Location: Cayo District Map
Area: 50 acres (20 ha)
Open: 8am- 4:30pm
Entrance Fee: BZ $5
Guanacaste National Park is located 50 miles (80 km) West of Belize City, capital of the country. Guanacaste National Park is situated between the Belize river and a Western Highway that leads directly from Belize city. Guanacaste National Park gets its name from a Guanacaste tree that is common in the area. Since its trunk divides into three as it grows it has little value as a source of timber. This lucky tree thus escaped massive loss and quiet widely spread in the region. Guanacaste National Park is open only during daylight hours so there is no overnight camping allowed. The entrance fee is fairly low. It is about one Belize dollar for the citizens of the country and 5 Belize dollars for the foreign tourists. There is a visitor centre at the park entrance and a gift shop. The park contains about 3 km (2 miles) of trails for hikers that are kept in descent condition by the Belize Audubon Society. Despite its small size it is abundant with wildlife that passes through its protected grounds. This includes over 100 species of birds as well as several species of mammals. This includes nine- banded armadillo, white- tailed deer, jaguarundi wild cat, ferret- like kinkajou and many others.
Besides the famous guanacaste tree, this national park is also home to other tree species such as the rain tree, mamey sapote, Brazilian firetree, and Honduras mahogany, Belize's national tree. Belize's reputation for an extensive biodiversity is also evident in the park's wide range of animals that tourists are able to observe. These include the white-tailed deer, jaguarundi, kinkajou, nine-banded armadillo, among countless others. This park is also a favorite for birdwatching. There have been recorded over one hundred different bird species, including the Lesson's motmot and black-faced antthrush. Other birds seen at Guanacaste Park include the smoky-brown woodpecker, black-headed trogon, red-lored amazon, the magnolia warbler, belted kingfisher, and the bright-rumped attila.