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Protected Areas

Costa Rica is home to approximately 160 different areas that are dedicated to protect the environment and the priceless national treasures of Costa Rica and Central America. There are different forms of environmental protection and we therefore herein cover each separately.

Gandoca ManzanilloCahuita Arenal Volcano Arenal Volcano Barra del Colorado Barra del Colorado Barra Honda Barra Honda Brauilio Carrillo Brauilio Carrillo Cabo Blanco Cabo Blanco Cahuita Cahuita Carara Carara Cano Negro Cano Negro Children Eternal Rain Forest Children Eternal Rain Forest Chirripo Chirripo Corcovado Corcovado Gandoca Manzanillo Gandoca Manzanillo Guanacaste Guanacaste Hitoy Cerere Hitoy Cerere Irazu Volcano Irazu Volcano Isla del Caño Isla del Caño Isla del Coco Isla del Coco Juan Castro Blanco 18 La Amistad La Amistad Los Santos Los Santos Manuel Antonio Manuel Antonio Marino Ballena Marino Ballena Marino Las Baulas Marino Las Baulas Miravalles Volcano Miravalles Volcano Monteverde Cloud Forest Monteverde Cloud Forest Ostional Ostional Palo Verde Palo Verde Peñas Blancas Peñas Blancas Piedras Blancas Piedras Blancas Poas Volcano Poas Volcano Rincon de la Vieja Rincon de la Vieja Santa Elena Cloud Forest Santa Elena Cloud Forest Santa Rosa Santa Rosa Tapanti Tapanti Tenorio Volcano Tenorio Volcano Tortuguero Tortuguero Turrialba Volcano Turrialba Volcano Guayabo Guayabo

 

Costa Rica has 28 National Parks, of which two are Marine Parks that expand its reach of protection out into the sea. There is a very large number of Wildlife Refuges and Nature Reserves, and environmental agencies of the government continuously modify and reclassify them, which leads to more National Parks, such as the recent declaration of Diria National Park (2004) from an earlier non National Park status. Costa Rica has approximately 200 identified volcanoes but only the most prevalant and active are mentioned herein.

For the specific categories of Protected Areas see below:

National Parks

Costa Rica has 28 National Parks. Two of them are Marine National Parks for the protection of marine wildlife. Maybe the most well known National Park of Costa Rica is Coco Island (Isla del Coco) far out in the Pacific Ocean. Click here to navigate our interactive map to find out where and what you might want to see when traveling Costa Rica...

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Nature Reserves

Nature and Absolute Reserves spread throughout the country. The most visited being Monteverde Cloud Forest and Cabo Blanco Reserve in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. See for yourself...

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Volcanoes

Costa Rica is the land born of volcanoes. As part of the Circum-Pacific Ring of fire, over 200 volcanic centers have been recognized in the country, but only about 20 of them are trule recognizable as such. From these twenty, only five (Rincón de la Vieja, Arenal, Poás, Irazú and Turrialba) have had eruptive activity in the past 400 years, even though the rest have certain level of activity (residual action) as fumaroles or gaseous emanation. Most Volcanoes of Costa Rica are usually inside a National Park, also most of those National Parks are often named after the volcanoes...

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Wildlife Refuges

A list of the Refuges found in Costa Rica and what faciliites to expect before planning a visit. These areas are not protected because of their scenic beauty or potential for recreation (as national parks are) but guarantee the existence of populations of species or habitats for wildlife. It could explain why so many of them do not offer facilities for the visitors...

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