ISLA GUAYABO, ISLAS NEGRITOS AND ISLA DE LOS PÁJAROS BIOLOGICAL PRESERVES

Access is restricted to these islands in the Gulf of Nicoya due to their unique ecological conditions. Guayabo is a solid sedimentary rock, seven hectares in area, with a maximum altitude of 50 meters. Covered with trees, thorny plants and coyol palms, the island is a nesting ground for the laughing seagull, the brown booby, the frigate bird and the largest brown pelican population in Costa Rica.

Islas Negritos are two volcanic rocks featuring tall headlands. Their 80 hectares shelter a semi-deciduous forest, refuge to frigate birds, laughing seagulls, brown boobies, parrots, white-tipped doves and brown pelicans. Because of their location in the Gulf of Nicoya, these islands and Guayabo may be seen from cabotage and tourist vessels on the way to Paquera and Islas Tortugas. Isla de los Pájaros has a rounded dome shape. Only four hectares in area, the island is made up of sedimentary rock and features a tropical dry-to-wet forest where pelicans, frigate birds and brown boobies nest. It is a short distance from Costa de Pájaros.

CARARA NATIONAL PARK

Originally established as a biological preserve in 1978, this park changed management systems some years after. A transition point from dry forest to tropical wet forest, Carara consists of 5,242 hectares containing three different life zones and many tree species valued for their wood, such as ojoche, guanacaste, cristobal and purpleheart.

Standing out among the park's wildlife are peccaries, ocelots, white-faced monkeys and, perhaps most representative, scarlet macaws, which can be seen with relative ease in this park as well as on the Osa Peninsula. Visitor services offered in the park include parking, information, a park ranger station, drinking water, restrooms, picnic areas, viewpoints, signage and trails, such as Las Aráceas (1,200 meters) and Quebrada Bonita (1,500 meters).

ISLA DEL COCO NATIONAL PARK

This national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997, owing to is unparalleled natural beauty and biological wealth. At 24 square kilometers, the island features cliffs reaching 183 meters tall and an infinite number of underwater caves. Created in 1978, the park has two main bays, Wafer and Chatham, at its north end, which feature the only two sandy beaches on the island. The extraordinarily clear turquoise waters, added to the large number of rock formations, make outstanding habitat for the abundance of fish, sharks (hammerhead and white-fin), dolphins, mantas, mollusks and the many other marine species that make this island one of the world's most spectacular dive sites.

Thanks to its climatic patterns, the island also boasts beautiful, always green forests. Numerous impressive waterfalls and legendary tales of pirates and seekers of treasure-reputedly hidden on the island-make Isla del Coco an ecologically and historically priceless place to visit. Visitor services include information, a park ranger station, trails, signage, restrooms, drinking water and several natural viewpoints.

ISLA ALCATRAZ (TORTUGA) BIOLOGICAL PRESERVE

Known as Tortuga, Isla Alcatraz sits amid the waters of the Gulf of Nicoya. No hotels or tourism services are available, so that visitors who come to the island for a few hours can enjoy it in a more natural state. They may rest in the shade of the island's palms, sunbathe on its ultra-white sands or enjoy activities such as kayaking or diving in its crystalline waters or touring its forest canopies. Several tour operators and water transportation companies visit the island, departing from Puntarenas, Montezuma and Herradura.

CABO BLANCO ABSOLUTE NATURE RESERVE

Located 10 kilometers from Montezuma on the south end of the Nicoya Peninsula, this preserve protects 1,272 hectares of land and 1,700 hectares of marine territory. Its primary and secondary (in natural regeneration) forests contain around 140 tree species, both evergreen and deciduous. Wildlife includes deer, Congo and white-faced monkeys, coyotes and squirrels. In terms of seabirds, there are brown pelicans, brown boobies, frigate birds and more. Cabo Blanco is a lovely area with untouched beaches that can be reached via the existing trails.

PALO VERDE NATIONAL PARK

Located 15 kilometers south of the town of Bagaces, Palo Verde occupies an area made up of floodplains and saltwater and freshwater lagoons and marshes, habitat for the greatest concentration of aquatic birds in Costa Rica. Species that can be observed here include jabirus, black-bellied whistling ducks, Muscovy ducks, herons, blue-winged teals, ibises and great blue herons. Close to 300 bird species have been identified in this national park, which is thought to be one of the best bird-watching areas in Central America. Other attractions include animals such as coatis, peccaries, coyotes, deer and monkeys. In addition, the Río Tempisque features 36 navigable kilometers that allow observation of Palo Verde's various landscapes and habitats. The park offers drinking water, outhouses, researcher accommodations, trails and viewpoints.

MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK

Manuel Antonio National Park's 683 hectares boast some of the country's most varied and breathtaking scenery. Surrounded by lush, very wet tropical forest, the park's trails offer sightings of white-faced monkeys, sloths, coatis, raccoons, iguanas and many bird species, as well as the Costa Rican squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii citrinellus), which is endemic to Manuel Antonio-that is, it is found only in this part of the world. Increasingly endangered, at last count these monkeys numbered only 1,500.

The park also protects 12 islands that serve as excellent refuges for several seabird species, as well as several stunning beaches (Espadilla Sur, Manuel Antonio and Puerto Escondido), a 14-hectare lagoon and a mangrove swamp. Connecting Manuel Antonio and Espadilla Sur beaches, Punta Catedral is a place of great natural beauty. Visitor services include information, a park ranger station, trails, restrooms, drinking water, signage and several natural viewpoints.

Source: Content and Images Costa Rica Tourism Board - www.visitcostarica.com