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The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve provides refuge for the great green macaw.
Honduras is quickly becoming one of the world’s best ecotourism destinations, and its mecca is the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve. The largest park in Honduras (it has an area of more than 525,000 hectares) and one of the largest protected areas in Central America, the Reserve is located on the Plátano River in northeastern Honduras in the heart of the Moskitia rain forest. The area, which encompasses mountainous and lowland tropical rain forest, pine savannah, coastal lagoons, mangroves, undisturbed beaches, and the Plátano River, is recognized as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites.
Nowhere else in Honduras can a traveler experience what this unique location provides. Visitors who set their sights on the Reserve can expect to see an amazing array of the thousands of unique species of plants and animals that call this area home. Making the area even more fascinating are its approximately two thousand human inhabitants whose distinct ethnicities—Miskito, Tawahka, Pech, Garifuna, and ladino—add a wealth of linguistic and cultural diversity to the region.
Situated at the heart of the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve is the picturesque village of Las Marias. Using Las Marias as a home base, visitors can take a kayak or boat ride in peaceful lagoons or a raft ride on a roaring river, or enjoy a simple walk along a sandy beach or an intensely challenging jungle hike to experience the primitive beauty of the rain forest. Nowhere else in Honduras is the expression “There’s something for everyone!” more true than on the Reserve. But how does one choose? With options like listening to the locals’ stories and songs and learning about their dances and crafts, hiking through the Great Pine Savannah or through the rain forest while taking in the sights and sounds of parrots, toucans, and howler monkeys overhead, pondering the mystery and simple beauty of thousand-year-old petroglyphs, or trekking into the Pico Baltimore or Pico Dama mountain range, a visit to the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve promises to be a mesmerizing, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Explore More:
The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve is home to more than 750 species of birds, 586 plant species, and 130 mammal species. With a group of classmates, investigate to learn about some of these species and prepare a PowerPoint® presentation for your Spanish or science class. You might want to fill in this chart to help you organize the information.
Share What You Know:
1. The article mentions that the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve covers 525,100 hectares. Do you know the equivalent of that in acres?
2. The United States has more than forty biosphere reserves. Can you name any of them? Have you ever visited a biosphere reserve?