- Address: Limón Province, Costa Rica
- Date of foundation: September 6, 1988.
- Area: 5700.45 km²
Costa Rica is often called a country-preserve. Here, not only protect natural complexes, but they also increase them all the time. On the territory of the state there are more than 50 various wildlife sanctuaries and more than 100 nature protection zones, which are private. The most famous of them is the International Park La Amistad (La-Amistad).
general information
The park occupies a large percentage of the territory of the two countries - Costa Rica and Panama - and extends from the top of the Talamanca Range to the coral reefs of the Caribbean Sea. The name of the reserve is translated from Spanish as "friendship". A huge contribution to the creation and establishment of the park was made by the Swedish downshifters Karen and Olaf Vesberg. Around 50 thousand hectares of virgin forest were cut down and destroyed in one year. Olaf tried to stop the activities of poachers, for which he was killed. His supporters continued Vesberg's path and were able to open the reserve.
Initially, La Amistad as an environmental protection facility was established in Costa Rica , but gradually the neighboring state of Panama also decided to join the project. In 1982, on 22 February, La Amistad was officially declared the International Park. This is part of the overall Central American program, which aims to create a single continuous forest corridor from Panama to Mexico, as well as preserve the ecosystem of the region, where nearly 80 percent of the natural environment was destroyed. In 1983, the park La-Amistad was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This organization cares about the territory of the reserve because of its major importance in science, and also because of the huge diversity of flora and fauna.
The territory of the park
On the territory of the buffer zone of the reserve are the leading producers of beef and coffee in Central America. Inside the territory is difficult to access, so it is not yet fully understood.
In the 2000s, scientists from the University of Panama, INBio and the Museum of Natural History of London made several expeditions deep into the International Park La-Amistad. In 2006, funding (both Costa Rica and Panama and international environmental organizations) for an important joint project was provided for a period of 3 years. The main goal was to create a map of the area and develop initial data for the possibility of preserving the biological diversity of the park.
During this time, 7 international and interdisciplinary expeditions were conducted, which were sent to the farthest areas of the park of La Amistad. Results of the project:
- Found 1,700 species of beetles, 7,500 plants;
- 12 new plant species, 3 reptiles, 15 amphibian species, a new species of manure beetle;
- 380 herpetological collections were created.
Inhabitants of the reserve
Once upon a time in the park of La Amistad lived 4 tribes of American Indians. To date, the aborigines do not live here. At present, tens of thousands of all kinds of plants in the mountain, plain and mangrove forests, as well as in the subalpine and tropical ecosystems, grow in the jungle. The zest of the reserve is part of the virgin forest of oak, which includes 7 species (Quercus). Here is the largest wet forest in Costa Rica .
In general, in the park of La-Amistad at the junction of South and North America there is simply an incredible variety of plants. If you compare with similar reserves and parks, the area of which is the same, then this reserve has no competitors. Here, more than 4 percent of the world's biological diversity is collected. The flora of the La Amistad reserve includes about 9 thousand species of flowering plants, a thousand species of fern, 500 species of trees and about 900 lichen species, and 130 various species of orchids. At the same time, almost 40 percent of these plants grow only in this area. Vegetation varies with height and area.
In the International Park, a large number of animals also live: deer, capuchin (monkey), howler, tapir and others. The reserve became the last refuge for endangered mammals: puma, jaguar, tiger cat. Amphibians and reptiles in the park there are about 260 species: salamanders, poisonous frog-dverolaz, a lot of snakes. Here live more than 400 species of birds: toucans, hummingbirds, eagle harpy and so on.
To the tourist on a note
The territory of the reserve has several paid entrances, which are mainly located on the Pacific side, the main one is Estacion Altimira. You can get there by yourself on the car, following the signs or with an organized excursion.
Travelers while visiting the jungle should be ready for a change in temperature and altitude. Most of the park is at an altitude of 2 thousand meters, but it varies from 145 (the coast of the Caribbean Sea) to 3549 (the top of Cerro Kamuk) meters above sea level. As for the climate, the Pacific side is colder (in some places significantly) than the Caribbean side. The driest months are March and February.
Tourists in La Amistad are attracted by rafting along the river, watching animals, getting to know the culture and traditions of the Aborigines. You can move around the park on horseback or on foot and only with an experienced guide.
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