Area de Conservación Guanacaste

The Area de Conservación Guanacaste (inscribed in 1999), was extended with the addition of a 15,000 ha private property, St Elena. It contains important natural habitats for the conservation of biological diversity, including the best dry forest habitats from Central America to northern Mexico and key habitats for endangered or rare plant and animal species. The site demonstrates significant ecological processes in both its terrestrial and marine-coastal environments.

Trivia

• This tropical dry forest is one of the most endangered habitats in the tropics. There are several volcanoes out here that visitors can explore, the most notable being the Rincon de la Vieja, which has three craters and one lagoon. It last erupted in 1970, but fumarole activity still occurs in one of the craters.
• Along the coast of Naranjo and Nancite thousands of turtles come ashore during nesting season to lay eggs. These species include leatherback, hawksbill, and olive ridley turtles – the most prominent in this area.
• The wetland forests out here are considered to be among the most pristine in the world.

Year of Inscription: 1999

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