Page 89 - CARIBE TOURIST GUIDE

National Mixed Wildlife Refuge Jairo Mora Sandoval
Gandoca Manzanillo
With an area of 3,833 ha on land and 4,436 ha of ocean territory, Gandoca-Manzanillo is a mixed (state- and private-owned) National Wildlife Refuge in which the combination of land, beach and sea landscapes along with the local culture make for a very attractive destination for visitors.
Its most important ecosystems are the golden sand beaches and wetlands: swamps, lagoons, reefs, beds of undersea plants and seaweed. The reserve protects the habitat of endangered species such as manatees and leatherback, loggerhead, green and hawksbill sea turtles, which nest along its coasts. It is also home to populations of mammals and birds. South of Punta Mona there is the only remnant of Prioria copaifera forest in the country’s southern Caribbean.
The conservation and sustainable management of these ecosystems, with the participation of the communities, is the central focus of management actions in this refuge. The Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge is located in a sparsely populated area. The main activities of the villagers today are tourism and subsistence fishing.
In one of the most beautiful coastal areas of the southern Caribbean, you will find the Gandoca- Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, about 20 km south of Puerto Viejo. Access is through a dirt road. About 5000 ha of the reserve is on land and about 4400 ha on the sea, which contains one of the most beautiful coral reefs in the country. The inland
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