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Guayabo,
Negritos and Pájaros Islands Biological Reserves:
Travel
to Costa Rica
These four unpopulated islands (Negritos
consists of two islands) in the Gulf of Nicoya were
included in the national park system as biological reserves
to protect seabird nesting colonies and to spare them
from tourism or other development. The park service
maintains no facilities for visitors on any of the islands,
nor are there any trails to speak of.
Essentially steep-walled chunks of rock
jutting above the ocean's surface, these islands support
low, scrubby, dry forest vegetation. The thin soil and
limited annual rainfall combine to produce harsh conditions
for plant growth. However, the western Negritos island
once had someone living on it, as is surmised from the
remains of a wooden house and various introduced fruit
trees. Pre-Columbian pottery fragments found on the
same island indicate that it may have been used as a
burial site by the previous inhabitants of the Nicoya
Peninsula.
Getting there: Probably the easiest
way to see the Guayabo and Negritos Islands is to take
one of the daily cruises from Puntarenas to Tortuga
Island, since the route taken on these excursions passes
by these islands. Likewise, the ferry from Puntarenas
to Paquera also passes near Guayabo Island.
The only other alternative for closer
examination of these island biological reserves would
be to hire a small boat to take you out to them. This
could possibly be done in the village of Paquera, or
to visit Isla Pájaros, in the village of Costa
de Pájaros located 21 kilometers off the PanAmerican
Highway, north of Puntarenas.
Climate: Hot and sunny most days
of the year. The small amount of rain that does affect
these islands falls between May and November.
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