Page 25 - NORTHERN PLAINS TOURIST GUIDE

• Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area (ACAT)
The Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area (ACAT) was established in October 1991 and covers approximately 395,046.14 hectares, which is equivalent to 7.73% of the national territory.
The Miravalles and Tenorio volcanoes are the highlights of this region, along with the Arenal reservoir, the main source of energy and irrigation for the country and for tourism development in the area, which includes a freshwater lake of 8317 hectares, declared a Ramsar Site on March 16, 2000.
Another Ramsar site located in the Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area, outside of the Northern Plains, is Palo Verde National Park. Set in the lower basin of the Tempisque River, it is considered an area of vital importance as a breeding and feeding site for a large number of aquatic, migratory, and resident bird species, as well as endangered species, making it one of the largest nesting areas in the country. More information at: sinac.go.cr.
Geographically, it covers parts of 10 cantons and 32 districts of the provinces of Guanacaste, Alajuela and Puntarenas. This guide will cover the part of Alajuela, located in those Northern Plains.
Almost 25% of the territory are protected wildlife areas and another 29% are biological corridors. The remaining percentage corresponds to the area of influence.
More than 70% of the country’s hydroelectric energy, and more than 90% of the wind and geothermal energy production is generated in this conservation area.
A wide variety of environments, ecosystems and species are present in this conservation area, distributed in eight different life zones ranging from tropical dry forest to low montane rain forest, with the same number of zones in ecological transition. Due to the varied topography, there is a wide- ranging climatic regime and the presence of geological formations of different eras.
Its flora and fauna is diverse, hosting numerous species of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and a large number of taxonomic groups of insects and fungi. In addition, this conservation area is home to endangered animals such as the jaguar (Panthera onca) and tapir (Tapirus bairdii), among others, as well as the 6 species of wild cats found in the country.
Furthermore, about 190 plants have been identified that are endemic to Costa Rica, some of them endemic to the area. Just in Monteverde, 70 of the 103 families of trees reported for the country and 21.23% of the orchid species can be found.
Among ACAT’s protected areas, there are a large number of areas that are not exactly parks and that are in the hands of private ownership such as the Laguna Madrigal Wetland, the Riberino Zapandi Wetland, the Taboga Forest Reserve, the Tenorio Protected Zones, the Arenal Monteverde and the Abangares River Basin, as well as the Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve and the Cipanci Wildlife Refuge.
Even though there are three national parks of great importance in this area, such as the Palo Verde National Park, the Miravalles National Park and the Tenorio National Park, it is the latter that is related to the geography of the Northern Plains.
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