Just miles from the Nicaraguan border lays a phenomenal bird-watching and natural sightseeing heaven. Situated in the Northern Lowland plains is 25,000 acres (10,000 ha) of wetlands, rainforest and swampland that make up the Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge.There are no public facilities at the refuge, and the area can be explored only by boat.

The delicate ecosystems found here supply a plethora of different plants and animal life, many of which are endangered or rare. More than 200 bird species can be found inside Caño Negro and its environment is especially vital for those species that migrate here from the north. Many of the fowl found here include anhingas, the captivating ibis, jabiru storks, the curious roseate spoonbill, a very large population of cormorants, northern jacanas, ducks and egrets.

The forests, grasslands and marshes of the area provide shelter for various endangered species such as cougars, jaguars, tapirs and ocelots, peccary and several species of monkey, as well as many others.