Protected Areas in Central America

Islas Marietas are a group of small uninhabited islands a few miles off the coast of the state of Nayarit, southwest of the peninsula known as Punta de Mita. The islands are characterized by their wealth of bird and fish fauna. The island archipelago is both a National Park and Biosphere Reserve.

The La Michilía Biosphere Reserve is a natural protected area in Mexico, located south of Durango between the two mountain ranges of the Sierra Michis and the Sierra Urica. The area between these two Sierras has several plateaus and small hills, separated by valleys and canyons of varying depth.

The Lagunas de Montebello National Park and Biosphere Reserve is located in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas physiographic province, near the border with Guatemala. The property comprises 59 multi-colored lakes in a pine forest, along with the Maya ruins of Chinkultic.

Los Katíos National Park has great biological wealth and holds a privileged role in the South American continent's biogeographical history. An exceptional biological diversity is found in the park, which is home to many threatened animal species as well as many endemic plants.

Los Quetzales National Park encompasses what was formerly the Los Santos Forest Reserve, stretching across 12,355 acres of both rain forest and cloud forest, encompassing fourteen different ecosystems. The park is named for the colorful Resplendent Quetzal which is found here.

The Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve surrounds the Popocatepetl and Ixtaccíhuatl volcanoes, Mexico's second and third highest peaks, as well as Izta-Popo Zoquiapan National Park. The area's diverse ecosystems consist of pine-oak forests and high mountain prairies.

Manuel Antonio National Park is a small national park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just south of the city of Quepos, Puntarenas. It is well known for its beautiful beaches and hiking trails and includes 12 small islets just off the coast.

The Mapimí Biosphere Reserve is located in northern Mexico in the Bolson de Mapimí, an internal drainage basin. It contains three core areas: Sierra de la Campana, Laguna de las Palomas (a salted lagoon) and a desert habitat called Dunas de la Soledad.

Masaya Volcano National Park, consisting of a volcanic caldera with two volcanoes and five craters, was established in 1979 as Nicaragua's first national park. Volcán Masaya is one Nicaragua's most popular tourist attractions due to the opportunity of direct contact with the crater.

The Maya Biosphere Reserve in the Petén region of northern Guatemala, together with the Maya Forest of Belize and Mexico, represents one of the largest areas of tropical forest north of the Amazon and the northernmost tropical forest in the Western Hemisphere.