Manuel Antonio
This wild area is located in the peaceful coast of Costa Rica, in the province of Puntarenas. It is located to some 157 km al south of San José by highway and 7 km south of the city of Quepos. I am believed through the Law Not. 5100, of November 15, 1972. Has an extension of 682.7 hectares in the terrestrial part and 55.000 hectares in the marine part.
The National Park Manuel Antonio is a small biological island, inside an area submitted to different activities as the agriculture, the stockbreeding and a high tourist development. It splits of the forest is found in process of regeneration, since in the past was object of a selective extraction of timber-yielding trees.
It is one of the national parks of greater scenic beauty of the country. It is the wild area that receives greater quantity of national tourism and international. Another important attraction is the humid tropical forest where they inhabit species of flora and fauna in danger of extinction, like the tití monkey.
A characteristic geomorphologic to emphasize is Tip Cathedral. In the past was an island and due to the accumulation of sediments, joined with the continental mass, forming a girdle sandy call “tómbolo”.
The park is situated in a region of great haste and of high temperatures. The average of annual haste is of 3.875 mm. The dry months are January, February and March; the rainiest are August, September and October.
The National Park Manuel Antonio is found in the tropical very humid forest life zone. He protects patches of primary forest, secondary forest, mangrove swamp, vegetation of beach and marine environments.
The most characteristic species of flora inside the primary forest are the guácimo red, the pillar, the cedar maría, the guapinol, the surá, the guapinol black, timber-yielding tree in danger of extinction; the milky one, the tassel, the cenízaro and the kapok tree. In the secondary forest, that covers old areas of cultivation and patoreo, the most common species are the raft, the comb of monkey, the trumpetwood, the guácimo, the capulín white and the garocho. The mangrove swamp that covers approximately 18 hectares, is constituted pair rtres species: red mangrove, botoncillo and ladybug.
In the vegetation of beach exceed him the manzanillo, tree that possesses a substance papaya and poisonous fruits, the almond tree, the oak tree savannah and the coconut.
The fauna is various, distinguished 109 species of mammals they have themselves and 184 of birds. Among the most outstanding, we find the raccoon, the coatimundi, the blonde one, the lazy one of two fingers, the lazy one of three fingers, the cute one carablanca, the cute congo and the cute one tití, subespecie endemic of the park and that is found in danger of extinction, due to the destruction of its habitat and its utilization as pet.
In the area is also frequent to observe species of birds as the tucancillo, the pelican or buchón, the guaco, the hawk fisherman, the kingfisher green and the gallito of water. It is possible to observe iguanas and iguanas, snakes and infinity of insects.
The main environmental problems of the park the deficient planning of the tourist development in the outskirts constitutes it, causing an affluence of massive visitors al area and contamination al sea. On the other hand, the monocultures to great scale deteriorate the floor and they produce sedimentation in the sea. The trash and the diet of the wild animals on the part of the visitors are other problems that confront the area.
Three programs of management of the park exist. The Program of Environmental Education whose objective is to contribute al development of a conscience environmentalist among the inhabitants of the neighboring communities al park.
The Program of Protection, which intends to maintain al most minimum level the biological and physical alterations of human origin in the park; to offer protection al visiting and personal and to watch for the fulfillment of the laws of conservation in force.
Finally, the Program of Administration, which participates to the local communities and to the private and public agencies in the planning and development of the area.