Amistad National Park and Rent a Car in Costa Rica

The Amistad National Park is an Trans Boundary Protected Area in Latin America, management of which is shared between Costa Rica (Caribbean La Amistad and Pacific La Amistad Conservation Areas) and Panama, following a recommendation by UNESCO after the park's inclusion in the World Heritage Site list. Get ready to discover the Amistad National Park when you travel with your rent a car in Costa Rica.

A little about the land

The Amistad National Park area is equally split between Costa Rica and Panama, as part of the former La Amistad Reserves of the Talamanca mountain range. It covers 401 000 ha of tropical forest and is the largest nature reserve in Central America and together with a 15 km buffer zone it represents a major biodiversity resource at a regional and global level. This is recognized in its strategic position in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor and its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its cross frontier position gives it unique potential to improve bioregional planning as you will see easily see when you travel with your rent a car in Costa Rica. The park’s buffer zone includes coffee and beef producers and indigenous subsistence farmers. A consequence of the difficulty of the terrain, the park is relatively unexplored and the only substantial scientific explorations deep into the park have been led by the Natural History Museum London, INBio and the University of Panama in the last 6 years.

A scientific discovery

In 2006 the UK's Darwin Initiative funded a three year collaborative project led by the Natural History Museum, London, INBio (Costa Rica) and ANAM (Panama). The aim of which was to generate baseline biodiversity information for the park and a map of the biodiversity. This involved a series of seven multi-disciplinary and international expeditions to remote parts of La Amistad during which over 7 500 plant, 17 000 beetle and 380 herpetological collections were made and deposited in the national collections of Costa Rica and Panama. These expeditions also lead to the discovery of 12 plant species, one dung beetle species, fifteen amphibian and three reptile species new to science. Discover the Amistad National Park’s amazing biodiversity by planning a trip with your rent a car in Costa Rica today!

Things to do, things to see

When you visit the Amistad National Park with your rent a car in Costa Rica you must be prepared for river adventures and mountain hikes though dense humid forests. In Bocas del Toro, you will find Panajungla (a jungle training center for military forces) were you and your rent a car in Costa Rica can enjoy some bird watching and have a closer look at the way of life of some Indian Villages around the area, like the Teribes with their Royal Palace and their handicrafts. You can also enjoy rafting and fishing in the river Teribe. In the Chiriqui sector you can have wonderful hikes on short distance trails such as the Cascada and the Retono, with a nice climate while doing bird watching such as the Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) a beautiful bird with its red and green feathers and discovering the beauty of the green landscape, the flora and fauna. As this area is located 2000 meters (6,000 ft.) above sea level, you make some preparations for the altitude.

Around the area

Near this park you can find three towns that can provide you with hotels, banks, health centers, transportation and guides to the different attractions of the park. These towns are Cerro Punta and Volcan in Chiriqui; and Changuinola in Bocas del Toro.