About halfway between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo marks the western edge of the nearly 25,000-acre Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, which stretches along the coastline to the border with Panama. This wildlife preserve encompasses a rich

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About halfway between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo marks the western edge of the nearly 25,000-acre Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, which stretches along the coastline to the border with Panama. This wildlife preserve encompasses a rich variety of habitats, including mangroves, estuaries, and palm swamps, the brackish waters of which support a population of rare tucuxí dolphins, and a long swath of beach that serves as the birthing grounds for four species of sea turtle. The preserve also extends to the coral reefs just offshore. Visitors can hike within the park, dive boats run charters to the offshore reefs, and local guides offer kayak/boat tours through the inland waterways.

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