Juan Castro Blanco
National Park:
Travel
to Costa Rica
Recently
declared in 1992, this park is designed to protect
the cloud forest habitat and important watershed atop
the westernmost peaks of the Central Volcanic Cordillera.
Although there have been no eruptions recorded during
recent history, the volcanic origins of this massif
are underscored by the numerous hot springs that emerge
from its northern flank. The highest points on the
summit are: Porvenir Volcano (2,267 m.), Platanar
Volcano (2,183 m.), and Viejo Volcano (2,060 m.).
Unfortunately,
the government has yet to finance the purchase of
the private property affected by the declaration of
this park, and so to date there are no facilities
for visitors.
This
park was established to protect a strip of primary
and secondary forest at 700 to 2,267 m. It holds a
great diversity of animal and plant species, and guarantees
a constant and clean flow for countless water sources
for such important rivers as the Toro, Aguas Zarcas,
Guayabo and Platanar.
As
it is located in the Central Volcanic Cordillera,
the area's geomorphology is volcanic. Among the main
representatives is the still active Platanar volcano
at 2,183 m, the inactive Cerro Viejo at 2,122, and
the erosion caldera of Río Segundo.
This
protected area, which is in the process of being acquired
by the state, has three life zones: premontaine rain-forest,
premontane wet forest and lower montane rain forest.
Among the forest species are the enormous oaks (Quercus
spp.), magnolia (Magnolia poasana), a species typical
of the high mountains, quizarras (Ocotea spp.) and
(Nectandra spp.), the yos (Sapium rigidifolium), the
small cedar (Brunellia costaricensis) and the white
cypress (Podocarpus macrostachyus).
The
fauna is represented by 44 species of amphibians,
32 reptiles, 107 birds and 30 mammals. Among the amphibians
and reptiles are the glass frog (Centrolenella euknemos),
basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons), boa (boa constrictor)
and fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper.). Among the birds,
the quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), which feeds mainly
on small wild avocados, the bat falcon (Falco rufigularis)
and the white hawk (Leucopternis albicollis), stand
out.
The
mammals include Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii), which
is the biggest land mammal in the country, tayra (Eira
barbara), northern tamandua (Tamandua mexicana), red
brocket deer (Mazama americana) and coyote (Canis
latrans), besides 5 of the 6 cat species in Costa
Rica.
Archaeological
finds indicate that the region was a meeting point
for cultures form both north and south of the continent.
One of the most important chiefdoms in the area before
the arrival of the Spanish, was that of the Botos
Indians. It extended as far as the Central Valley
across the territories of the current Juan Castro
Blanco and Poás Volcano National Park.
Juan
Castro Blanco is situated on the Chocosuela mountain
chain at the western end of the Central Volcanic Cordillera.
The Naranjo - Quesada City and Quesada City - Venecia
highways skirt the park to the west and north. One
can see forest that is typical of the region from
the road that leads to the Toro II hydroelectric project.
There is a bus service between San José and
Quesada. In Quesada taxis can be hired.
