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