Costa Rica´s

The Park National Arenal is found in the North Region of the country, al north of the Saw of Tilarán. Belongs to the cantons of Tilarán, San Carlos and San Ramón.

It was created by Executive Decree Not. 20791-MIRENEM, of the 30 of setiembre of 1991.

Its extension is of 2.920 hectares.

It is considered as a zone of aquatic refill, whose water drain al Reservoir Arenal for the utilization in the production of hydroelectric energy and in the farm projects of the District of Irrigation of Moracia.

It protects important species of flora and characteristic fauna of the rain forest pre-mountain and of the cloudy forest of great tourist and scientific value.

The Park National Arenal presents three zones of life: very humid forest pre-mountain, rain forest pre-mountain and rain forest mountain low.

In these zones of life the most common species of flora are the guava tree of mount, the lurel, the cocobolo, the medlar the raft and other.

The main species of fauna are: tepezcuinte, tapir, coatimundi, lazy, jaguar, deer; birds as parrots, parakeets, quetzals. Snakes as the parrot, the velvet and the boa.

It is located in the Caribbean coast, in the Canton of Talamanca, in the Province of Limon.

It protects the wild fauna, especially those species under extinction or with populations reduced. It protects also the natural only bank of oyster of mangrove of the zone of reefs in the coastal stripe.

It possesses a gap, by which this portion of the Atlantic coast is classified like tropical humid forest.

The primary forest that remains in this area is of unique value, by the small relative surface covered by this zone of life of the low lands of the Atlantic coast.

The area possesses a great diversity of habitats terrestrial with patches of primary forests and with numerous habitats sweet water and marine, that include the coral reef that is conserved in better conditions in the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica.

By its natural conditions, the region constitutes an attraction for scientists and visitors in search of recreation.

To the northeastern of the Central Valley is located the Braulio Carrillo National Park, on the Central Volcanic mountain Range, between the solid of the Poás and Irazú volcanoes. It includes the volcanos Beard and Black Bit, being extended High from al of the Palm (Moravia) to the biological research station the Forest (Sarapiquí). It was created by means of the Law Not. 8357-A, of April 5, 1978. Its extension is of 45.899.2 hectares.

This park is dedicated al Distinguished of the Country, Lic. Braulio Carrillo, third Head of state of Costa Rica (1835-37 and 1838-42), who located efforts to open a road that communicated the Central Valley with Matina, in the Atlantic coast.

This area is located in one of the most irregular zones of topography of the country. The landscape is constituted by high mountains densely covered with forests and innumerable rivers. The topography and the high haste, some 4.500 mm on the average per year, they give rise to the waterfalls infinity formation.

The park has various dull volcanoes. The very visible, Black Bit by its conical form and the Barva with various craters, the gap of Barva, to circulate, of some 70 meters of diameter and of clear water and the gap Tapir, of some 500 meters of diameter. The hills The Three Marías, observed clearly from San José, are the remainders of a structure that there existed.

The vegetation of the park is that of a forest always green of great density and floral complexity. The forest presents in agreement variations they vary the environmental conditions, topography, drainage, temperature, cloudiness and haste.

The highest forests and of greater wealth in species they are found in the lowest parts; in the broken and highest parts the trees are lower and deformed and the total number of species is smaller. Most of the park is covered by a primary forest, in which some 6.000 species of plants exist that represent the half of the total of species of all the country. The manú, mahogany, oak tree, caobilla and gavillán are relatively abundant.

Also they are found the botarrama, the kapok tree, the yos, the lorito and the ojoche; other species, nevertheless, they are in danger to disappear, as the of nazareth, the jícaro, the sweet palm heart and the súrtuba. In the highest parts of the park, specifically in the volcano Barva; the flora is characteristic of the cloudy forest, being found species known as the ciprecillo, the candelillo, the white oak tree and the cedrillo.

The park presents great diversity of fauna. It emphasizes the rich bird life represented in almost 515 species of birds between residents and migratory. They are observed the king of the zopilotes, the bird sombrilla, the goldfinch and the quetzal.

Among the species of mammals the cute excel carablanca, red and howling, the tapir, the puma and the jaguar, the saíno, the anteater, hammers it, the goat of mount, the blonde one and the coyote. Also species are found that threaten extinguierse by the shooting, such is the case of the peacock and the tepezcuinte. The frogs and the toads are very abundant in the area. It is found in the zone of the volcano Barva, an endemic species, the Comic toad holdridgei. An existing reptile in the park is the matabuey, the largest poisonous snake of the continent.