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Location: between Tapanti and Chirripo National Parks, in Cartago province.
La Auxiliadora Sector GPS coordinates: 9.567953,-83.736736 (9°34’04.63″N, 83°44’12.25″W)
Size: 69,604ha (171,922 acres)
Altitude: from 2000m up to 3000m.
Pacific La Amistad Conservation Area (ACLA-P) Telephone: +506 2771-4836 / +506 2771-3155
INFOTUR Tourist Information: 1192
Rio Macho Forest Reserve Costa Rica: created on January 23rd, 1964 to protect forested areas in the southern Talamanca Mountain region near Tapanti National Park and Chirripo National Park. Is Costa Rica’s largest protected area, composed of 13 different units for a total of over 200,000 acres, which is also part of the La Amistad Biosphere designated by UNESCO, where is located the Villa Mills Experimental Biological Station, at the premises formerly occupied by the CATIE.
Rio Macho Forest Reserve in conjunction with other Protected Areas like Chirripó National Park and Tapantí National Park, form the largest latitudinal biological corridor of the country where there are as many mountain high forests, moors, bogs, cloud forests and fauna associated with these ecosystems, much of it endangered.
Thanks to its three different life zones blended together: Premontane Rain forest, Low montane rain forest and montane rain forest, is the natural habitat to an immense variety of animals such as tapir (Tapirus bairdii), puma (Puma concolor), jaguar (Panthera onca), collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), wild rabbits (Sylvilagus dicei), squirrels (Sciurus sp.) mice bats, etc. Similarly, visitors can find some salamanders of the Bolitoglossa and Oedipina genus and frogs of the Hylidae, Leptodactylidae, Ranidae Centrolenidae families, amongst Caecilidae family, lizards such as the common lizard (Sceloporus malachiticus) and the caiman lizard (Mesaspis monticola); of snakes can appoint the Godman’s pit viper (Cerrophidion goodmani), the Side-striped palm viper (Bothriechis side) and some non-poisonous.
In birds, one of the most representative of the highlands is the Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) who lives here year round, as well as other species such as the Black-faced Solitaire (Myadestes melanops), the Sooty Robin or Sooty Thrush (Turdus nigrescens), the Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus), the Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis), the Black-billed Nightingale-thrush (Catharus gracilirostris), the Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager (Chlorospingus pileatus), the Collared Redstart (Myioborus torquatus), the Blue-and-white Swallow (Pygochelidon cyanoleuca), the Golden-browed Chlorophonia (Chlorophonia Callophrys) ,trogons, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, the unique silky flycatcher and the peg-billed finch, all of which are endemic, found only in this part of the world.
Some of the plant species include oaks, the cipresillo (querquis costaricensis), mountain needle and blueberry, all endemic to this area. Also, visitors can find hundreds of species of bromeliads, lichen moss, ferns and a 
multitude of orchids and colorful flowers such as “guesneracias”. These forests are also characterized by a high incidence of epiphytic plants. The wild avocados, cedrillos and wild blackberries found in the area are one of the main sources of food for the Resplendent Quetzal, besides the oak forest and trees contribute highly to clean the air, though the fixation and storage of carbon and liberation of oxygen.
This is also an area of rivers, where the Savegre River plays a very important role, as host of a large population of Rainbow Trouts (Salmo gairdneri) and a supply of potable water through rural aqueducts.
Temperatures range from 0°C to 17°C, being January the coldest month, with minimum temperatures below zero and highs around 20°C, and the hottest month is April. The dry season lasts from December to April, being February and March the driest months. The rainy season lasts from May to November with September and October as the wettest. The average annual rainfall is around 2000mm.
Other nearby Costa Rica National Parks includes the Tapanti National Park, Chirripo National Park, Cerro Las Vueltas Biological Reserve, Los Quetzales National Park (Former Los Santos Forest Reserve), Cataratas Cerro Redondo Wildlife Refuge and Paramo Wildlife Refuge. There are no public park facilities at this wildlife refuge.
Getting to Rio Macho Forest Reserve:
Take the road from San Jose to Cartago, and take the exit for the Cerro de la Muerte, the Inter-American Highway, and at La Auxiliadora Sector, at Kilometer 92, where the community of Villa Mills is, turn left on an unpaved road leads to the community of Piedra Alta and Alto del Jaular. The Biological Station is at 1.8 km from the entrance. You can enter all types of vehicles throughout the year, with a distance of travel from San Jose of 2 hours, and one hour from San Isidro de Perez Zeledon.
