Zona reservada Humedales de Puerto Viejo

Zona reservada Humedales de Puerto Viejo is a protected coastal area covering approximately 275 hectares along the Pacific coast, with lagoons, marshes, and interconnected ecosystems. The reserve supports numerous bird species and plants adapted to coastal desert conditions, creating layered habitats across the landscape.

The wetlands received protected status in 2008 through Ministerial Resolution 064-2008-AG, which established legal protections for the area's natural resources. This designation began formal efforts to safeguard the ecological services and biodiversity that the wetlands provide to the region.

Local fishing communities depend on these wetlands and have become involved in conservation work that protects the ecosystems while supporting their livelihoods.

The reserve can be explored via marked walking trails that wind through different habitats and offer viewing opportunities. Visiting during migration seasons provides the best chance to observe the greatest diversity of bird species in the area.

The wetlands contain ecosystems specialized for extreme aridity, creating unusual habitats where desert-dwelling and coastal species coexist in ways rarely seen elsewhere. This remarkable mixing of species from such different environments makes the reserve ecologically distinctive along the South American coast.