Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge

Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Puerto Rico protects 1,836 acres of coastal hills, grasslands, mangroves, and subtropical dry forest within a broader protected landscape. Established in 1974 on land previously used by the Caribbean Bureau of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, it later expanded in 1999 to include the Cabo Rojo Salt Flats near Los Morrillos Lighthouse, a salt-producing area dating to about 700 C.E. The refuge is especially important for birds, including the endangered yellow-shouldered blackbird, and lies on a major migratory route between North and South America. Restoration work now addresses long-term overgrazing while supporting rich plant, reptile, and amphibian life.

Puerto Rico · Puerto Rico