Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre
Gandoca-Manzanillo
This little-explored refuge - called Regama for short - protects nearly 70% of the southern
Caribbean coast, extending from Manzanillo all the way to the Panamanian border. It en-
compasses 50 sq km of land plus 44 sq km of marine environment. The peaceful, pristine
stretch of sandy white beach is one of the area's main attractions. It's the center of village
life in Manzanillo, and stretches for miles in either direction - from Punta Uva in the west
to Punta Mona in the east. Offshore, a 5-sq-km coral reef is a teeming habitat for lobsters,
sea fans and long-spined urchins.
Other than the village itself, and the surrounding farmland areas (grandfathered when
the park was created in 1985), the wildlife refuge is composed largely of rainforest. Cativo
trees form the canopy, while there are many heliconia in the undergrowth. A huge,
400-hectare swamp - known as
Pantano Punta Mona
- provides a haven for waterfowl,
as well as the country's most extensive collection of holillo palms and sajo trees. Beyond
Punta Mona, protecting a natural oyster bank, is the only red-mangrove swamp in Carib-
bean Costa Rica. In the nearby Río Gandoca estuary there is a spawning ground for Atlant-
ic tarpon, and caimans and manatees have been sighted.
The variety of vegetation and the remote location of the refuge attract many tropical
birds; sightings of the rare harpy eagle have been recorded here. Other birds to look out for
include the red-lored parrot, the red-capped manikin and the chestnut-mandibled toucan,
among hundreds of others. The area is also known for incredible raptor migrations, with
more than a million birds flying overhead during autumn.
Despite the idyllic nature of the environment, there has been some political squabbling
between Minae (the government agency that administers the national parks in Costa Rica)
and some local businesses over the management of the refuge. Some local operators are
trying to get the village excluded from the confines of the refuge - which would open the
door to increased development in the area. (In fact, unapproved constructions have already
materialized - some within 50m of the high-tide line, a zone in which construction is pro-
hibited by national law.) Others oppose it. It will likely take years - and armies of lawyers
- to sort the mess out.
