Location: Map
Area: 990,717 acres (400,929 ha)
Tel. 758 6822, 775 3163
La Amistad International Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the
North West border between Panama and neighboring Costa Rica known
collectively as a Transboundary Protected Area. La Amistad
International Park covers a total area of 990,717 acres (400,929 ha)
along the Talamanca mountain range. It is the largest biological
region in Central America with large biodiversity that count about
20% of all species in Mesoamerica and 74% of all species found in
the country. Average temperatures in the region of La Amistad
International Park range from 18 °C to 25 °C with annual rainfalls
of 4000 mm. The tallest peak in the park is Cerro Kamuk at an
elevation of 11,644 ft (3,549 m).
You can get to La Amistad
International Park by taking a highway from San Jose to San Vito de
Coto Brus. Get to a small town of Potrero Grande Cuacimo and take a
road to a small village of Altamira. You have you make another four
miles from the settlement to the ranger station where you can find
needed information about the national park. Entrance fee to La
Amistad International Park is $7 per person. You can get here by
public bus, but private transport like renting car might be more
preferable.
Wildlife
La Amistad International Park is
located in an area of tropical forest. It is a park with a high
biodiversity for both the Panamanian and the Costa Rican side
Mammals: jaguar, puma, ocelot, coati, zaino, tapir, three-toed
sloth, squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys, capuchins, spiders and
aotus, the latter has been seen on the Panamanian side of the park,
but since the animals do not recognize political borders, it is
believed that they will also be found on the Costa Rican side of the
park; in fact it has been mentioned that this species could inhabit
much further north, to Nicaragua. The Panamanian side of La Amistad
International Park has not been fully studied and includes many
areas where biologists and science have never arrived, as they are
very inaccessible
Birds: For the La Amistad International
Park-Panama, 550 species have been identified, representing almost
50% of the 986 species of birds registered for the country. For its
part, in the La Amistad International Park-Costa Rica, some 450
species have been reported, representing 51% of the 845 species of
Costa Rica. Highlights include the nuthatch, the white-throated
hummingbird, the quetzal, the black guan, the peacock, the harpy
eagle, the macaws and other species.
Reptiles: In 2004 an ANAM
work recorded 25 species of reptiles for the La Amistad
International Park-Panama. In 2005 INBio registered 29 species for
the La Amistad International Park-Costa Rica.
Amphibians: Again,
ANAM registered 32 species in 2004 for the La Amistad International
Park-Panama. INBio reported 44 species for the La Amistad
International Park-Costa Rica.