By bus
Take a bus from the route San Jose – San Isidro de El General – Perez Zeledon which takes about 2 hours, making the stop at Villa Mills (MUSOC, Phone: +506 2222-2422 / TRACOPA, Phone: +506 2222-26-66). From here you can take taxi to Rio Macho Forest Reserve.
National Park) and Tapanti National Park in Cartago province, near the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.
in Cerro Las Vueltas Biological Reserve and Los Quetzales National Park (Former Los Santos Forest Reserve), with tropical wet forest, transition to montane, rainy montane and lower rainy montane. Plant species found in the area are: oaks, Post Oak, Guettarda comata, Ruscus aculeatus, magnolia, Vantanea babourii, Alder, Hirtella racemosa, Mexican Elm, Inga alba, Ladenbergi brenesii, Prunus cornifolia, Palm hearts, Sapium glandulosum, Tree ferns, Clusia major (Copey, Autograph Tree, Pitch-apple), Mosquitoxylum jamaicense, Weinmannia, Cojoba arborea, Humiriastrum diguense, Poor man umbrella, Brunellia, “Arrayancillo” and Clethra costaricensis.
oak forests, composed mainly of huge oak trees (Quercus spp), which surrounding them.
Coralsnake.
Cocos Island National Park Costa Rica was declared National Park on June 11th, 1978 because of its unique ecological diversity and the habitats the site provides for marine wildlife, including large pelagic species, especially sharks. In 1997, the Cocos Island National Park, located approximately 500 km off the pacific coast of Costa Rica, was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and in 2002, the World Heritage Site designation was extended to include an expanded marine zone of 1,997 km². In addition, it is included in the list of “Wetlands of International Importance”. This rugged and incredibly beautiful island is the crown jewel of Costa Rica’s many National Parks.
The island was discovered by the Spanish Joan Cabezas in 1526. Thanks to its palm trees and plentiful drinking water, this oceanic island became very well know, and today is famous because during the 17th and 18th centuries, it was a heaven and served as an excellent hide-away for pirates and corsairs, who thrived along the Pacific coast. Stories tell of buccaneers burying treasures here, like Edward Davis in 1685, Benito Bonito in 1820, and William Thompson in 1821. It is said that over 300 expeditions have gone in search of treasure, because some incidents of small caches have been discovered, leading many to believe the stories of vast pirate treasures to be true, of what some say that it was the inspiration for “The Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson.
The rich coral reef, the volcanic tunnels, underwater caves, massifs and deeper waters surrounding Cocos Island are home to more than 30 species of corals, 60 species of crustaceans, 600 species of mollusks and over 300 species of fish. These include large populations of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), Giant Manta Rays (Manta birostris), Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus), Parrotfishes, Catfishes, Giant Moray Eels, Marbled Rays, Marlins, Octopus, the exotic Red-lipped Batfish (Ogcocephalus darwini), as well as dozens if not hundreds of sharks, such as White-tip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) and Scalloped Hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), the Silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis), the Silvertip sharks (Carcharhinus albimarginatus), the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), besides other large marine animals like the Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), Pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus), Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and Olive Ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea). In fact, thanks to the breathtaking marine life in its waters, Cocos Island was named one of the best 10 scuba diving spots in the world by PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors).
Cabo Blanco Absolute Natural Reserve. Cabo Blanco is the only government protected area created before the inception of the park service in 1970 that has survived to this day.
trees are Bastard Cedar, Wild Plum, Gumbo-limbo, Lancewood, Frangipani and Spiny Cedar – mentioned before.
and the San Miguel Biological Station include classrooms, laboratories and a reference library. Camping permits are limited.
but dry forest species are found as well, such as, the spiny cedar (Bombacopsis quinatum), the wild plum (Spondias mombin) and the espavel (Anacardium excelsum).
ochracea) which bursts into a yellow spectacle of flowers during the dry months of March and April.
there is still a pronounced dry season from December through April. In fact, the southern zone of the peninsula receives more rain than the area to the north which results in a different look and feel in the forest.
Guans. The shoreline is inhabited by many sea birds, such as Brown Pelicans, Laughing Gulls and Frigatebirds. Butterflies, such as the Blue Morpho and Owl Butterfly are common, and beware of snakes, constrictor boas have been reported.
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