National Parks of Costa Rica

The National Parks and Wildlife Refuges of Costa  Rica are managed by MINAE, the Ministerio de Ambiental y Energia. Responding to the new policies of the MINAE, eleven Conservation Areas were established by this department in 1998 to oversee and manage the public lands of Costa Rica. These conservation areas are known as the Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservacion, or SINAC.

 AmountCategoryArea (ha)% National Territory
(5.099.873 ha)
 25National Parks623.77112,23%
 8Biological Reserves21.6740,42%
 32Protected Zones155.8173,06%
 11Forest Reserves227.8344,47%
 58Wildlife Refuges180.0353,53%
 15Wetlands/Mangroves77.8691,53%
 12Other Categories17.3060,34%
 161TOTALS1.304.30625,58%

NP: National Park
WR: Wildlife Reserve
BR: Biological Reserve
FR: Forest Reserve
NM: National Monument

A beach in the Northern Pacific region of Guanacaste, Costa Rica
A beach in the Northern Pacific region of Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Northern Pacific

NPSanta RosaBirdsMammals  Marine LifeSea Turtles SurfingBeaches    Dry Forest Mangroves
WRJunquillal Bay    Marine LifeSea TurtlesDiving Beaches    Dry Forest Mangroves
NPBarra Honda   Fungi     Mountains Waterfalls Dry Forest  
NPPalo VerdeBirdsMammals        Lakes Rivers Rain-forest 
BRLomas de Barbudal            RiversDry Forest  
NPLas Baulas Marine    Marine LifeSea Turtles  Beaches      Mangroves
WRBosque DiriaBirds OrchidsFungi        RiversDry Forest  
WROstional    Marine LifeSea Turtles  Beaches     Rain-forest 
A river in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park
A river in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park

Northern Mountains

WRCaño NegroBirdsMammals   Fishing  Lakes  Rivers  Rain-forest
NPGuanacasteBirdsMammals Fungi  Volcano     Dry Forest  
NPArenal VolcanoBirds OrchidsFungiFernsFishingVolcanoMountainsLakesWaterfallsHot Springs   Rain-forest
NPRincon de la ViejaBirdsMammalsOrchidsFungiFerns VolcanoMountains WaterfallsHot SpringsRivers  Rain-forest
NPTenorio VolcanoBirdsMammalsOrchidsFungiFerns VolcanoMountains Waterfalls Rivers Cloud ForestRain-forest
BRAlberto BrenesBirdsMammalsOrchidsFungiFerns    Waterfalls Rivers Cloud Forest 
Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park

Central Pacific

NRCabo BlancoBirdsMammalsFungiCoral  DivingBeachesWaterfallsRivers  
BRCararaBirds         Rain-forest 
NPManuel Antonio Mammals  Marine Life  Beaches  Rain-forestMangroves
NPBallena Marine Park    Marine LifeSea Turtles Beaches    
The lake at the top of Poas Volcano
The lake at the top of Poas Volcano

Central Mountains

NPBraulio CarrilloBirdsMammalsOrchidsFungiFernsVolcanoLakesWaterfallsRiversCloud ForestRain-forest 
NPJuan Castro BlancoBirdsMammalsOrchidsFungi   WaterfallsRiversCloud ForestRain-forest 
NPPoás Volcano     VolcanoLakes  Cloud Forest  
NPIrazú Volcano   Fungi Volcano     Páramo
FRRuben Torres Rojas   Fungi    Rivers   
NPTurrialba Volcano  Orchids  Volcano     Páramo
BRCerro Las VueltasBirds       RiversCloud Forest  
NMGuayaboBirds Orchids    WaterfallsRiversCloud ForestRain-forest 
Mangroves at Corcovado National Park
Mangroves at Corcovado National Park

Southern Pacific

NPCorcovadoBirdsMammalsOrchidsFungiFerns Marine LifeSea TurtlesDivingBeachesWaterfallsRivers  Rain-forestMangroves
NPPiedras BlancasBirdsMammalsOrchids Ferns      Rivers  Rain-forestMangroves
WRGolfitoBirdsMammalsOrchidsFungiFerns    BeachesWaterfallsRiversDry ForestCloud Forest Mangroves
NPIsla del CocoBirds    CoralMarine Life DivingBeachesWaterfalls  Cloud ForestRain-forest 
BRIsla del Caño     CoralMarine LifeSea TurtlesDivingBeaches    Rain-forest 
Páramo at the top of Chirripo National Park
Páramo at the top of Chirripo National Park

Southern Mountains

NPChirripóBirdsMammalsOrchids FernsMountainsLakesWaterfallsRiversCloud ForestRain-forestPáramo
NPTapantíBirds OrchidsFungiFernsMountains WaterfallsRivers Rain-forestPáramo
NPLa AmistadBirdsMammalsOrchidsFungiFernsMountainsLakesWaterfallsRiversCloud Forest Páramo
NPBarbillaBirds OrchidsFungiFernsMountains Waterfalls  Rain-forest 
The beach at Cahuita National Park
The beach at Cahuita National Park

Caribbean

WRCaño NegroBirds             Rain-forest 
NPTortugueroBirdsMammals FungiFerns Marine LifeSea Turtles  Lakes   Rain-forest 
NPCahuita     CoralMarine Life  Beaches    Rain-forest 
WRGandoca ManzanilloBirds    CoralMarine Life DivingBeachesLakes   Rain-forestMangroves
BRHitoy CerrereBirdsMammalsOrchidsFungiFerns      WaterfallsRiversCloud ForestRain-forest

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