Costa Rica - is Central America's special jewel. Stunning natural attractions, abundant wildlife and a politically stable environment make it an increasingly popular tourist destination. Its much-trumpeted commitment to ecotourism enables the traveller to experience the tropics naturally and with minimal impact.
Environment - Costa Rica is bordered to the north by Nicaragua and to the east by Panama. It has both a Caribbean and a Pacific coast. A series of volcanic mountain chains runs from the Nicaraguan border in the north-west to the Panamanian border in the south-east, splitting the country in two. In the centre of these ranges is a high-altitude plain, with coastal lowlands on either side. Over half the population lives on this plain, which has fertile volcanic soils. The Caribbean coast is 212 km long and is characterised by mangroves, swamps and sandy beaches. The Pacific coast is much more rugged and rocky, and, thanks to a number of gulfs and peninsulas, is a tortuous 1016 km long.
The country's biodiversity attracts nature lovers from all over the world. The primary attraction for many visitors is the 850 recorded bird species, which include the resplendent quetzal, indigo-capped hummingbirds, macaws and toucans. Costa Rica's tropical forests have over 1400 tree species and provide a variety of habitats for the country's fauna including four types of monkey, sloths, armadillos, jaguars and tapirs. There are also a number of dazzling butterflies. National parks cover almost 12% of the country, and forest reserves and Indian reservations boost the protected land area to 27%.
Costa Rica is a tropical country and experiences only two seasons: wet and dry. The dry season is generally between late December and April, and the wet season lasts the rest of the year. The Caribbean coast tends to be wet all year. Temperatures vary little between seasons; the main influence on temperature is altitude. San José (1150 metres) has a climate which the locals refer to as 'eternal Spring': lows average 15 degrees Celsius and highs 26 degrees. The coasts are much hotter, with the Caribbean averaging 21 degrees at night and over 30 degrees during the day; the Pacific is a few degrees warmer still. The humidity at low altitudes can be oppressive.
Culture - Costa Rica is noted more for its natural beauty and friendly people than for its culture. The overwhelming European influence erased almost all indigenous culture, and because Costa Rica was a country of subsistence agriculturalists until the middle of the 19th century, cultural activity has only begun to blossom in the last 100 years. Over 90% of the country is Roman Catholic, at least in principle. In practice, most church attendance takes place at christenings, funerals and marriages. Blacks on the Caribbean coast tend to be Protestant, and there is a sprinkling of other denominations in San José, including a small Jewish community. Spanish is the official language, though English is understood in touristed areas. Many Caribbean Blacks speak a lively dialect of English, known as Creole. Indian languages are spoken in isolated areas, primarily Bribri, which is estimated to be understood by about 10,000 people. Costa Rican cuisine is tasty rather than spicy-hot and is centred around beef, chicken and fish dishes, with rice, corn or beans and fresh fruit as supplements.
Events - The country just about closes down during Easter week, and the week between Christmas and New Year's Day tends to be an unofficial holiday, especially in San José. Various towns celebrate their own saints' days and other significant dates. San José's day (Saint Joseph's Day) is 19 March, while Virgin of Los Angeles Day (the patron saint of Costa Rica) is 2 August. Juan Santamaria's Day on 11 April celebrates the national hero who helped see off William Walker in 1856, and Columbus Day on 12 October, as elsewhere in the Americas, is a national holiday.
Attractions:
Volcanoes - The perfectly conical, 1633-metre Volcán Arenal is everyone's image of a typical volcano. It has been exceptionally active since 1968, when huge explosions triggered lava flows which killed several dozen people. The degree of activity varies from week to week; sometimes there is a spectacular display of flowing red-hot lava and incandescent rocks flying through the air; at others, the volcano is more placid and gently glows in the dark.
Parque Nacional Santa Rosa - This is the oldest and one of the best developed national parks in Costa Rica. It covers most of the Peninsula Santa Elena, which juts out into the Pacific in the far north-western corner of the country.
Monteverde - This small community in north-western Costa Rica was founded by Quakers in 1951 and is now a popular and interesting destination for both local and international visitors. Its attractions include a cloud forest, walking trails, quetzals, cheese factory, butterfly garden and a number of art galleries.
