Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve

Located in the southern end of Nicoya Peninsula is one of Costa Rica most beautiful reserves. Additionally, the foundation of Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve in 1963 is of extreme importance in the history of Costa Rica nature conservation plans. Cabo Blanco is the first area of Costa Rica land to be officially made into a protected area. During the decade of the 50´s the Costa Rica government implemented a law in which Costa Rica citizens were impelled to clean (meaning cut down trees) in forested areas and by doing this they were granted ownership of the deforested areas. Soon enough large areas of the Nicoya Peninsula were bare. A European couple, Nicolas Wessberg from Switzerland and Karen Mogensen from Denmark, owned a piece of land in Nicoya Peninsula and were shocked by how quickly the rainforest was disappearing. Quickly they contacted many conservation organizations and started a long bureaucratic process with the Costa Rica government to protect the invaluable Costa Rica rainforests. This couple raised money to buy rainforest land to protect it. After several years of struggle and vehement persistence the Costa Rica president realized that it was important to protect Costa Rica rainforests. Many more years it took for the inhabitants of the surrounding areas of Nicoya Peninsula to change their attitude towards the rainforest and start seeing the importance of protecting fauna and flora.

Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve was also granted the status of absolute reserve or strict reserve if you may. The area that Cabo Blanco Reserve protects encompasses 1250 hectares of reforested rainforest (mostly 45 year old secondary forest) and some 18 hectares of coastline which contain a more extense abundance of underwater species than that found inland. The habitats Cabo Blanco Reserve covers are mostly mixed rainforest, being moist rainforest the most predominant. Evergreens can be found in great numbers but dry forest is also present in Cabo Blanco Reserve. Approximately around 150 tree species have been recorded in Cabo Blanco Reserve, some of the most common species are: lancewood, bastard cedar, wild plum, gumbo limbo, trumpet tree, dogwood, frangipani, and spiny cedar. Some of the spiny cedars can measure up to 50 meters tall and have three meters of diameter. The area of Cabo Blanco Reserve that has primary rainforest is around a 15% of the overall area and is located in the highest and hardest to reach area of this amazing Costa Rica reserve.

The proximity Cabo Blanco Reserve has to the coastline plus the numerous rivers that bath it have made the diversity of bird species of this strict natural reserve quite a plethora. Probably Cabo Blanco Reserve is home to 120 bird species if not more. Because of the remoteness and strict control over visitation of Cabo Blanco Reserve (most of Costa Rica National Park and Reserves are either opened seven days a week or at least six days a week, Cabo Blanco Reserve is only opened five days a week) sightings of armadillos, families of coatis, spider, white-faced and howler monkeys, snakes and lizards, pacas, squirrels, raccoons, and white-tailed deer, among many other are very common when hiking through Cabo Blanco trail to the beach. Some of the birds that can be seen in Cabo Blanco Reserve are cattle egret, crested caracara, elegant trogon, magpie jay, motmot, long-tailed manakin, ringed kingfisher, sulphur-winged parakeet, and white bellied chachalaca. Two kilometers away from the Cabo Blanco Reserve mainland is the Cabo Blanco Island which is considered a seabird sanctuary home to a large number of brown pelicans, frigate birds, laughing gulls, common terns. According to scientific registry the Cabo Blanco Island is home to one of Costa Rica largest community of brown boobies. The name of Cabo Blanco Island was given because this rocky island is covered by bat guano especially during the dry season.

When visiting Cabo Blanco Reserve be prepared to do so hiking. From the place where you leave your car to the entrance of lush Cabo Blanco Reserve there is a like an hour walk and from the entrance to the beach there is a like a four kilometer walk. Cabo Blanco Reserve has one and only trail and is the only place of the reserve that can be transited by visitors that will take you from the entrance to Cabo Blanco Beach. There are a number of different trails, from easy to strenuous around the reserve, ask at the park ranger office which is which. If you hike briskly it could take you around two hours to get to Cabo Blanco Reserve Beach, but of course you want to enjoy the exuberant surroundings so it could take your around four hours to get to the beach. The Cabo Blanco Reserve trail will take you over several seasonal rivers, streams, and overall over broken terrain surrounded by dense beautiful rainforest. Once you are about half a kilometer away from the Cabo Blanco Beach you will start hearing the roar of the waves breaking on the shore mingling with the sounds of the wildlife of the rainforest. When you arrive to Cabo Blanco Beach you will be greeted by a white sand beach, with parts of unbroken shells, and river smoothed pebbles.

Cabo Blanco Reserve is opened from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM like most Costa Rica National Parks and reserves. You can reach Cabo Blanco Reserve from Nicoya taking the Paquera-Cóbano-Montezuma-Cabuya road or from Puntarenas taking the Paquera-Cóbano-Montezuma road. When you visit Cabo Blanco Reserve you will realize why this exotic Costa Rica Reserve is given the status of strict reserve. When you leave Cabo Blanco your belongings will be thoroughly searched as not one feather or shell can leave the premises. And if you think about it that is actually a measure that should be applied to every protected area worldwide, because if every visitor takes one little thing from them, soon there will nothing to see. Also, it is important not to take anything with you because even the smallest things in an ecosystem have an important reason for existing and are part of life cycle. The only permitted activity at Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve is to visit the park and nothing can be carried out of it except your pictures and good memories of your visit.