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Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve

Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature reserve protects semi dry tropical forest on the southern tip of the Nicoya Penisula, Costa Rica.  The 2 mile long (3 km) trail crosses a ridge and drops down to Playa Banco on the tip of the Nicoya Penisula.

The visitors entrance to Cabo Blanco is on the east side of the Peninsula near Cabuya, south of Montezuma. Open 8 am – 4 pm Wednesday through Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday) Access on the western side of Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco) is restricted to the tiny but strikingly beautiful Playa Cuevas. There are no public trails from this entrance.

Playa Cabo Blanco
White faced capuchin Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve
Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve
Suzy on Playa Cuevas Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco)
Playa Cuevas Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco)
Playa Cuevas Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco)
Playa Cuevas Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco)
Access on the western side of Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco) is restricted to the tiny but strikingly beautiful Playa Cuevas. There are no public trails from this entrance.
Access on the western side of Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco) is restricted to the tiny but strikingly beautiful Playa Cuevas. There are no public trails from this entrance.
Pair of wood storks hunting crabs on the shore near Mal País
Wood stork wading
bat
bat
Bats headed out of their hollow tree roost in the afternoon at Cabo Blanco Wildlife Refuge
Easily shed layers of bark also prevent the attachment of lichens and epiphytes
Damselfly dangerously close to the web
black and red and white on the outside – emerald green on the inside
black and red and white on the outside – emerald green on the inside
golden ant
golden ant
golden ants
Angry monkeys. White faced capuchins are very territorial and when a hiking trail crosses their path you’re likely to be challenged with screeches, branch shaking and twig (or much worse things) throwing
It’s easy to see how the white point got its name when looking down Playa Cabo Blanco
Playa Cabo Blanco
driftwood
Toxic Manzanillo or manchineel tree (Hippomane mancinella) tree with a warning sign reading: Do not touch or eat the fruit and do not use for shade. The leaves bark and fruits contain toxic phenols – catechols, resorcinols and biflavonoids that both severely irritate the skin and can cause death if ingested
Playa Cabo Blanco
spiral fungus
Easily shed layers of bark prevent the attachment of lichens and epiphytes
Easily shed layers of bark also prevent the attachment of lichens and epiphytes
Because of difficulties obtaining a reliable water supply epiphytes are much less common in the semi-dry forests of Cabo Blanco than cloud forests.
army ants on the march
army ants on the march
army ants on the march
In places the Sendero Sueco trail up and over the shoulder of Cerro Altiliano and down to Playa Cabo Blanco is steep, but it’s relatively well maintained
vines
Bull’s horn acacia (ant-acacia) trees provide food and shelter to Pseudomyrmex ants in exchange for pruning services to keep competing vegetation at bay and fierce swarms of stinging soldiers to keep animals from browsing
Wakey wakey… sunlight streaming in on these bats roosting in a hollow of a tree
Cabo Blanco trail map
The entrance to Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco). Drinking water is available and picnic tables and a small staffed information center round out the area turistica. The parking is near the information center and relatively secure, but as always it’s best not to leave anything in your car.
The visitors entrance to Cabo Blanco is on the east side of the Peninsula near Cabuya, south of Montezuma. Open 8a – 4p Wednesday through Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday)
Cabo Blanco is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

Ray & Sue

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Refuges
  • Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve
  • Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
  • Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge
  • Rainmaker Biological Reserve
  • Punta Mala-Playa Hermosa National Wildlife Refuge
  • A M Brenes Biological Reserve
  • Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge
  • Caño Negro Wetlands National Wildlife Refuge
  • Curi Cancha Wildlife Refuge
  • Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
  • Isla Bolaños Wildlife Refuge
  • La Selva Biological Station & Reserve
  • Lankester Orchids Botanical Gardens
  • Lomas de Barbudal Biological Reserve
  • Tirimbina Rainforest National Wildlife Refuge
  • Wilson Botanical Gardens
  • Rescues & Zoos



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