Palo Verde National Park, with an extension of 13,058 hectares, is situated at the northwest bank of the Tempisque River. Palo Verde has more than 12 different habitats and has the greatest ecological diversity in Costa Rica. There you can see freshwater and saltwater lagoons and marshes, grasslands with black mangroves, mangrove swamps, grasslands with rough-leaf trees, different kinds of forests and savannahs. In the park there are more than 150 different species of trees, among them the Parkisonia Aculeata, which lends its name to the park for the light green color of its branches.
This wonderful National Park contains the largest concentration of wading birds in all of Central America. Identification has been made of 279 species of birds and from September to March several thousand of herons, storks, egrets, grebes, ibis and ducks flock to the lagoons and surrounding areas to feed and mate. The park also has the largest nesting colony of black crowned night herons in the country. It is located in the Bird Island, which is part of the Park. Crocodiles of up to 5 meters in length have been seen on the banks of the Tempisque River also. Palo Verde National Park is a real attraction that any bird-watching fans cannot miss!