The stunning Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge is considered by many to be the third most important wetland in the world and one of the richest areas in biological diversity in Costa Rica.

The refuge is over 1976 acres and is found between the Pacific lowland’s monsoonal climate and the Caribbean coastal area’s humid climate, Costa Rica’s only region of true zonal precipitation.

There are literally thousands of birds and plants, and many fish, mammals, reptiles and amphibians in and along the river.

This wildlife reserve is the dwelling of the Gaspar Fish, known as a "living fossil" because the species has remained largely unchanged for the past 150 million years, as well as for caimans.   

Here you can find a great variety of resident and migratory birds such as spoonbills, white ibis, northern jacana, woodstork, jaribu (the largest bird in Central America and seriously endangered), ducks, and cattle egret.  The Olivaceous Cormorant; that makes its nest in the area, is the most popular bird in the refuge.  The place is particularly important because the largest colony of cormorants in Costa Rica lives here and it is the only region with a. permanent population of Nicaraguan grackle, an endemic bird of the Lake Nicaragua Basin.

There are also many endangered animals being protected here like pumas, jaguars, ocelots and caimans, as well as some more common species such as monkeys, peccaries, raccoons, otters, sloths and deer.

To date more than 200 species of birds have been found here, as well as several unique plants and animals. 

Because of its rich biological diversity, Caño Negro is a popular destination for nature oriented tourists.