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Location: Puntarenas Province, at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific coast, 298 km (185 mi.) from San Jose, 9 km (5.6 mi.) from Montezuma
See North Pacific Tourism Region
Size: 1,172 Terrestrial Ha. (2,895 acres), 790 Maritime Ha. (4,421 acres)
Date of Creation: October 1963
Part of: Tempisque Conservation Area
About:
Designated a Nature Reserve in 1963, Cabo Blanco ("White Cape") is the oldest protected piece of land in Costa Rica. It protects the very tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. It provides a safe haven to diverse animal and plant species.
Weather:
It is hot here; average temperature is about 30 C (86 F).
Activities:
Hiking, bird and wildlife watching, snorkeling and scuba diving are featured activities. Camping is permitted with permits ONLY.
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Facilities:
There is a biological station and an administration office. The San Miguel Biological Station has classrooms, labs, restrooms, potable water and dormitory-style lodging.
The administration office near Cabuya offers restrooms and potable water; there are showers and a picnic area at Playa Cabo.
Flora & Fauna:
Flora: The most common trees found in this evergreen forest are lance wood, bastard cedar, wild plum, gumbo-limbo, trumpet tree, dogwood, frangipani, chicle and espave and spiny cedar. A spiny cedar growing beside the trail to Maven Peak is a veritable natural monument, towing fifty meters into the air and measuring three meters in diameter.
Fauna: The trails around the cape wind in and out of pockets of Pacific lowland tropical forest, home to howler monkeys, kinkajous, anteaters and collared peccaries.
The sea off Cabo Blanco is home to large populations of fish, crabs, chitons, lobster, hammerhead shark, mobula manta rays, sea eagle, shrimp, giant conches and clams. Many other species inhabit the intertidal zone and neighboring shores.
Cabo Blanco takes its name from the trails of white goop (guano) on the sea rocks left behind by generations of sea birds. Cabo Blanco is a marine bird sanctuary and one of the most beautiful areas on the Pacific coast. One hundred and nineteen species of birds are found here, including brown pelicans, magnificent frigate birds, laughing gulls, common terns and brown boobies. Terrestrial birds include the long-tailed manakin, magpie jay, cattle egret, crested caracara, elegant trogon, white-bellied chachalaca, ringed kingfisher, yellow-napped parrot, sulfur-winged parakeet and turkey vulture.
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Trails:
There are marked trails for hiking.
Beaches:
There are two lovely and quiet beaches here: Playa Cabo Blanco and Playa Balsitas. You reach them by following a trail from the Ranger station, through about 5 km (3.1 mi.) of tropical deciduous forest to the sea. Coral reefs are found offshore.
Fees and Schedule:
Wednesday through Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Entrance Fee: $3. Rangers will provide you with a map of the area when you pay your entrance fee.
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Getting There:
Driving: Take the ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya from Puntarenas to Paquera. Drive south to Curú, and follow Rt. 160 south/southwest through Tambor, Cobano, Montezuma and Cabuya. The administration building is 2 miles south of Cabuya.
Bus: There is an old road-worn bus that runs between Montezuma and Cabo Blanco. It departs Montezuma Wednesdays through Sunday at 8am and 10am. Service may "dry up" in the rainy season.
Nearby Parks: Nicolas Wessberg Absolute Nature Reserve
Contact info:
ACT: Tempisque Conservation Area
506-2-645-5277 or 506-2-645-5890
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Help protect Costa Rica's wildlife by not feeding them. Animals that expect to be fed by people can become aggressive, harassing people for food when they are hungry.