Imagine this scenario: Walk along a 6 kilometer beach, beautiful, clean and desolate, embraced by the intense green of the trees. It is night and the stars illuminate the sky. While enjoying this show, you will be able to see an endangered turtle on the way, which you can see and help.
A few hours before, during the day, you had the opportunity to see the monkeys and the sloths in the trees and enjoy the Caribbean food that you yourself learned to cook.
This is part of what Pacuare Reserve offers in Limón, a site with 800 hectares and a long and beautiful beach, where efforts have been made for the conservation of different species. However, the visitor is allowed to have the opportunity to be part of different projects in a sustainable and friendly environment.
“It’s a completely sustainable place; we do not have electricity, only solar energy in some facilities like the dining room. It is a station of conservation and education. More than 300 species of animals have been identified, “said Heike Russell, Pacuare Reserve Marketing Coordinator.
The experience starts from the moment a boat awaits you at the Matina dock to transfer it to the Reserve. From that moment, the visitor can listen to a large number of birds, observe monkeys and sloths and enjoy a pleasant tour of about 15 minutes.
Once on the site, you can find two work stations, one north and one south. The southern station has a capacity for 55 people between rustic cabins and a four-room EcoLodge; this in order to show a different tourism concept, in which the visits are not massive and the visitor can be integrated into the life of an active Reserve.
One of the most important projects developed in Reserva Pacuare is the monitoring of sea turtles, since it is one of the most important places in the country for the nesting of the leatherback turtle, an animal in danger of extinction. The place also stands out for hosting one of the few accessible colonies of the Agami heron in Latin America.
“Efforts have been made to study not only the population of turtles that come to spawn at the beach but also other animals, although it is true that the leatherback turtle, a vulnerable species, stands out on the site. The Reserve receives researchers who support the monitoring and biometric data collection of the turtles that come to spawn at the beach, “explained Melissa Segura, Communication Supervisor of Ecology Project International (EPI), an environmental education organization that administers Pacuare.
The ideal time for tourists to be part of the leatherback conservation programs is between March and August. In the Reserve there is a team of researchers who lead the monitoring projects and are in charge of training those who wish to learn from the procedures carried out with this species.
“At night, visitors participate in turtle censuses; there they go in a small group with research assistants. It is a special experience because they are on a completely dark beach, the only thing they can see are the stars, listen to the sounds of the jungle and the sea and walk on the beach until they find a turtle that is in the process of nesting and there they can participate or observe what we do, “said Russell.
The Reserve is also a natural classroom for students. Each year, students and national and international volunteers who come to the site to learn about science and conservation and who lend a hand to the many projects and jobs that take place there are received. The income obtained from the visitors allows to give continuity and sustainability to the conservation and education projects that are developed on the site.
In the case of visitors, in addition to knowing this conservation projects first-hand, they can participate in observation expeditions through the canals, take day or night walks guided in the forest, participate in an observation tour of flora and fauna or learn about Caribbean cuisine, among others.
If you want to be part of this natural experience, you can reserve your space or get more information to the emails: [email protected] / [email protected] or phone 4000-1557 ext.22 or 23. You can also book in line through the website: www.pacuarereserve.org.
Katherine Ulate
