Cabo Blanco Natural Reserve

Cabo Blanco Natural Reserve

 

 

 

Location: Mal Pais, Puntarenas province   Map

Area: 3,140 acres (12.7 km2) on land

4,420 acres (17.9 km2) of sea

 

Description of Cabo Blanco Natural Reserve

Cabo Blanco Natural Reserve is a nature reserve located on the Southern tip of Nicoya Peninsula in Puntarenas province of Costa Rica. Cabo Blanco Natural Reserve covers an area of 3,140 acres (12.7 km2) on land and another 4,420 acres (17.9 km2) of sea. Cabo Blanco Natural Reserve was first established in 1963 to protect flora and fauna of the region. This includes white nosed coati, white face monkeys, margay, white tailed deer and many others.

 

Geography

Cape Blanco is a rocky platform of deep cliffs, located at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. It has two extensive beaches of white sand: Cabo Blanco and Balsitas.

Cabo Blanco Island
Cabo Blanco Island, located 1.6 km from the coast of the cape, is a rocky rock with almost vertical walls, measuring some 600 m long and 150 m wide and totally devoid of vegetation. In its northern part there is a large cave formed by the action of the sea, which crashes hard on its sides, and as a curiosity, on the northeast side of the slope and near the sea, there is a crack where fresh water drips. A narrow and dangerous path, on its eastern side, which allows climbing to the top, was built a long time ago to maintain the two lighthouses that existed at different times, the last one, whose remains can still be seen, was abandoned around the 1980s. The islet remains almost entirely covered by guano throughout the year, giving it a whitish appearance from a distance, hence the name of Cabo Blanco.

Weather
The climate is tropical. The annual rainfall is 2300 mm on average, with a temperature that oscillates around 27 ° C. The rainy season runs from May to November and dries from December to April.