Northwestern Costa Rica - Costa Rica - page 402

1 Spotting the resplendent quetzal through the mist at one of the reserves
near Monteverde .
2 Satisfying your need for speed with a kitesurfing course on windy Bahía
Salinas .
3 Trekking the circuit of waterfalls, thermal pools and volcanic vents at Vol-
cán Rincón de la Vieja .
4 Hiking along the raging Río Celeste at the Parque Nacional Volcán
Tenorio and marvelling at her cerulean blue waters.
5 Watching wildlife at Costa Rica's largest wetland sanctuary, Parque Na-
cional Palo Verde .
6 Exploring the Santa Rosa Sector of the Area de Conservacion
Guanacaste to discover the flora and fauna of the dry tropical forest.
Parks & Reserves
Northwestern Costa Rica has a wealth of parks and reserves, ranging from little-visited na-
tional parks to the highlight on many visitors' itineraries, Monteverde.
Area de Conservacion Guanacaste Access legendary surf, hike through the largest stand of
tropical dry forest in Central America and visit a historical battle site.
Parque Nacional Guanacaste One of the least-visited parks in Costa Rica. The land trans-
itions between dry tropical forest and humid cloud forest.
Parque Nacional Palo Verde Stay at the research station and take a guided tour to see some
of the 300-plus bird species recorded in this rich wetland.
Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja ( tel, info 661 8139; full US$7.00; 4WD) Peaceful,
muddy isolation can be found just outside of Liberia, where bubbling thermal activity
abounds.
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Bahía Junquillal Another small, peaceful protected
site, this refuge has a beach backed by mangrove swamp and tropical dry forest.
Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde Costa Rica's most famous cloud forest,
Monteverde receives a steady stream of visitors without having lost its magic.
Reserva Biológica Lomas de Barbudal If you're here in March, you might be lucky
enough to catch the yellow blooms of the corteza amarilla tree in this tropical dry forest
reserve.