Corredor Fronterizo Costa Rica – Nicaragua National Wildlife Refuge was created on February 15th, 1194 to give protection to the forest, as well as to recuperate it from past degeneration, since in this area logging the forest reduced  it to critical levels.
It crosses the entire range of life zones, from Pacific Coastal, rainforest and mountains, to the Caribbean coastal zone, which extends as a biological corridor of 2,000m wide along the border with Nicaragua, from Punta Castilla, in the Caribbean, to Salinas Bay on the Pacific. It is an important biological corridor that connects the Tortuguero Conservation Area with the Maquenque and Tamborcito wetlands, the Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge, El Jardin and Cureña Forest Reserves and the Guanacaste Conservation Area. This refuge, partially disturbed, includes beaches, dry forests, wetlands, rain forests and coastal lagoons, so the refuge has a big number of research programs of different disciplines.
Corredor Fronterizo Costa Rica – Nicaragua National Wildlife Refuge has a large variety of ecosystems such as tropical broadleaf forests, tropical moist broadleaf forests, Central American Atlantic moist forests and tropical dry broadleaf of the Central America Pacific region. Similarly, this area has the highest biodiversity indices for trees and shrubs, with endemic species such as Capparis pittieri, Dussia macrophyllata, Costa Rican Sclerolobium and Vochysia allenii.
With its variety of ecosystems, Corredor Fronterizo Costa Rica – Nicaragua National Wildlife Refuge has a great variety of wildlife with large populations of jaguars, deers, coyotes and peccaries, as well as wading and waders birds. On the other hand, in the San Juan River the Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) and two species of sawfish (Pristis pectinata and Pristis perotteti) are easily observed, while in the Remolinos and Caño Tambor  sector, in the same river, are the most important populations of manatees (Trichechus manatus) and garfish (Belone belone).
This zone hosts many research projects of the varying disciplines, as well as university monitoring programs. For more information on research projects in the area, contact MINAE.
There are no public facilities in Corredor Fronterizo Costa Rica – Nicaragua Wildlife Refuge. Other Costa Rica Parks near the northern borderlands include Cano Negro National Wildlife Refuge, Guanacaste National Park, Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge and Tortuguero National Park.
Location: extends along the border with Nicaragua, from the Pacific Coast to the Caribbean Coast in Costa Rica
Size: 59,276 ha (146,000 acres)
When it was decided to construct a new highway from San José to Puerto Limón on the Caribbean coast via Guápiles, environmentalists were concerned that the virgin rain- and cloud-forest on the eastern watershed of the Central Valley would be under threat. It would be easy to imagine ribbon development of motels, sodas (similar like American diners), filling stations and settlement lining the road and running the environment. In 1978 it was therefore decided to set up the Braulio Carrillo National Park, named after one of the country’s  19th-century presidents.
The park includes a range of five altitudinal life zones and holds a tremendous variety of fauna and flora. The new highway effectively cuts the park in two, but gives an excellent opportunity to get a flavor of the area, with luxuriant vegetation draped with epiphytes and lianas visible through the mist, along with foaming waterfalls and vast tracts of Gunnera, which, with its massive leaves, is known as “the poor man’s umbrella.” As the road nears the Caribbean coastal plain, look out for the Rio Sucio Bridge (Dirty River Bridge). The view upstream shows the confluence of the Rio Sucio and the Rio Hondura, which is a crystal clear mountain stream. The Sucio, on the other hand, has its headwaters on the ash-covered slopes of the Irazú Volcano, turning the water a reddish brown.
Braulio Carrillo National Park contains 84% of primary forest and altitude-wise it ranges from 36m (118ft) at La Selva to 2906m (9535ft) at the summit of the Barva Volcano, the greatest altitudinal range of any Costa Rican national park. Rainfall and temperature correspondingly vary greatly. The range of wildlife is staggering. It is estimated that the forest contains around 6000 species of plants, with 600 trees, providing a habitat for more than 500 species of birds, including rarities such as the Resplendent Quetzal, King Vulture, most of the toucan family, the Bare-necked Umbrellabird, Flame-throated Warbler, Black-crowned Antpitta, Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher, (Ptilogonys caudatus), Golden-browed Chlorophonia (Chlorophonia callophrys) and a vast range of hummingbirds, trogons, eagles and parrots. Among the common mammals there are numerous felines such as Jaguar, Ocelot and Puma, and there are also Baird’s Tapir, Pacas, Raccoons, Peccaries and three types of monkeys. Butterflies abound inside the park and you would be unlucky not to see a Blue Morpho, a Magnificent Owl, a Zebra Longwings (Heliconius charithonia) and the  Swallowtails. Hikers should beware of snakes because the park contains two of the most venomous: the Bushmaster or “Matabuey” (Lachesis) and the feared Fer-de-lance or Terciopelo snake (Bothrops asper).
For administrative purpose and because of its size, the Braulio Carrillo National Park is divided into two sections: the Quebrada González sector and the Barva Volcano sector.
The Quebrada González sector is the part of the park that is bisected by the Guápiles Highway. There are two ranger stations, the Zurquí station – just past the road tunnel of the same name – with an information center and three short trails, varying from 1 to 3km (0.6 to 1.9 miles) in length; and the Carrillo ranger station that is further 22km (14 miles) along the road, close to the toll booth in the center of the road. Here there are two further trails. One, named La Botella (the bottle) leads to waterfalls and a view down the Patria Canyon.
