Costa Rica overview
| Parks and Protected Areas |
Costa Rica’s 39 national parks, reserves, and wildlife
refugees occupy approximately 12.5 percent of national territory.
They are organized into nine mosaic-like “Conservation
Areas.” Each of these has at its nucleus one or more
totally protected national parks or absolute reserves. These
are buffered by forest reserves and “protected zones”
where sustainable land is supposed to take place. In these
buffer zones, reforestation, forest management, ecotourism,
and private conservation projects are promoted, bringing protected
areas to 28 percent of Costa Rica’s territory.
National parkland acquisition has been supported primarily
by international conservation organizations. But, in recent
years, international funding has diminished. As a result,
park entrance fees have been adjusted; foreign visitors to
national parks pay $6 to $10 per person per day, children
ages 6 to 12 pay $1.
In some areas surrounding the national parks there are private
reserves. Visitors to these wild areas can stay at small private
lodges and tour the privately held land, seeing flora and
fauna similar to that in the national parks; their money helps
preserve these important buffer zones.
- For more information on Costa
Rica’s national parks, private reserves, and protected
areas, please refer to the “resources” section.
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