Carara National Park and Tarcoles River

Carara National Park and the Tarcoles River and its mangroves are an extraordinary birding area. This location marks the northern limit of the Pacific Rainforest and it is also here where the Tropical Dry Forest from the north stops. This important aspect of habitats converging into one spot produces an incredible biodiversity. Carara and Tárcoles then contain a wonderful sample of species proper of wet tropical pacific habitats and species that would be common in the drier areas of the northwest of Costa Rica. Over 400 species of birds have been registered in the area.



Carara National Park offers two excellent trails, the Meandrico Trail not far from the Tarcoles River offering mostly secondary forest along an old country road and a trail starting at the ranger station and heading south which contains more primary forest. White-faced Monkeys, Mantled Howler Monkeys, Green Iguanas, Black Spiny-tailed Iguanas, Central American Agouties, Brown-throated Three-toed and Hoffman's Two-toed Sloths, and White-nosed Coaties are just some of the wildlife that can be observed here.




The Tarcoles River offers great habitats too, the best way to explore this is by boat. The mud flats and the mangroves contain a vast number of shorebirds, seabirds, and mangrove specialties. American Crocodiles are very abundant and it is typical to find 13 feet long individuals. The mangroves are quite important and are home to Mangrove Vireo, Mangrove Cuckoo, the endemic Mangrove Hummingbird, Mangrove Warbler, Rufous-necked Wood-Rail, Panama Flycatcher, and American Pygmy-Kingfisher to just mention a few. Other good birds include Double-striped Thick-Knee, Roseate Spoonbill, Southern Lapwing, Black-necked Stilt, Boat-billed Heron, Common Black-Hawk, White Ibis, Magnificent Frigatebird, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron.