Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge

Location:  131 mi. from San Jose in the Los Chiles and Guatuso lowlands, Alajuela, 25 km (16 mi.) west of Los Chiles

See Northern Tourism Region

Size: 210 Area: 9,940 Ha. (24,552 acres)

Date of Creation: January 1984

Part of: Arenal- Huetar North Conservation Area

About:

Caño Negro refuge is a damp and humid tropical forest. The lowlands sink under seasonal floods pouring in from the Río Frío. The many lagoons, swamps and jolillo palm groves are home to a record number of migratory birds and endangered species.

The refuge is considered to be the most valuable wetland area in Costa Rica and one of the best places in the Americas to view large concentrations of wildlife.  The shallow, seasonal Caño Negro Lake (about 800 Ha., 1,976 acres) is a spill-off site for the Frio and Monica rivers. The lake plays an important role in maintaining the environmental quality of northern Costa Rica.

Visitors from the around the world should take special note of how skillfully these wetlands are managed. There is a valuable lesson to be learned from these experts about ways to balance natural resources to satisfy the demands of conservationists, tourists, farmers and – not least of all – Costa Rican taxpayers.

The best time to visit is between January and March when most migratory species are in residence. Remember, the landscape at Caño Negro is at the mercy of the Río Frío. Seasonal flooding raises and lowers water levels as much as three meters between the wet season and the dry. Visit here during the rainy season and you'll see the park as a huge shallow lake where you whiz about it in a motorboat and think you're cruising the Mediterranean. Visit certain other months and you'll find the lake vanished, replaced by mud.

It might pay to call ahead to check on conditions before you commit your vacation to Caño Negro Widlife Refuge. A boat tour will cost you around $65 for a five-hour return trip, plus the entrance fee to the Park.

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Weather:

Activities:

Canoeing, kayaking, boat tours and fishing are available. Camping is allowed in Caño Negro, but the facilities are not the best. Campers pay $4 dollars to the ranger. Camping near the ranger station will set you back $3 to $10.

Facilities:

There are no facilities in the refuge. There are no trails, only canals, lakes and lagoons. The park is toured by boat.

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Flora & Fauna:

Birds: roseate spoonbill, wood stork, neotropic cormorant, white ibis, boat-billed heron, great egret, kingfisher and sparrow hawk.

Fish: guapote, gar fish, mojarra, atlantic tarpon

Reptiles: caiman, land turtle, viguana and Jesucristo

Mammals: jaguar, ocelot, tapir and white-tailed deer

Flora: holillo palm and water lilies

Getting There:

From San José: take the highway (Rt 1) towards Alajuela. Drive towards San Carlos and then towards Los Chiles. About four miles before you reach Los Chiles, you will see the turn-off to the new bridge to Caño Negro.

You can drive to the park during the dry season. During the rainy months, catch a tour boat at the Los Chiles docks, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 a.m.

Nearby Parks:

Arenal Volcano National Park

Contact info:

ACA- HN: Arenal-Huetar North Conservation Area
506-2-460-1301

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