 Location
Southern Islands are an important region of Costa Rica. The
majestic mountain range rising from the continental divide is the
Talamanca mountain range. The Talamanca range is easily accessible
through the South Interamerican Highway. The range is an important
region because of ecological and geographical reasons. Therefore,
there are a series of national parks that have been established in
the Talamanca region to protect the biodiversity of the place. The
parks in the Talamanca region are La Amistad International Park,
Hitoy-Cerere Biological Reserve, Las Tablas Protected Area, Rio
Macho Forest Reserve, Tapanti National Park.
Exploring the Southern Highlands
Talamanca Range abounds in vegetation and several species of
birds and animals. The range is home to the rain forests or the
cloud forests. One can commonly find here birds like the Quetzal,
which is famous for its colorful plumes, hummingbirds, parrots,
kingfishers and several species of the Trogons and mammals like
Jaguar and ocelot.
National Parks in Southern Highlands
You can visit the Chirripo National Park for having a look at
the unspoiled beauty of nature. You can see here Cerro Chirripo,
which is the highest peak in Costa Rica. It has attracted many
hikers. The hiking trails are well marked on the mountain. You can
stay overnight in San Gerardo de Rivas so that you can start off
early in the day. The park has rugged peaks and one can clearly see
the flora and fauna flourishing in their natural habitats. There is
one region in the park known as Savannah of the Lions due to the
huge numbers of pumas, tapirs and jaguars in the region. The park
is home to different life zones like the Páramo range,
sub-alpine Páramo range but most of it is covered by the cloud
forests. The largest park in the region is the La Amistad
International Park. This park has over 300 species of birds. It has
some 263 species of reptiles and amphibians. The park has the
largest area of covered forests than any other park of Costa
Rica.
In the lower reaches of the Talamanca range is the Hitoy Cerere
Biological Reserve. This beautiful park has a cover of green
throughout and a network of streams and rivers in the place. You
can find some exotic species of birds here in the park like the
blue-crested hummingbirds, toucans, green kingfishers, blue-headed
parrot, owls and trogons. Another paradise for bird-lovers is the
Rio Macho Forest reserve having many endemic species of birds.
There are certain birds like the silky fly-catcher, cerise-throated
hummingbirds, coppery headed emerald hummingbirds and the
peg-billed finch which you won't find in any other part of the
world.
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