Cartago

This is a very wet area and quite steep. It has conserved most of its original forests. The oaks (Quercus spp.), magnolias (Magnolia sororum) and lancewoods (Nectandra salicina) are some of the most common trees. In the undergrowth, there are a great many tree-ferns. Preserving the forest in this protected area and in the whole La Amistad complex in order to provide a constant supply of clean water is one of the main aims of this Biosphere Reserve of which the River Tuis forms a part. A few dirt roads go a little way into this protection zone from the Turrialba-Platanillo highway.