Travel Guide Refugio Nacional De Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo

In Manzanillo, 73 km south of Limón. With an area of 5,013 ha on land and 4,436 ha on sea, this national forest life refuge, created in 1985, protects 9 km of white sandy beach and a coral reef. The fauna is mainly that of freshwater and marine aquifer habitats. Gandoca-Manzanillo is the refuge of endangered species such as mangrove oysters that grow in a mangrove unique in Costa Rica.The lagoon forest is part of the tropical rainforests and its importance is all the greater because it is the only one on this part of the coast. Behind the coconut trees along the beach, the primary forest shelters rare specimens, some of which are endangered. Around the mouth of the Rio Gandoca, tapirs, caimans, manatees, crocodiles and, by the hundreds, birds as pleasant as parakeets, toucans or parrots can be observed. Be aware that four species of turtles, including the baula, come to lay eggs on this beach, especially at the beginning of the year. In order to discover this sumptuous reserve and all the trails that run along it, we advise you to engage with a naturalist guide who will challenge the most discreet animals and, above all, who will be able to guide you in this large forest where it is easy to get lost: the trails are not very well marked out, often muddy and wet, which promises a few small slips... nothing very bad but put on good shoes and not too precious clothes... The trail from Manzanillo to Punta Mona extends over 9 kilometres, you can schedule a return trip by boat to enjoy the refreshing sea breeze.