Area de Conservacion Guanacaste
Located in northwest Costa Rica, the Area de Conservacion Guanacaste is a World Heritage Site. It is comprised of mostly tropical dry forest within the Santa Rosa, Guanacaste and Rincon de la Vieja National Park and the Junquillal Bay Wildlife Refuge, totaling 1,470 square miles.
Several Volcanoes
Within Guanacaste, visitors can explore several Costa Rica volcanoes, the most notable being the Rincon de la Vieja, which has three craters and one lagoon. It last erupted in 1970, but fumarole activity still occurs in one of the craters.
Shoreline and Wetlands
In addition to the volcanos, the marine land here is just as impressive, including various near shore islands and islets, 37 wetlands, and miles of sea turtle nesting beaches. The wetland forests are considered to be among the most pristine in the world.
Turtle Nesting
During the nesting season, along the Naranjo and Nancite beaches, thousands of turtles come to shore to nest. These species include leatherback, hawksbill, and olive ridley turtles - the most prominent in this area.
Wildlife and Birdwatching
Vegetation in the area includes fig and rosewood trees, evergreen gallery forests along streams, savannahs, oak forests, and mangroves. Wildlife within the Area de Conservacion Guanacaste includes white tailed deer, white lipped peccary, collared peccary, tapir, white faced monkeys, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, collared anteaters, jaguars, margays and ocelots. There well over 200 species of birds within the park. The most common are the rufescent tinamu, spot-bellied bobwhite, great curassow, crested guan, blue-winged teal, roseate spoonbill, thick knee, jabiru, ibis and laughing falcon.
Weather and Packing List
The Northwest Pacific is one of the driest climates in Costa Rica. The beach areas have a fairly steady year round temperature with daytime highs averaging in the upper 80s to lower 90s. Night time lows are usually in the upper 70s. Precipitation varies through the year with the nicest weather between November and August.
Visitors should pack a bathing suit, towel, shorts, tee shirts, appropriate shoes, rain gear, sun block, and insect repellent.
The tropical dry forest is one of the most endangered habitats in the tropics.
