Cabo Blanco Absolute Natural Reserve is the very first national park of Costa Rica. It was created in 1963 and is situated on the tip of southern Pacific Coast of Nicoya Peninsula, in the province of Puntarenas, approximately 10 kilometers southeast of Montezuma. Before the park was established, the area used to be San Miguel Biological Station, a teaching and research platform. The park is a popular destination for tourists coming to Santa Teresa, Malpais and Montezuma. This national reserve is interestingly picturesque with tropical forests, waterfalls, rivers and white sandy beaches. There are two main entry points to the park. Currently, you can reach only by the Montezuma side. The Maplais side is only for the entry of park guards. However, there are parking facilities at Cueva Murcielago Wildlife reserve. The park is enormous covering a vast area of 12.7 kilometers of land and about 17.9 kilometers of the water. As the park is in the northwestern region, it is blessed with consistent weather throughout the year. December and April are the time to visit. The park can be visited from Wednesday to Sunday and its timings are 8 AM to 4 PM. Each person is charged with an admission fee
Gorgeous Nature and Amazing Wildlife
The park features the famous natural monument called The White Cape. It is a large cluster of rocks found on the southern tip of the park. The White Cape is a home to hundreds of species of bird. Surrounded by luscious panoramas, the rocky mass is surrounded by thousands of birds. It is a must visit particularly nature enthusiasts and bird lovers. for Unique birds like white throat magpie jays, parrots, ringed kingfisher, toucans, Sulpher-winged parakeets, cattle egrets, kingfishers, green herons, trogons, long-tailed manakins, scarlet macaws, crested caracara, white bellied chachalaca, and turquoise-browed motmots can be found. Near the coasts, many sea creatures like mollusks, crabs, nautical fishes and marine birds are seen. Cabo Blanco Absolute Natural Reserve is known to have one of the largest populations of pelicans, conch and brown boobies. Moreover, howler monkeys, white-face monkeys, spider monkeys, capuchin monkeys, spiky porcupines, white-nosed coatis, white-tailed deer, collared peccary, ocelots, jaguarundis, wild cougars, gray fox, anteaters, hog nosed skunks, raccoon, coyotes, pacas, armadillos and margays are also found in abundance. Besides animals and birds, the park is blooming with colorful flora. Everywhere you see, you will find a gorgeous and verdurous landscape. Cabo Blanco Absolute Natural Reserve has both wet and dry types of forests and hence is flourishing with the most exquisite plants. It has more than 140 species of trees which include wild plums, trumpet trees, lance wood, sapoditta, Pochote, Guacimo, the tall Espavel Tree, gumbo-limbo, trumpet tree, dogwood, frangipani and the dazzling yellow colored Cortez Amarillo
Things To Do in Cabo Blanco Absolute Natural Reserve
The nature reserve offers its visitors a plethora of activities. Hiking, swimming, surfing, bird watching and horseriding are some f the most popular activities. The park also has a couple of beaches called Playa Cabo Blanco and Playa Balsitas. The beaches are known for large pelican colonies. On your trip to the park, don’t forget to bring a bathing suit, towels, shorts, extra shirts, sunscreens, bug-repellent, rain-gears and comfortable shoes.
For more information on Cabo Blanco Absolute Natural Reserve, visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabo_Blanco_Absolute_Natural_Reserve