Page 61 - CARIBE TOURIST GUIDE

Protected Areas
The Costa Rican Caribbean is famous for its tourist attractions and natural wonders, as one of the most popular destinations for ecotourism in the Americas. It combines extraordinary biodiversity, magical natural landscapes and a successful network of national parks and public and private protected areas. In the province of Limón, there are two Conservation Areas: the Tortuguero Conservation Area
and the La Amistad-Caribe Conservation Area.
The Tortuguero Conservation Area (ACTo)
Located in the northeastern Caribbean region of Costa Rica, between the Río San Juan to the north, along the border with Nicaragua; the Parismina River to the south, where it borders the La Amistad-Caribe Conservation Area (ACLA-C); and the Sarapiquí River to the west, where it borders the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation
Area (ACAHN).
The ACTo covers an approximate land area of 302,481 hectares (3,024 km2) distributed in the cantons of Guácimo and Pococí in the province of Limón, and
part of the canton of Sarapiquí in the province of Heredia.
This area includes Tortuguero National Park, Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge and the Dr. Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (2017).
Information: www.sinac.go.cr
The Amistad Caribe Conservation Area (ACLAC) covers an area of 620,967.72 hectares of land, or 12% of the country’s territory, with 26,386 hectares of marine areas and a population of approximately 350,000 inhabitants. Approximately 247,016 hectares of the conservation area, of which about 208,000 hectares are on land, fall within eight indigenous territories, including those of the Bribri and Cabécar, representing a total of
33% of the territory of the conservation area.
72% of the territory of La Amistad-Caribe Conservation Area is under forest cover, which is the highest level of ecological integrity of any Conservation Area.
Biosphere Reserve
Costa Rica has been recognized worldwide for its efforts to protect biodiversity; consequently, certain regions have been designated as Biosphere Reserves, World Natural Heritage Sites and RAMSAR sites. In the case of La Amistad-Caribe Conservation Area, these include: Biosphere Reserve, La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, La Amistad International Park, which is a World Natural Heritage Site under the name of Cordillera de Talamanca - La Amistad, and the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, which is classified as a Wetland of International Importance (RAMSAR Site). Interestingly, this Protected Wildlife Area is the only one along the border region that is within the buffer area of the San San-Pond Sac Refuge, a
RAMSAR Site in the Republic of Panama.
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