Guanacaste National Park is a park in central

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...

. It is named after a huge guanacaste tree that escaped being logged because its trunk divided into three bases, reducing its value as timber. Guanacaste National Park is located on the north side of the Western Highway just to the east of the Roaring Creek bridge - about west of

Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, wh ...

, in the

Cayo District Cayo District is a district located in the west part of Belize. It is the most extensive, second-most populous and third-most densely populated of the six districts of Belize. The district's capital is the town of San Ignacio. Geography Being ...

of Belize. In 1973, it was established as a Crown Reserve but finally gained status as a

national park A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...

in 1990. The park was later put under the responsibility of the Belize Audubon Society. The Guanacaste National Park is the most accessible park of the Belize Audubon Society-managed protected areas. Its proximity to Belize's major cities make it a popular family spot. Public transportation from any nearby city is available to the national park. The park is open to the public only during the day. The Guanacaste National Park is open from 8 am until 4:30 pm. The admission fee is about $1 BZD (

Belize Dollar The Belize dollar is the official currency in Belize (currency code ''BZD''). It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign ''$'', or alternatively ''BZ$'' to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cen ...

) for citizens and $5 BZD for tourists. There is an educational center, a gift shop, and over two miles (3 km) of maintained trails. The park's workers recommend that visitors wear long-sleeved shirts, sturdy shoes and pants to avoid contact with poisonous plants. Besides the famous guanacaste tree, this national park is also home to other tree species such as the

rain tree Rain tree is a common name for several plants and may refer to: *''Albizia saman'', a tree in the family Fabaceae, native to a range extending from Mexico south to Peru and Brazil *''Brunfelsia'' a genus of shrubs and small trees in the family Sola ...

mamey sapote ''Pouteria sapota'', the mamey sapote, is a species of tree native to Mexico and Central America. The tree is also cultivated in the Caribbean. Its fruit is eaten in many Latin American countries. The fruit is made into foods such as milksh ...

, Brazilian firetree, and

Honduras mahogany Honduras mahogany is a common name for several trees and may refer to: *''Swietenia humilis ''Swietenia humilis'' is a species of tree in the family Meliaceae. It is one of three species in the genus ''Swietenia'', all three of which are regard ...

, Belize's national tree. Belize's reputation for an extensive biodiversity is also evident in the park's wide range of animals that tourists are able to observe. These include the

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

jaguarundi The jaguarundi (''Herpailurus yagouaroundi'') is a wild cat native to the Americas. Its range extends from central Argentina in the south to northern Mexico, through Central and South America east of the Andes. The jaguarundi is a medium-size ...

kinkajou The kinkajou ( /ˈkɪŋkədʒuː/ ''KING-kə-joo''; ''Potos flavus'') is a tropical rainforest mammal of the family Procyonidae related to olingos, coatis, raccoons, and the ringtail and cacomistle. It is the only member of the genus ''Potos'' ...

nine-banded armadillo The nine-banded armadillo (''Dasypus novemcinctus''), also known as the nine-banded long-nosed armadillo or common long-nosed armadillo, is a mammal found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos. ...

, among countless others. This park is also a favorite for

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

. There have been recorded over one hundred different bird species, including the

Lesson's motmot Lesson's motmot (''Momotus lessonii'') or the blue-diademed motmot, is a colorful near-passerine bird found in forests and woodlands of southern Mexico to western Panama. This species and the blue-capped motmot, whooping motmot, Trinidad motmot, ...

and black-faced antthrush. Other birds seen at Guanacaste Park include the smoky-brown woodpecker,

black-headed trogon The black-headed trogon (''Trogon melanocephalus'') is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Taxonomy and systematics The black-headed trogon ...

, red-lored amazon, the

magnolia warbler The magnolia warbler (''Setophaga magnolia'') is a member of the wood warbler family Parulidae. Etymology The genus name ''Setophaga'' is from Ancient Greek ''ses'', "moth", and ', "eating", and the specific ''magnolia'' refers to the type lo ...

belted kingfisher The belted kingfisher (''Megaceryle alcyon'') is a large, conspicuous water kingfisher, native to North America. All kingfishers were formerly placed in one family, Alcedinidae, but recent research suggests that this should be divided into three ...

, and the bright-rumped attila.

References

External links

*http://www.turq.com/belize/belnatpk.html *http://centralamerica.com/belize/parks/guanacaste.htm *https://web.archive.org/web/20070629124324/http://www.belizeaudubon.org/parks/guanacaste.htm {{authority control Cayo District National parks of Belize Petén–Veracruz moist forests