ROUTE OF CARIBBEAN NATIONAL PARK
BARRA DEL COLORADO REFUGE – LA AMISTAD INTERNATIONAL PARK
Limón is one of the zones of Costa Rica considered of the most virgin and exuberant. It has picturesque beaches and is rich by its characteristics, has everything from mangroves to high mountains.
Being a sparsely populated place allows the exploration of pristine prehistoric forests and unrivaled beauty compared to the rest of the country. IMPORTANT: It is a very hot and humid place.
Barra del Colorado Refuge is officially known as Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge. Near the Tortuguero National Park on the south side (the two refuges are ecologically similar). The Barra del Colorado is bordered by the San Juan River in the north and the Atlantic Ocean in the east.
The best time to visit the Refuge is from February to April when the weather is dry and you can see alligators, monkeys, toads, crocodiles and a variety of other animals such as birds and reptiles among the trees.
WHAT TO VISIT?
- Barra del Colorado Refuge
- Tortuguero National Park
- Pacuare River Forest Reserve
- Barbilla National Park
- Banano River Basin Refuge
- Cahuita National Park
- Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge
- Hitoy Cerere Reserve
- La Amistad Intgernational Park
Alongside Barra del Colorado and another place used by green turtles to nest is Tortuguero National Park, precisely created to protect the world’s green turtle population, and is also a reserve of monkeys, jaguars and a variety of mammals, Birds and reptiles.
The Pacuare River Forest Reserve was created to protect the forests and watersheds of the Cordillera de Talamanca on the Caribbean slope. Currently, the Pacuare River is considered one of the five best rafting rivers in the world for its natural beauty and spectacular rapids. The waterfalls, forests and animal life make this trip an ideal combination to get to know the humid tropical forest of Costa Rica, named “one of the most beautiful rivers in the world” by National Geographic.
One of the parks where the five species of felines are still represented is the Barbilla National Park. Here we protect one of the natural areas that has not been altered by man. Here you can walk along the trails and spot local animals.
The Banana River Basin Refuge will be on its way to the Cahuita National Park, habitat of ecological zones such as forest bogs, rainforests, coastal forests and coastal flora. It is also home to lots of marine life. The biggest popular attraction of the park is a ship that wrecked in the 18th century and that is at the mouth of the Lazy River. You can do camping but there are hotels and resorts nearby, if you require more comfort.
We pass to one of the most wonderful regions of Limón: Talamanca, where the National Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge is located, which protects the flora and fauna of the endangered region, and also takes care of the only bed of oysters Of a marshy mangrove found along the shore reef. This place is a must visit.
The Hitoy-Cerere Biological Reserve is fascinating to explore. Some describe it as being in a fairy tale. As it is little known and visited are worth the pristine crystalline waters and the varied fauna of the place.
Finally, La Amistad International Park is considered one of the most biologically protected wilderness areas in the country.
It is called “International” because it extends to Panama where 207,000 hectares are protected. The Park is surrounded by the Chirripo, Tayní, Telire and Talamanca Indigenous Reserves of the Atlantic slope; And by the Ujarrás, Salitre and Cabagra Indigenous Reserves of the Pacific slope of the Cordillera de Talamanca. So, they are places perfectly visitable and not to be missed.
In 1982 Unesco declared it the Reserve of the Biosphere La Amistad and in 1983 as a World Heritage site, due to its exceptional universal value from the scientific point of view, as well as conservation and natural beauty.
