Nicoya Peninsula (20403)
Costa Rica, Central America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1e
Year of last assessment: 2025
National site name: Península de Nicoya
Central coordinates: Latitude: 9.9062, Longitude: -85.3775
System: terrestrial, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 1010
Area of KBA (km2): 3042.74442
Protected area coverage (%): 10.32
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This is a large KBA that covers the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It is split over two provinces, Guanacaste in the north and Puntarenas in the south. A number of protected areas occur in this KBA including Monte Alto, Diria National Park, and Cerro La Cruz. The elevation range is 0-1010 m asl. Habitats include tropical mangrove forests, lowland dry forests, savannahs and wetlands.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site includes nine legacy bird trigger species. It also holds the only known population of the Critically Endangered tree species that triggers the A1e criteria, Forestiera isabeliae.
Manageability of the site: The manageability of the site has not been documented.
Delineation rationale: No delineation rationale is available.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Additional information
Contributors: KBA originally identified using pre-existing criteria. Latest assessment of the KBA includes tree species completed by BGCI.