Costa Rica National Parks

Palustrino Laguna Maquenque Wetlands

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		Area		390 acres
		Location		Heredia Province
		Date of Creation		9 March 1994

Park Attractions

The Palustrino Laguna Maquenque protects low forested wetlands area.

Work is underway to integrate the Costa Rican biological corridor known as San Juan-La Selva with the Nicaraguan El Castillo to form a binational corridor that would consolidate 29 protected areas with a total area of 1.3 million hectares.

The proposed Maquenque National Park would cover most of the Costa Rican territory where the green macaw (Ara ambigua) reproduces. These lands are between the San Carlos River and the Sarapiqui River, both of which flow into the San Juan River at the Nicaraguan border. This would include Cureña Forest Reserve, the Maquenque Wetlands, the Tamborcito Wetlands, and Cerro El Jardin, as well as many other private and protected lands currently being consolidated.

This area of Costa Rica contains natural populations of the Almendro tree (Almond), a favored food source and nesting tree of the Great Green Macaw (Buffon's Macaw).

This would include the Indio Maiz Reserve and Guatusos Refuge in Nicaragua, as well as the areas of Costa Rica which are proposed to be included in the Maquenque National Park.

Support and funding for this ambitious effort is being provided by more than 15 major organizations worldwide.

Some organizations involved in this effort are:

Bosque Tropical del Toro
Friends of the Great Green Macaw
Tirimbina Rainforest Center
World Parrot Trust

Driving Directions

From San José, take the main Guapiles Highway eastward. Take the turnoff to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, then to the small town of Sardinal, Sarapiqui, Heredia.

Park Facilities and Hours

There are no public facilities at this park.