| For those who would like a destination for | | | | can be sighted, there is a wide number of |
| eco-tourism, Costa Rica is hard to beat. For | | | | other exotic wildlife including monkeys, |
| a little country in Central America that's | | | | sloths, jaguars, bats and reptiles that can |
| only 19,730 square miles, there's definitely | | | | be seen during one of the many available |
| a lot to see and do there. Costa Rica means | | | | nature tours. Every year, there are sea |
| 'rich coast' in Spanish, which is the | | | | turtles that come to certain beaches to nest |
| country's official language. Located between | | | | and this event attracts many nature lovers. |
| Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the | | | | The wildlife in Costa Rica is not only rich |
| south, Costa Rica is one of the most stable | | | | on land or the air but also in the |
| and prosperous of all Latin American | | | | surrounding oceans. For scuba divers, Costa |
| countries. There are tropical beach resorts | | | | Rica offers excellent diving opportunities |
| on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of | | | | and they are quite different from the waters |
| the country for sun vacationers but the main | | | | in the Caribbean. The higher amounts of |
| attraction of Costa Rica is the eco-tourism. | | | | plankton in the local seas attract more |
| For example, there is a wider variety of bird | | | | numbers of large marine animals than can be |
| species in Costa Rica alone than in all of | | | | found in the Caribbean. |
| Europe and North America. | | | | |
| | | | Coffee and bananas are some of the main |
| Surprisingly, there are diverse eco-systems | | | | exports for Costa Rica. For coffee lovers, |
| and microclimates within Costa Rica. In | | | | this is the place to sample some of the best |
| addition to the coastal beaches, there are | | | | in the world although it should be warned |
| dense jungles and rain forests with a wide | | | | that the locals like their coffee quite |
| variety of fauna. Some of these forests are | | | | strong. Tours in the valleys will often go |
| referred to as cloud forests because of the | | | | past numerous coffee plantations. |
| moisture of the mists that linger among the | | | | |
| trees in some parts. One forest has a cable | | | | Most tourists will fly into the capital city |
| car set up so that tourists can observe the | | | | of San Jose. Although there is some nice |
| plant and animal life at the treetop levels. | | | | colonial architecture to see in San Jose, |
| For the more adventurous types, there is a | | | | it's not one of the nicer places to stay in |
| place where one can swing from tree to tree | | | | Costa Rica. The city is noisy and polluted |
| using a network of rope attachments. There | | | | but relatively safe. One can use San Jose as |
| are also dry forests as well as colder barren | | | | a base for many day trips to the various rain |
| volcanic tundras. Quite extreme changes in | | | | forests, volcanoes and beaches. Travelers |
| microclimate can be observed even within 30 | | | | can also fly into Liberia which is a town in |
| minutes of travel. Some parts of the country | | | | the north part of the country. This is a |
| have canal systems similar to those found in | | | | much quieter region and close to many of the |
| the Amazon and a few rivers offer excellent | | | | northern resorts. One option that many |
| white water rafting. | | | | travelers take is to rent a vehicle and tour |
| | | | the country on their own. However, the roads |
| There are several volcanoes within the | | | | of Costa Rica are not the best with lots of |
| country and the extinct ones are easily | | | | potholes and mudslides are common during the |
| accessible since they are tourist | | | | wet season from June to November. If renting |
| attractions. A few have beautiful turquoise | | | | a vehicle, a 4x4 is definitely recommended. |
| color lakes that have formed in the craters | | | | |
| at the top of such volcanoes. One of the | | | | There is so much to see and do in Costa Rica |
| more famous active volcanoes is Arenal where | | | | that many visitors return to see parts of the |
| visitors can safely watch the eruptions from | | | | country that they missed before. The country |
| a nearby facility that has outdoor hot | | | | is easily the most popular destination to |
| springs naturally heated by the mountain. | | | | visit in Central America. Costa Rica now has |
| | | | tourist offices set up in North America for |
| In addition to the many different birds that | | | | those who want further information. |