Costa Rica´s

The Rincón de la Vieja National Park is located on the mountain Range of Guanacaste, province of Guanacaste and Alajuela, 27 km al northeastern of the city of Liberia.

It was created by the Law Not. 5398, of October 23, 1973.  Counts on an extension of 14.083.9 hectares.

One of the large benefits of this wild area is the protection of hydro graphic basins.  In this park exite probably, the greater population in wild state of the guaria morada (Costa Rica National Flower), the national flower.  It has great tourist potential due to the attractions that possesses, specifically the scenic beauty and the geological characteristics.

The solid one of the Corner of the old woman, of 1.916 meters of the altitude, is a composed structure.  In the top identifying nine eruptive points they have themselves, one assets and the inactive remainders or in process of degradation.  Toward the south of the crater, a gap of pure water is found.

The last period eruptive fort, with launch of large clouds of ash and production of earthquakes and subterranean noises, occurred between 1966 and 1970.  The most recent eruptions occurred in 1983, 1984 and 1991.  Currently, the Corner of the old woman presents activity fumarólica.

Al foot of the volcano, of the south side, are the called areas The Pans and The Hornillas, that cover a surface of some 50 has.  Hot springs exist here, that give rise to fractions of very hot water; gaps solfatáricas busy by small depressions in which the muddy water bubbles continuously, orifices by where are elevated steam jets, particularly during the rainy station, and volcancitos of mud in forms and very various dimensions.

The Rincón de la Vieja presents diverse hábitats due to the differences in altitude and in haste, al effect of the volcanic eruptions and al type of side.  In the lowest parts, some of the most common trees they are: the laurel, the guanacaste, the olive tree, the ardillo, the Indian naked, the bitter cedar and the capulín white.

In the intermediate parts of the solid one, between 1200 and 1400 m.s.n.m., the most abundant trees are: the copey, the jelled, the jícaro danto, the papayillo, the burío mouse, the yos, the iguano, the oak tree, the kills-people and the white cypress.

Of the 1400 meters until near the top, the forests are of low height and the trees are shown very ramified and covered with mosses and bulls epífitas.  The most common species here are: the copyey, the papayillo, the crepe.  The top of the volcano is cover by ash and presents little vegetation, some of the present plants they are the copey and the sombrilla of poor.

The copey is found at times adorning almost pure forests; there the cats, the tapirs, the gongolonas and the black turkeys are very numerous.

In the park 257 species of birds have been observed: the calandría, the peacock, the goldfinch, the golden oriole of Montezuma, the swallow river dweller, the tucancillo or curré green, the red widow, the hummingbird colidorado, the oropopo or owl of eyeglasses, the parrot frentiblanca and the guaco.

Some of the mammals they are: the goat of mount, the saíno, the guatuza, the tolomuco, the armadillo, the anteater, the perzoso of two fingers and the cute congo, carablanca and red.  The insects are very abundant, the beautiful butterflies excel morfo of the ones that four species exist.

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.

It is located in the province of Lemon, caribbean seaboard, 42 km al south of the city of Lemon.

It was created by Executive Decree Not. 1236-A, of the 7 of setiembre, 1970, (with the name of National Monument Cahuita).

Counts on an area of 1,067.9 hectares in the terrestrial part and 22.400 hectares in the marine part.

Cahuita is located in the zone Basal Tropical of the Atlantic Region of Costa Rica and can be told that no other wild area of the country protects the resources of plants and present animals in said region.  The park was created to protect the flora and the terrestrial fauna, the coral reefs and various marine ecosystems.  Is one of the areas of greater scenic beauty of the country by its beaches of white sand, its thousands of coconut palms, its sea of blue color turquoise and its coral reef.

According to the life zones classification of Holdridge, the park is found inside the Humid Tropical Forest life zone.  The park possesses various hábitats important as they are the marshy forest with species of cativo, the sangregao and the golden fruit; the mixed forest done not flood with species of guaitíl, the jorco and the match; the mangrove swamp, with predominance of the red mangrove; and the coastal vegetation, with abundance of coconut palms and papaturros.

The coral reef occupies an extension of 600 hectares and extends in the shape of fan set against Tip Cahuita, among the Lazy river and Port Vargas.  It splits of the platform arrecifal is found submerged until some 11 meters above sea level.

According to studies carried out after the earthquake of April 22, 1991, the platform arrecifal emerged approximately 1 meter.  Is the most developed reef in the coast of the costa rican Caribbean.  Among the most characteristic species of choir the moose horn choir is found, the cerebriformes, the Poritis poritis, the Montastrea cavernous of great size and the Poritis divaricata.  Besides, the fans of sea, the hedgehogs and infinity of goldfish and very various sizes.

The reign angel fish is without doubt one of the most beautiful of the reef.  Nevertheless, other very attractive species exist like are the fish French angel, the isabelita and the fish blue parrot.  Other species that have its habitat here are the fish barracuda, the hindrance, the blanket lines, 3 species of tiburones, the dark, the hedgehogs, the cucumber of sea that comes measure to 30 cm of length, the lobster, the sponge, the cambute, the white shrimp, the green tortoise and the tortoise tortoiseshell.  In the reef of Cahuita, identifying 35 species of choirs they have themselves, 140 of mollusks, 44 of crustaceans, 128 of algae and 123 of fish.  The marine resources protected here, they are found in a process of deterioration caused by the great quantity of sediments and contamination by agrochemicals, that drags the laughed The Star and that are placed for the marine currents on the coral reef.

They are common inside the terrestrial fauna the cute congo, the cute one carablanca, the raccoon, the lazy one, the otter and the coatimundi, al the same as several marshy forest birds species, as the green ibis, the kingfisher verdirrojizo, the nocturnal heron and the chocuaco.