Protected Areas in Central/North America

Located in the northwest of the Mexican state of Tabasco, the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve is one of the most important wetlands in what used to be Mesoamerica due to its abundance of aquatic plants and the amount of fresh water it receives from the Grijalva and Usumacinta rivers.

Piedras Blancas National Park is located in the Puntarenas Province of southern Costa Rica. It protects over 34,595 acres of evergreen primary forest, indigenous plants and wildlife. The park is home to a number of rare tropical trees and is the habitat for many species of birds, reptiles and mammals.

Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park spans over 34,000 acres and helps protect both montane forests and dwarf cloud forests. Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, an active andesitic complex volcano, is set within the park and is one of six active Costa Rican volcanoes.

Located on the watershed of the Río Plátano, the reserve is one of the few remnants of tropical rain forest in Central America. With an abundant, varied plant and wildlife within its mountainous landscape, over 2,000 indigenous people have preserved their traditional way of life.

The San Marcos de Colón Biosphere Reserve is situated close to the border with Nicaragua, in the Honduran department of Choluteca, at an altitude varying between 1,600 and 5,600 ft. It exhibits a rich biological diversity that include several species of endemic fauna.

Santa Rosa National Park, the first national park established in Costa Rica, was created in 1971. The park covers an area of approximately 495 sq km (191 sq mi).

Santa Rosa was originally a farm located in northwestern Guanacaste Province. Today an old hacienda building, "La Casona," functions as the monument commemorating the fallen heroes of the different battles that took place here.

The Savegre Biosphere Reserve is located on Costa Rica's central Pacific coast and borders two other biosphere reserves in the north and east. Due to its varied topography, as well as its heterogeneity of microclimates, it is one of the most biodiverse sites in the country.

In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means 'Origin of the Sky'. Located on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, this Biosphere Reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as well as a large marine section intersected by a barrier reef.

The Sierra de Álamos – Río Cuchujaqui Biosphere Reserve is located in the Mexican State of Sonora. From the tropical deciduous forest to the Sierra Madre evergreen forest, the reserve hosts an abundance of key species and extraordinary biological wealth.