In the other hand, the Barva Volcano sector has to be approached from a different direction. The road from San José winds through coffee plantations and dairy farms to the village of Sacramento, where paved roads ends. From here there is a rough track to the station. A 3km (1.9 mile) trail leads up through deciduous forest and cloud forest to the summit of the Barva Volcano, which is extinct, but there is an impressive crater filled with a blue-green lake. Unlike the Poás and the Irazú volcanoes, the crater rim has epiphyte-laden cloud forest trees, with a range of highland forest birds, including those named above. For the really intrepid hiker there is a 30km (19 miles) trail from the top of the Barva Volcano to La Selva Biological Station, involving a descent of some 3000m (9843ft). This could take about four days and hiring a guide is strongly recommended.
Last but not least, if you’re already in the Braulio Carrillo National Park, it’s definitely worth visiting the Aerial Tram, located at the end of the protected area (towards Guápiles). This unique tram lets visitors travel in one of its twenty cable cars and to go through the forests’ canopy in order to spot flora and fauna that would otherwise be hidden from view. Visitors must realize that it isn’t a zoo, where animals will be spotted at all times, but even if tourists don’t see many creatures, the visit is still worth it. The Aerial Tram also offers a restaurant and a visitor’s center. (Tel. 2257-59-61 or fax 2257-60-53).
The Braulio Carrillo is one of the easiest parks to access from San José, but its tropical splendor and magnificence set it apart from the rest of the country. After only a thirty or forty minute drive from San José, you will encounter this amazing place, which reminds people of what ¾ of the country used to be like, only fifty years ago. Whenever you go to this park you will find that the vast majority of people are just passing through. Weather is not a major consideration (March and April are slightly drier). You can expect afternoon shower year round and should always be ready for a downpour.
Getting there:
To the Quebrada González sector take the Guápiles Highway toward Limón from San José, there is an excellent bus service from San José to the park and vice-versa, since Guápiles, Siquirres and Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui buses stop right in front of the ranger station (click here to see Costa Rica buses list). Visitors who don’t want to travel by bus, might take a cab (the approximate cost from San José is $35), or rent a car, since the location isn’t difficult to reach. This highway winds through the Park, and passes by two ranger stations; the Zurquí sector and the Carrillo (Quebrada Gonzalez).
To the Barva Volcano sector, drive through Heredia, then turn north and drive through Barva, San José de la Montaña, and Sacramento. The last 4 km to the ranger station is generally only accessible by hiking. The station is two miles (3 km) northeast of Sacramento on a jeep trail.
Location: 20km (12 miles) northeast of San José, going through the San José-Guápiles Highway.
GPS Coordinates: 10°04’00.09″N, 84°00’21.38″W
Size: 46,000ha (113,666 acres)
Altitude: 36m (118ft) to 2906m (9535ft) at the summit of the Barva Volcano
Schedule: from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ranger station telephone: 2268-1038
The Popular Culture Museum (Museo de Cultura Popular de la Universidad Nacional) is located in Santa Lucia of Barva in Heredia. Inaugurated in 1994, thanks to the academic activities in research and extension of the Social Sciences Faculty at the National University, specifically the History and Sociology School, whose purpose was to implement the Costa Rica Society-University link, which was based on the study of Costa Rican traditions and customs, conceptualized as culture components, in a dynamic way, with the potential to transform the past in  light of the needs and challenges of the present.
The museum aims to benefit communities through individual’s carriers of cultural traditions, through the implementation of actions seeking the enhancement of the heritage and the responsible use, since they work is directed toward developing the themes of heritage such as dance, meals, daily tasks and festivals, among others. The school records for study, preservation and revitalization those cultural practices related to a “lifestyle”, characteristic of the time, and were significant in the construction of the “Costa Rican” imaginary.
Equally interested in the cultural practices that were relevant and that changed by the incursion of new cultural forms. An example is the adobe-style architecture widespread during the second half of the nineteenth and prohibited by the Costa Rican Seismic Code from the 1910s, which was forced to extinction as a construction system.
In the early decades of the twentieth century, “lifestyles” of the masses is impacted by changes in the new century and  business development. Many popular cultural practices lost interest and force, so began a period of deterioration, neglect and extinction. These cultural practices are our heritage today and for that reason, the Popular Culture Museum (Popular Folk) has returned as an object of study so that they are studied and preserved for the enjoyment of present and future generations. This is why the programs, projects and activities of the museum are aimed at different sectors, such as students, teachers, families, seniors, organized groups and tourism.
The the museum is a 3000 m2 area, is an adobe house representative of the traditional architecture of the Central Valley. It is a coffee house built between 1885-1887 by the parents of former President Alfredo González Flores. The furniture is older than their visitors and the museum also displayed tools, costumes and musical instruments from ancient times. Restoration and refurbishment of the permanent exhibition was created through the collaboration of national and international agencies (National University, Ministry of Culture and Youth, ICOMOS of Costa Rica, and Germany Embassy) with the active participation of the traditional builders in the region. The ambient of its interior spaces and the reproduction of their natural environment have created the eco-cultural framework from the museum proposed.
The Popular Culture Museum also holds workshops on traditional cuisine (tortillas, prestiños and roasted oven bread), development of traditional toys (dolls embroidery and kites) and environmental education. Similarly, the museum has a multipurpose hall, restaurant, landscaping and parking area.
Address: from the Auto Mercado in Heredia 700 meters north, 450 meters east, 50 meters north and 100 meters west in Santa Lucia in Barva, Costa Rica
GPS coordinates: 10°00’47.99″N, 84°06’59.95″W
Schedule: from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Website: www.pdmuseologia.una.ac.cr
Phone: + (506) 2277-3857 / 2260-1619
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