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Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge Review

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Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge

Phone: No phone

Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Barra del Colorado

Category: Nature Preserves
Location: Barra del Colorado

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Fodor's Review:

Bordered to the north by the Río San Juan and the frontier with Nicaragua is the vast, 905-square-km (350-square-mi) Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge (Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Barra del Colorado), really the only local attraction for nonanglers. Most people arrange trips here through their lodge. Transportation once you get here is almost exclusively waterborne, as there are virtually no paths in this swampy terrain. The list of species that you're likely to see from your boat is almost the same as that for Tortuguero; the main difference here is the feeling of being farther off the beaten track. You can realistically get as far as the 640,000-acre Río Indio-Maíz Biological Reserve when crossing the border here. The reserve is a continuation of the Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge, but in Nicaraguan territory. If you want to venture there, book a room at the Río Indio Lodge in Nicaragua, which takes care of all border-crossing protocol.

Cost: Free
Open: 24 hours

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