach Bajos del Toro via a rough dirt road from Zarcero (see below).
More information on Juan Castro Blanco National Park
More information on Juan Castro Blanco National Park
More information on Juan Castro Blanco National Park
MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK
Tiny it may be, but this 682-hectare national park epitomizes everything tourists flock to Costa Rica to see: stunning beaches, a magnificent setting with islands offshore (bird sanctuaries for marine species), lush rainforest laced with a network of welcoming trails, wildlife galore, and all within walking distance of your hotel. You are guaranteed close-up encounters with monkeys, sloths, coatimundis, and scarlet macaws. What a gem!
More information on Manuel Antonio National Park
More information on Manuel Antonio National Park
More information on Manuel Antonio National Park
PALO VERDE NATIONAL PARK
Parque Nacional Palo Verde, 28 km south of Bagaces, protects 13,058 hectares of floodplain, marshes, limestone ridges, and seasonal pools in the heart of the driest region of Costa Rica--the Tempisque basin, at the mouth of the Río Tempisque in the Gulf of Nicoya. The tidal river rises and falls up to four meters and is navigable for about 36 km, as far as the confluence with the Río Bolsón. There are 15 different habitats (including several types of swamp and marshland) and a corresponding diversity of fauna. Plump crocodiles wallow on the muddy riverbanks, salivating, no doubt, at the sight of coatis, white-tailed deer, and other mammals come down to the water to drink. The banks of the Tempisque are also lined with many hundreds of archaeological sites for the curious.
More information on Palo Verde National Park
More information on Palo Verde National Park
More information on Palo Verde National Park
PIEDRAS BLANCAS NATIONAL PARK
In 1991, a tract of the Esquinas Forest north of Golfito and centered on the village of La Gamba was named Piedras Blancas and incorporated (as the Esquinas Sector) into Corcovado National Park. In 1999, it was split off and named a national park in its own right. It has been a troubled park, as land within its bounds is still in private ownership, and logging permits issued before 1991 apparently remain valid. That year, Michael Schnitzler, a classical violist, founded the Regenwald der …sterreicher (Rainforest of the Austrians) to raise funds to buy land in the Esquinas Forest. Local farmers in La Gamba decided to turn to ecotourism as an alternative source of income. In turn, in 1993 the Austrian government decided to underwrite the local population's efforts to save the forest, and "Rainforest of the Austrians" was appointed to oversee and direct the project. By 1999, more than 25 sq km of rainforest had been purchased and donated to the nation thanks to the generosity of Austrian donors.
More information on Piedras Blancas National Park
More information on Piedras Blancas National Park
More information on Piedras Blancas National Park
PLAYA GRANDE MARINE TURTLE NATIONAL PARK
Costa Rican beaches don't come more beautiful than Playa Grande, a seemingly endless curve of coral-white sand with water as blue as the summer sky. Alas, no palms or shade trees grow down by the beach itself. A beach trail to the north leads along the cape through dry forest--good for birdlife--and deposits you at Playa Ventanas, a pristine scalloped swath of white sand you will want to claim as your own. You'll see a few tide pools for snorkeling and bathing. Superb surf pumps ashore at high tide--year-round. Playa Grande is renowned among surfers for its consistency and good mix of lefts and rights. Surfing expert Mark Kelly rates it as "maybe the best overall spot in the country."
More information on Playa Grande National Park
More information on Playa Grande National Park
More information on Playa Grande National Park
POÁS VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK
Few volcanoes allow you to drive all the way to the rim. Poás does--well, at least to within 300 meters, where a short stroll puts you at the very edge of one of the world's largest active craters (1.5 km wide). The viewing terrace gives a bird's-eye view not only 320 meters down into the hellish bowels of the volcano, with its greenish sulfuric pool, but also magnificently down over the northern lowlands.
More information on Poas Volcano National Park
More information on Poas Volcano National Park
More information on Poas Volcano National Park
RINCÓN DE LA VIEJA NATIONAL PARK
Rincón de la Vieja (1,895 meters), an active volcano in a period of relative calm, is the largest of five volcanoes that make up the Cordillera de Guanacaste. It is composed of nine separate but contiguous volcanic craters, with dormant Santa María (1,916 meters) the tallest and most easterly. Its crater harbors a forest-rimmed lake popular with quetzals, linnets, and tapirs. The main crater--Von Seebach, sometimes called the Rincón de la Vieja crater--still steams. Icy Lake Los Jilgueros lies between the two craters. The last serious eruption was in 1983. Rincón, however, spewed lava and acid gases on 8 May 1991, causing destructive lahores (ash-mud flows). The slopes still bear reminders of the destructive force of the acid cloud that burnt away much of the vegetation on the southeastern slope.
More information on Rincon de la Vieja National Park
More information on Rincon de la Vieja National Park
More information on Rincon de la Vieja National Park
SANTA ROSA NATIONAL PARK
Santa Rosa was founded in 1972 as the country's first national park. The 49,515-hectare park, which covers much of the Santa Elena peninsula, is part of a mosaic of ecologically interdependent parks and reserves--the 110,000-hectare Guanacaste Conservation Area (GCA)--that incorporates Santa Rosa National Park, Rincón de la Vieja National Park, Bolaños Island Wildlife Refuge, the Junquillal Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and the Horizontes Experimental Station, abutting Santa Rosa to the south. See the Information section, below, for contact information.
More information on Santa Rosa National Park
More information on Santa Rosa National Park
More information on Santa Rosa National Park
TENORIO VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK AND VICINITY
One km north of the Río Corobicí, a well-paved road (Hwy. 6) leads northeast 58 km to Upala in the northern lowlands via the low-lying saddle of Tenorio and Miravalles Volcanoes. The road is straight, fast, and (when last driven) free of potholes--a splendid, gentle roller-coaster ride that whisks you to the other side before you know it.
More information on Tenorio Volcano National Park
More information on Tenorio Volcano National Park
TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK
Parque Nacional Tortuguero extends north along the coast for 22 km from Jaloba, six km north of Parismina, to Tortuguero village. The 19,000-hectare park is a mosaic of deltas on an alluvial plain nestled between the Caribbean coast on the east and the low-lying volcanic hills of Coronel, Caño Moreno, and 300-meter-high Las Lomas de Sierpe--the Sierpe Peaks--on the west. The park protects the nesting beach of the green turtle, the offshore waters to a distance of 30 km, and the wetland forests extending inland for about 15 kilometers.
More information on Tortuguero National Park
More information on Tortuguero National Park
More information on Tortuguero National Park
WHALE MARINE NATIONAL PARK
The Ballena Marine National Park was created in February 1990 to protect the shoreline of Bahía de Coronado and includes Punta Uvita, several beaches (notably Playa Ballena), plus 4,500 hectares of water surrounding Isla Ballena. The park extends south for 15 km from Uvita to Punta Piñuela, and about 15 km out to sea.
More information on Whale Marine National Park
More information on Whale Marine National Park
More information on Whale Marine National Park
More information on Whale Marine National Park
