Parque Nacional Palo Verde

Introducing Parque Nacional Palo Verde

The 18, 417-hectare Parque Nacional Palo Verde is a wetland sanctuary in Costa Rica’s driest province that lies on the northeastern banks of the mouth of Río Tempisque at the head of the Golfo de Nicoya. All of the major rivers in the region drain into this ancient intersection of two basins, which creates a mosaic of habitats including mangrove swamps, marshes, grassy savannahs and evergreen forests. A number of low limestone hills provide lookout points over the park, and the park’s shallow, permanent lagoons are focal points for wildlife.

The park derives its name from the palo verde (green tree), which is a small shrub that’s green all year round and abundant within the park. It’s also contiguous in the north with the 7354-hectare Caballero Wildlife Refuge and the Reserva Biólogico Lomas de Barbudal which join with the Parque Nacional Barra Honda to form the Tempisque Megapark, a large conservation area containing some of the remaining strands of dry tropical forest. A recent addition to this project was the Refugio do Vida Silvestre Cipancí, which protects the corridors linking the various parks from being clear-cut by local farmers.

Palo Verde has the greatest concentrations of waterfowl and shorebirds in Central America, and over 300 different bird species have been recorded in the park. Birders come particularly to see the large flocks of herons (including the rare black-crowned night herons), storks (including the endangered jabiru stork), spoonbills, egrets, ibis, grebes and ducks, though forest birds including scarlet macaws, great curassows, keel-billed toucans and parrots are also common. Frequently sighted mammals include deer, coatis, armadillos, monkeys, and peccaries as well as the largest population of jaguarundi in Costa Rica. There are also numerous reptiles in the wetlands including crocodiles that are reportedly up to 5m in length.

The dry season, from December to March, is the best time to visit as flocks of birds tend to congregate in the remaining lakes and marshes and the trees lose their leaves allowing for clearer viewing. However, the entire basin swelters during the dry season, so bring adequate sun protection. There are also far fewer insects in the dry season, and mammals are occasionally seen around the waterholes. Take binoculars or a spotting scope if possible. During the wet months, large portions of the area are flooded, and access may be limited.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009