No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsEnvironment and WildlifeCosta Rica's famed Manuel Antonio National Park will close on Mondays starting...

Costa Rica’s famed Manuel Antonio National Park will close on Mondays starting this month

The Environment Ministry (MINAE) recently issued an executive decree to change entry schedules at Manuel Antonio National Park, the most visited national park in Costa Rica. As of last week, the park is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Executive Decree No. 39048 was published last week in the official newspaper La Gaceta following recommendations from the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). It responded to an increasing number of park visitors. SINAC data from last year show that over 360,000 tourists visited the park, which is located in the Central Pacific region of Puntarenas province.

In a press release, SINAC Executive Director Julio Jurado said that “closing the park at least once a week is required for restoration, recovery and rehabilitation of ecosystems at Manuel Antonio, and it also is a preventive measure for the conservation of the natural resources that led to the creation of this national park.”

SINAC spokesman Francesco Di Palma on Monday confirmed that the park previously had closed once a week during low season only, and that at some point the measure was revoked due to pressure from business owners in the area.

“The new decree allows SINAC to take the right steps to prevent excessive pressure on natural resources and maintain a sustainable use of the park’s services at the same time,” Di Palma said.

Earlier this year, SINAC also issued protective measures and banned the entry of food into Manuel Antonio. Visitors’ habits of feeding wild animals were causing problems including severe pollution, changes in eating habits of several species and facilitating the transmission of diseases, the agency reported at the time.

Manuel Antonio is one of Costa Rica’s most well-known touristic attractions. Specialized travel site TripAdvisor ranked Manuel Antonio beach 17th among the world’s most beautiful beaches, and Forbes magazine included Manuel Antonio among the 12 world’s most beautiful national parks.

Trending Now

US Cracks Down on Costa Rica’s Narco Network with New Sanctions

The US Treasury Department moved against a Costa Rican drug trafficking ring today sanctioning four individuals and two entities tied to cocaine smuggling and...

Route 32 Reopens Following Preventive Closure Over Landslide Risk

Route 32, which connects San José with Limón, was reopened this morning after being closed for nearly 12 hours as a preventive measure due...

In Costa Rica, Rare White-Lipped Peccaries Still Survive

Today we meet the white-lipped peccary, a large animal that travels in large groups that has disappeared from a large part of its historical...

Honduras agrees to receive migrants under new US deportation agreement

The US has signed a new deportation agreement with Honduras, allowing officials to send migrants from other countries there instead of keeping them in...

Panama Union Files Lawsuits Against Chiquita Over Mass Layoffs

Panama’s President, José Raúl Mulino, will meet in Brazil with U.S. banana company Chiquita Brands in search of an agreement for the company to...

Costa Rica’s Role in US Deportation Drama with Salvadoran Migrant

A Salvadoran man at the center of a heated US immigration battle could end up in Costa Rica if he accepts a guilty plea,...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica