Barra del Colorado Refuge in Costa Rica Atlantic coast
The remote and magnificent Barra del Colorado Refuge is another of the diverse and beautiful parks in Costa Rica. Formally known as National Wildlife Refuge Barra del Colorado, the wildlife nature reserve is located in the province of Limon along the northern border with Nicaragua. Near the Tortuguero National Park on the south side (the two places are ecologically similar). The Barra del Colorado refuge is bordered by the Rio San Juan on the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
Located along the glorious Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, the Barra del Colorado Refuge has an area of 92,000 hectares of land and rainy rainforests that are the habitats of much indigenous flora and fauna of the country. Reaching this place is a bit complicated because it is located about 225 kilometers northeast of the capital city of San Jose. You can reach the place by renting a boat and go through the north canal of Limon, or you can take a domestic flight from the Juan Santamaria International Airport to a private landing zone near the village of Barra de Colorado who is inside the shelter along the mouth of the Colorado River. It is just a 30 minutes flight to arrive here from San Jose. Most people come here through water because is easy to see beautiful scenery and listening to the sounds of nature throughout the entire trip.
The best time to visit the Barra del Colorado Refuge is from February to April when the weather is dry and you can see alligators, monkeys, toads, crocodiles and a variety of other animals like birds and reptiles within the splendors trees that are found here. This shelter has many rivers, creeks, and lagoons that make it a fantastic place to fish, for that reason this place is within the best destinations for recreational fishing in inland Costa Rica. The place is famous for sport fishing lovers for having different species as the Snook, the snapper, the mackerel, and the tarpon. But in the waters of the Rio San Juan is common the Full shark that has migrated upstream from the Atlantic Ocean. You can rent a boat here, or do it through the many cabins that are in the place.
While the north side of the Rio San Juan near the border with Nicaragua is primarily an evergreen forest, the south side of the river has been heavily exploited becoming a marshy land, unfit for agriculture or livestock. The conservatives are very actively involved in protecting this refuge for future operations. Despite this Barra del Colorado Refuge is a great place for tourists.