It protects remnants of forests of the following life zones : tropical moist forest, premontane belt transition, and premontane wet forest. These forests are found, above all, along the banks of several streams that are tributaries of the Rio Grande. Two of these streams form very beautiful waterfalls. The Rio Grande forms a deep canyon as it passes through this area. A few dirt roads branching off from the highways surrounding it and linking up with Atenas, Palmares and Naranjo go a little further into this protection zone.