Costa Rica Guide
The Zona Norte
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Caño Negro
The largely pristine REFUGIO NACIONAL DE VIDA SILVESTRE CAÑO NEGRO (daily 8am–4pm; $4; 
471-1309), 25km southwest of Los Chiles by dirt road, or 35km by boat, is one of the top places in the Americas to view enormous concentrations of both migratory and indigenous birds, along with mammalian and reptilian river wildlife. Until recently, its isolation kept it well off the beaten tourist track, though nowadays numerous tours are offered from San José and La Fortuna.