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La Riviera Hotel
Belen, Costa Rica
Reservations phone:
(506) 2293 0909
How to Get
fax:
(506) 2293 2582
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Carara Biological
Reserve
Carara presents a wide variety of plant life with
evergreens being particularly predominant. The reserve
possesses several ecosystems, including marshlands,
a lagoon, and primary, secondary and gallery forests.
The marshland is rich in waterfowl, wading birds,
amphibians and reptiles that are found in these environments.
The lagoon is completely covered with water hyacinths
and other floating aquatic plants. The primary forests
occupying most of the reserve are species-rich, multi-layered,
and have an abundance of creeping vines and epiphytes.
The tallest trees include such species as espave,
silk cotton, wild fig, nargusta and quamwood, a very
spectacular tree during the dry season when it is
covered with yellow flowers.
Amphibians and reptiles are abundant. Crocodiles measuring
up to three meters long are widely distributed and
easy to sight in the Grande de Tarcoles River. Waterfowl
such as roseate spoonbills, anhingas, jacanas, pied-bellied
grebes and Mexican tiger-bitterns are also in attendance.
The fauna is abundant in spite of the isolated location
of the reserve. Among the mammals, the four-eyed opossum,
two-toed sloth, agouti, kinkajou, tayra, margay cat,
collared peccary and white-tailed deer are found.
A particularly conspicuous bird in Carara, notable
for its beautiful bright blue, red and yellow plumage,
and the fact that it has all but disappeared from
the Dry Pacific, is the scarlet macaw. Other species
include the collared aracari, American egret, great
tinamou and turkey vulture.
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