Palo Verde National Park is one of the most biodiverse areas in Costa Rica. It encompasses a rich mosaic of over 15 different natural environments, including the deciduous lowland forest, the evergreen forest, the flooded forest, the deciduous limestone hill forest, grasslands and mangroves. The wetlands, which represent some 50% of the park’s area, are a sanctuary for thousands of aquatic birds and their more savage reptilian neighbors: the American crocodile. This led the park to be declared a Wetland of Importance under the Global Convention on Wetlands.