... Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve ...
by Infocostarica Staff

A friend of mine that lives in Puntarenas once told me a story that I didn’t quite believe at the time. He said that on one of his usual boat trips around the gulf, he got very close to the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, where the Cabo Blanco reserve is located. After doing so, somebody from the park started shooting at his boat, at which point he got out of there as soon as he could. It turns out that Cabo Blanco was an “absolute” reserve (no visitors allowed) from 1963 to 1989; in 1989 it became a “strict” nature reserve, which means that there’s a limit to the amount of people that can visit it.

The Cabo Blanco Strict Nature Reserve is the oldest protected area in Costa Rica. Thanks to the effort of Danish residents, Olof Wessberg and Karen Morgenson, the Cabo Blanco area became a reserve in 1963. It was also because of their initiative that the whole National Park system was established during the 1970’s. With the establishment of the Cabo Blanco reserve, Wessberg and Morgenson wanted to stop the merciless deforestation that was destroying natural areas in the Guanacaste province since the fifities. This reserve owes its name to the island that is close to its tip. The island is covered with guano deposited by the seabirds, thus its name “blanco” or white.

This area which totals 1172 hectares, protects important ecosystems, such as the Pacific lowland tropical forest and important waterways that provide water to remote parts of the Peninsula that would other wise suffer from a 5-6 month drought. If all parts of Guanacaste had a good forest cover, the impact of the dry season would diminish considerably. Cabo Blanco also protects hills, islands, cliffs and beautiful white-sand beaches.

Apart from preserving important geological features, Cabo Blanco is a shelter for at least 119 species of flora and many more species of fauna. Among the most common plants are the following: spiny cedar, gumbo-limbo tree, lemonwood, balsam and the chicle tree. Some animals that are protected here are: white-tailed deer, squirrels, monkeys, rat-eating snakes, grass snakes, boa constrictors, coral snakes, turkey vultures, sloths, agoutis and coatis. There are also numerous species of seabirds (laughing gulls, pelicans, frigate birds, etc.) that depend on Cabo Blanco as a nesting site.

There are numerous ways to get to the Cabo Blanco Strict Nature Reserve:

1.Puntarenas (ferry)- Naranjo Beach (70 kms.)

2.Tempisque (ferry)- San Pablo- Jicaral- Naranjo Beach- Paquera- Cobano- Cabuya- Headquarters (132 kms.)

3.Nicoya- San Pablo- Paquera- Cobano- Cabuya- Headquarters (137 kms.)

Either way, the directions, from any point are: 9 kilometers southwest of Montezuma.

Since 1989 the Cabo Blanco Strict Nature Reserve allows visitors, with a limit of forty per
day. Before, when this reserve was “absolute” and when there were no visitors allowed, animals were more easily spotted and they were less shy. There are two main trails- Sendero Sueco and Sendero El Barco. The first one goes uphill but then descends towards the beautiful beaches of Playa Balsita and Playa Cabo Blanco. The other trail goes west from Playa Balsitas to one of the boundaries of the park.

The ranger station hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., everyday except Mondays and Tuesdays, and the entrance fee is $15 or $7 if paid in advance. Many people reach Cabo Blanco from Montezuma, which is 11 kilometers away. People that are in good shape and that enjoy a LONG walk can do it, but it’s better to hitch a ride or to rent a cab from Montezuma ($25 roundtrip). It’s also good idea to ask for other transportation options once you’re there.