Pacific Beaches - If you've seen one too many macaws, you can swim or relax on one of Costa Rica's beaches. The Pacific coast has a pleasing mixture of luxury resorts and deserted beaches. Golfito is on the southern Pacific coast, tucked in a small bay off the gulf of Golfo Dulce and is an important port and jumping-off point for the region's fantastic beaches. Heading north-east from the town, the coast features numerous remote coves, with jungle-lodge accommodation and virgin rainforest backdrop. The coastal Parque Nacional Corcovado, on the Península de Osa, is home to the almost extinct harpy eagle. Beaches worth pausing at include Punta Ecanto, Playa Cativo, Playa Zancudo (claimed by the locals to be the best swimming beach) and Pavones (which has some of the best Pacific surf).
Activities - Costa Rica's national parks offer a huge variety of hiking possibilities - the following are just two of the highlights. The Parque Nacional Rincon de la Vieja, north-east of Liberia in north-western Costa Rica, is a volcanic wonderland of cones, craters, lagoons, boiling mud pools and sulphur springs. The park can be explored on foot or horseback, and visitors can bathe in the hot springs. There are long-distance hiking trails in the Parque Nacional Corcovado, which is in the south-western corner of the Peninsula de Osa in the south of the country. The trails offer visitors the chance to spend several days walking through lowland tropical rainforest. Make sure you visit in the dry season, and keep your eyes peeled for wildlife. There are shorter walks around Monteverde and in the coastal Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, south of Quepos.
Bird-watchers should head to the rainforests at La Selva (in the central north) and to the Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Tapanti (south-east of Cartago), Parque Nacional Palo Verde (at the head of the Golfo de Nicoya), Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Cano Negro (east of Upala) and the area around Tortuguero. Turtle-watchers should visit Parque Nacional Tortuguero, where they can visit nesting sites and watch the turtles lay their eggs. There are also turtles at Parque Nacional Santa Rosa. Different species of turtle lay their eggs at different times of the year; check your biology textbooks for details.
Pavones on the Pacific Coast reportedly has the best surfing in Central America. There is also good surfing at Playa Naranjo in north-western Costa Rica, and at Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast. Windsurfers should check out the artificial Laguna de Arenal, near the spectacular volcano. There are snorkelling and diving possibilities at the Reserva Biologica Isla del Cano, 20 km west of Bahia Drake, and in the Parque Nacional Isla del Coco - an isolated island 500 km south-west of Costa Rica in the eastern Pacific.
Golfito is a centre for deep-sea fishing, and there are plenty of opportunities for chartering boats for several days or more. Parsimina, a small village at the mouth of the Rio Parsimina, 50 km north-west of Limon, has several excellent fishing lodges and good offshore reef fishing.
Río Reventazon, in central Costa Rica, is one of the most exciting and scenic rivers in Costa Rica and a favourite with river rafters and kayakers. The river is navigable year-round, but June and July are the best months. Río Pacure, the next major river valley east, is perhaps even more scenic and offers the best white-water rafting in the country through spectacular canyons clothed in virgin rainforest. Turrialba is the best base for these excursions.
Getting There & Away - International flights arrive at San José's Juan Santamaria international airport, though there are plans to upgrade the airport in Liberia, 217 km north-west of San José, to handle charter flights. There are good connections to US and Canadian cities and several Latin and South American countries. Scores of tour operators in North America and Europe run tours to Costa Rica, though these tend to be for first-class visitors and expensive.
It's possible to travel overland to Costa Rica from the USA, crossing Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The nearest US town is Brownsville, Texas, 4000 km away. Overlanders can either catch a series of public buses or drive their own car. The main border crossing between Costa Rica and Nicaragua is at Penas Blancas on the western coast. There are two border crossing between Costa Rica and Panama for travellers heading to or arriving from the south: Paso Canoas on the western coast and Sixaola/Guabito on the Caribbean coast.
Getting Around - There are two domestic airlines: SANSA and Travelair. Demand for seats is high, so try to book as far in advance as possible. The majority of Costa Ricans do not own cars, so public transport is quite well developed. San José is the main transport hub and there are buses from here to most parts of the country. The system can be a bit chaotic and buses are not that comfortable, but fares are generally cheap. Taxis are considered a viable form of public transport for long journeys, and can be hired by the day, half-day or hour. Cars and motorbikes can also be rented in San José. The railway network in Costa Rica was severely damaged during the 1991 earthquake and has remained closed since then.