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Guanacaste, Costa Rica – The Ideal Eco Tourism Destination

Being part of a pioneer country in these matters, and of the few nations with ‘true’ eco-tourism, Guanacaste has a long list of places you can visit and enjoy in the responsible tourism frame. It includes national parks, biological and wildlife reserves, animal sanctuary among others. Perhaps the most important of these places is the Área de Conservación Guanacaste World Heritage Site.

Sloth in our animal sanctuary

It has an area of 1470 square kilometers, and can be found within the Guanacaste Conservation Area. It was formally designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, with an extension in 2004. It features the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park, the Santa Rosa National Park, the Guanacaste National Park, and the Junquillal Bay Wildlife Refuge.

Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park attractions are the three volcanoes it presents: Rincón de la Vieja, Santa María, and the dormant Cerro Von Seebach. The last eruption from any of these was by Rincón de la Vieja in 1998. This national park was established very recently, in 2015. You can find, apart from the volcanoes, volcanic vents, mud pots, geysers, waterfalls and over 300 different species of birds.

The Santa Rosa National Park was established in 1971, being the first one in the country. It covers an area of 475 square kilometers, and was originally created to preserve the scene of the Santa Rosa battle. It has a monument for the fallen heroes in battle called ‘La Casona’, an old colonial building in what used to be the Santa Rosa farm. It also protects ten unique natural habitats, such as marshlands, savannas, deciduous forests, and others, around 100 species of mammals, and 250 species of birds.

Adjacent to the Santa Rosa National Park, we can find the Guanacaste National Park. Part of the reason it was created was by the campaign and funding of Dr. Daniel Janzen, who wanted to create a corridor between the dry forest and rain forest areas where many wildlife species migrate seasonally. It features over 130 species of mammals, 300 birds, 100 amphibians and reptiles and an amazing amount on 10.000 species of insects, along with the inactive Orosí volcano.

The Junquillal Bay Wildlife Refuge was created in 1995, as a means to preserve the coastal mangroves and the local wildlife, which includes monkeys, deer, and iguanas. You can enjoy the camping and picnic grounds and the beaches, complete with public services such as restrooms and public telephones.

We encourage you to visit all these places and enjoy the natural beauty of Costa Rica. Also you can visit the Sanctuary Animal in Diamond Eco Adventure Park and see close: Butterfly Observatory, Frogs, Snakes, Exotic birds, Sloths, Crocodiles, Reptiles, Toucans, Hummingbirds, Exotic Birds, Monkeys and more !!

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