Juan Castro Blanco National Park

This national park stands at the northwestern end of the Central Valley, becoming part of the Central Volcanic Range Conservation Area together with other nearby protected areas.

Juan Castro Blanco National Park was set up to protect a strip of primary and secondary woodland, located between 700 and 2,267 meters above the sea level.  Three life zones contain the abundant plant life, premontane rain forest, very wet premontane forest and low montane rain forest.

This national park offers 44 species of amphibians, 15% of the national total of reptiles, 107 species of birds and 30 mammals, 64 of these species are classified as threatened or endangered in Costa Rica.

Some of the most common animals are the harlequin and grass frogs, basiliks, quetzal, bat falcon, cuckoos, tapirs and coyotes.

Some archeological finds in the area revealed that the region was a meeting place for cultures from the north and the south continent.