Protected Areas in the Caribbean

El Yunque National Forest is a forest reserve located in northeastern Puerto Rico, is located on the slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo mountains and is the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System. High annual rainfall creates a jungle-like setting with lush foliage, crags, waterfalls and rivers.

The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is a protected area in the Bahamas. The protected area extends from Shroud Cay in the north to Bell Cay in the south, including many islands, islets and cays in between. It was established to preserve the many underwater reefs and uninhabited cays.

Grand Etang National Park and Forest Reserve is the oldest and largest protected area in Grenada. Its varied elevation and terrain maintain several different ecological subsystems. Grand Etang Lake is the focal point of the forest reserve.

Grande Colline National Park is located in southwestern Haiti and contains the Grande Colline mountain range at the core of the La Hotte Massif. This protected area contains five named peaks and is one of the most remote and difficult to reach areas in Haiti.

The Guánica Biosphere Reserve in southwestern Puerto Rico comprises coastal areas with mangrove cays and subtropical dry forest. Designated Guánica State Forest in 1919, it is considered the best preserved subtropical forest and best example of dry forest in the Caribbean.

Jardines de la Reina is an archipelago off the southern coast of Cuba. Cuba's second largest archipelago, it is formed by more than 250 virgin coral islands and numerous cays. Both a marine reserve and national park, the island group is one of Cuba's largest protected areas.

This transboundary biosphere reserve includes the biodiverse reserves of La Selle in Haiti and Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo in the Dominican Republic. These two reserves also include the La Visite National Park in Haiti and the Lago Enriquillo National Park in the Dominican Republic.

Los Haitises National Park is a protected area located on the remote northeast coast of the Dominican Republic. Featuring a spectacular landscape of conical hills, mangroves and coastal rock islets, it protects a diverse habitat of subtropical forest and coastal mangroves.

Main Ridge is the primary mountainous spine of the island of Tobago in the southern Caribbean. The Main Ridge Forest Reserve, which encompasses about 10,000 acres of tropical rain forest, is one of the oldest protected areas in the world.