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Cerro El Jardin Forest Reserve Costa Rica: created on March 16th, 1994, in order to protect low forested areas and a remnant of moist forest that existed on the right bank of the San Juan River, near the border with Nicaragua. Now, this reserve is part of the Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge, in order to be converted 
into a biological reserve with the main purpose of protecting the endangered Great Green Macaw (Ara ambigua).
Cerro El Jardin Forest Reserve is part of the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area, in the northern part of Costa Rica, about 80 miles (130 km) north of San José, to the east of Boca Tapada. The best way to get to know the reserve is to take a boat on the San Juan River and go along one of the countless rivers and streams that crisscross the area and discharge into this river. Furthermore, these areas have a high strategic value of biodiversity, as they are important passing breaches that provide connectivity for species of very large range between the Central Volcanic Mountain Range Conservation Area and the Indio-Maiz Biological Reserve.
The reserve has the remnant of a previously extensive moist forest that existed alongside the San Juan River. It is possible to view this forest comfortable and in silence and listen to the countless sounds of the creatures of the jungle due to the presence of two navigable rivers (the San Carlos and the San Juan) and of several channels such as El Jardin and El Recreo.
Cerro El Jardin Forest Reserve has a tropical rainforest, with an average temperature of 78°F (26°C), ranging between 69°F (21°C) and 86°F (30°C). The rainfall pattern that characterizes the region presents a short dry season which occurs between the months of March and April, with the wettest months being between June and November, when rainfall exceeds 300 mm per month, with an average annual precipitation between 2,800 to 3,600 mm.
This is why the vegetation here consists of tall forest trees such as enormous Silk Cotton or Ceiba (Ceiba pentandra), Guácimo colorado (Luehea seemannii) and Wild Almond tree (Dipteryx panamensis), as well as a large number of endemic trees such as the the Oil Tree (Pentaclethra macroloba), the Sangrillo (Paramachaerium gruberi), the Botarrama (Vochysia allenii), the Tostao (Sclerolobium costaricense), the the Guarumo or Trumpet tree (Cecropia peltata), the Bastard cedar or Light virola (Virola koschnyi), the “Naranjito” (Capparis pittieri), the Sotacaballo (Zygia longifolia), the Burío (Heliocarpus appendiculatus), Caobilla (Carapa nicaraguensis), the Turkey Berry or Tabacon (Solanum torvum), Malabar chestnut (Pachira aquatica) and the Achiotillo (Vismia baccifera). Moreover, in the area there are many tree species threatened and endangered such as the “Repollito” (Eschweilera calyculata), the “Cuero de sapo” (Licania kallunkii), the Chiricano (Vantanea barbourii), the Coquito (Astrocaryum alatum), the Zapotillo (Pouteria uniloculares), the Cola de Pavo (Hymenolobium mesoamericanum), the Areno (Qualea paraensis), the 
Cipresillo (Podocarpus guatemalensis) and the Cativo (Prioria copaifera).
El Jardin Forest Reserve also has a wide variety of mammals such as monkeys (white-faced or capuchin, howler and spider), tapirs, peccaries, agoutis, spotted pacas, kinkajous, ocelots, jaguars, pumas and jaguarundí, as well as some 20 species of amphibians and about 23 species of reptiles.
Also, many species of birds indicate that the area of El Jardin Forest Reserve is a site of great importance bird conservation, for more than 340 species of birds such as endangered species like the Green Macaw (Ara ambigua) and the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) and rare species like the Great Curassow (Crax rubra) and Guan (Penelope purpurascens).
There are no public facilities at El Jardin Forest Reserve. Other nearby Costa Rican parks include Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge, La Cureña Forest Reserve and Corredor Fronterizo Costa Rica – Nicaragua National Wildlife Refuge.
Getting to Cerro El Jardin Forest Reserve:
Take the Pan-American Highway from San Jose towards north. Turn right at Naranjo exit. Follow the road to Ciudad Quesada, passing through Zarcero town. Once in Ciudad Quesada continue for approximately 18 km (11 miles) more, and then turn right looking for Pital town, as Boca Tapada is accessed most easily from there.
By bus:
You can take a bus from the route San José – Pital, which takes about 4 hours and then take a bus Pital – Boca Tapada, which takes about 2:30 hours. Or you can also take a bus San José – Cuidad Quesada which takes about 2:30 hours, then Cuidad Quesada – Pital, which takes about 1.30 hours and Pital – Boca Tapada, which takes about 2:30 hours.
By plane:
You can also take a flight from the Juan Santamaria Airport to the Arenal Airport, either with Sansa Airlines or Aerobell every day. From here you can rent a car and drive to the refuge, which takes about 4 hours.
Location: El Jardín, district: Cutris, canton: San Carlos, province: Alajuela, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 21011.
Pital GPS Coordinates: 10.451586, -84.273422 (10°27’05.71″N, 84°16’24.32″W)
Size: 1.426 ha (3,530 acres)
Altitude: about 200m above sea level
Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area (ACA-HN) Telephone: +(506) 2460-5615, 2460-0055
INFOTUR Tourist Information: 1192
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