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.
| Amount | Category | Area (ha) | % National Territory (5.099.873 ha) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | National Parks | 623.771 | 12,23% |
| 8 | Biological Reserves | 21.674 | 0,42% |
| 32 | Protected Zones | 155.817 | 3,06% |
| 11 | Forest Reserves | 227.834 | 4,47% |
| 58 | Wildlife Refuges | 180.035 | 3,53% |
| 15 | Wetlands/Mangroves | 77.869 | 1,53% |
| 12 | Other Categories | 17.306 | 0,34% |
| 161 | TOTALS | 1.304.306 | 25,58% |
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
| Type | Location | Species / Features |
|---|---|---|
| NP | Santa Rosa | Birds, Mammals, Marine Life, Sea Turtles, Surfing, Beaches, Dry Forest, Mangroves |
| WR | Junquillal Bay | Marine Life, Sea Turtles, Diving, Beaches, Dry Forest |
| NP | Barra Honda | Fungi, Mountains, Waterfalls, Dry Forest |
| NP | Palo Verde | Birds, Mammals, Lakes, Rivers, Rainforest |
| BR | Lomas de Barbudal | Rivers, Dry Forest |
| NP | Las Baulas Marine | Marine Life, Sea Turtles, Beaches |
| WR | Bosque Diria | Birds, Orchids, Fungi |
| WR | Ostional | Marine Life, Sea Turtles, Beaches, Rainforest |
A river in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park
| Type | Location | Species / Features |
|---|---|---|
| WR | Caño Negro | Birds, Mammals, Fishing, Lakes, Rivers, Rainforest |
| NP | Guanacaste | Birds, Mammals, Fungi, Volcano, Dry Forest |
| NP | Arenal Volcano | Birds, Orchids, Fungi, Ferns, Fishing, Volcano, Mountains, Lakes, Waterfalls, Hot Springs, Rainforest |
| NP | Rincon de la Vieja | Birds, Mammals, Orchids, Fungi, Ferns, Volcano, Mountains, Waterfalls, Hot Springs, Rivers, Rainforest |
| NP | Tenorio Volcano | Birds, Mammals, Orchids, Fungi, Ferns, Volcano, Mountains, Waterfalls, Rivers, Cloud Forest, Rainforest |
| BR | Alberto Brenes | Birds, Mammals, Orchids, Fungi, Ferns, Waterfalls, Rivers, Cloud Forest |
Manuel Antonio National Park
| Type | Location | Species / Features |
|---|---|---|
| NR | Cabo Blanco | Birds, Mammals, Fungi, Coral, Diving, Beaches, Waterfalls, Rivers, Rainforest |
| BR | Carara | Birds, Rainforest |
| NP | Manuel Antonio | Mammals, Marine Life, Beaches, Rainforest, Mangroves |
| NP | Ballena Marine Park | Marine Life, Sea Turtles, Beaches |
The lake at the top of Poas Volcano
| Type | Location | Species / Features |
|---|---|---|
| NP | Braulio Carrillo | Birds, Mammals, Orchids, Fungi, Ferns, Volcano, Lakes, Waterfalls, Rivers, Cloud Forest, Rainforest |
| NP | Juan Castro Blanco | Birds, Mammals, Orchids, Fungi, Waterfalls, Rivers, Cloud Forest, Rainforest |
| NP | Poás Volcano | Volcano, Lakes, Cloud Forest |
| NP | Irazú Volcano | Fungi, Volcano, Páramo |
| FR | Rubén Torres Rojas | Fungi, Rivers, Páramo |
| NP | Turrialba Volcano | Orchids, Volcano |
| BR | Cerro Las Vueltas | Birds, Rivers, Cloud Forest |
| NM | Guayabo | Birds, Orchids, Waterfalls, Rivers, Cloud Forest, Rainforest |
Mangroves at Corcovado National Park
| Type | Location | Species / Features |
|---|---|---|
| NP | Corcovado | Birds, Mammals, Orchids, Fungi, Ferns, Marine Life, Sea Turtles, Diving, Beaches, Waterfalls, Rivers, Rainforest, Mangroves |
| NP | Piedras Blancas | Birds, Mammals, Orchids, Ferns, Rivers, Rainforest, Mangroves |
| WR | Golfito | Birds, Mammals, Orchids, Fungi, Ferns, Beaches, Waterfalls, Rivers, Dry Forest, Cloud Forest, Mangroves |
| NP | Isla del Coco | Birds, Coral, Marine Life, Diving, Beaches, Waterfalls, Cloud Forest, Rainforest |
| BR | Isla del Caño | Coral, Marine Life, Sea Turtles, Diving, Beaches, Rainforest |
Páramo at the top of Chirripo National Park
| Type | Location | Species / Features |
|---|---|---|
| NP | Chirripó | Birds, Mammals, Orchids, Ferns, Mountains, Lakes, Waterfalls, Rivers, Cloud Forest, Rainforest, Páramo |
| NP | Tapantí | Birds, Orchids, Fungi, Ferns, Mountains, Waterfalls, Rivers, Rainforest, Páramo |
| NP | La Amistad | Birds, Mammals, Orchids, Fungi, Ferns, Mountains, Lakes, Waterfalls, Rivers, Cloud Forest, Rainforest, Páramo |
| NP | Barbilla | Birds, Orchids, Fungi, Ferns, Mountains, Waterfalls, Rivers, Rainforest |
The beach at Cahuita National Park
| Type | Location | Species / Features |
|---|---|---|
| WR | Caño Negro | Birds, Rainforest |
| NP | Tortuguero | Birds, Mammals, Fungi, Ferns, Marine Life, Sea Turtles, Lakes, Rainforest |
| NP | Cahuita | Coral, Marine Life, Beaches, Rainforest |
| WR | Gandoca Manzanillo | Birds, Coral, Marine Life, Diving, Beaches, Lakes, Rainforest, Mangroves |
| BR | Hitoy Cerere | Birds, Mammals, Orchids, Fungi, Ferns, Waterfalls, Rivers, Cloud Forest, Rainforest |
