Costa Rica Overview
Pacific & Caribbean coastlines, volcanoes, wildlife-rich national parks and superb beaches
If you are an indoors kind of a person, we wouldn’t recommend Costa Rica to you! There’s no need to be an adrenaline junkie or an intrepid sports
enthusiast to enjoy this peaceful little Central American country, but it’s safe to say that the outdoors here is truly great. A visit here won’t herald archaeological ruins, indigenous markets or even museums and galleries, but it will show you some of the natural world’s most beautiful sights.
It is often quoted that over a quarter of Costa Rica’s landmass is protected national park, and it is certainly true that the country takes conservation extremely seriously; no ‘greenwashing’ here, but genuine sustainability and impeccable environmental credentials. Wildlife is one of the country’s major tourist attractions, and its governments have been canny enough to ensure that the winged and furry stars of the show are very well looked after.
Costa Rica is small enough to make it easy to enjoy the Caribbean beaches and the crashing surf of the Pacific coast, the cloud forest of Monteverde, the slopes of active volcano Arenal, and the hatchlings of Tortuguero, all in one trip. If time and energy allow, you could be horse riding one minute, white water rafting the next, and zip lining in the afternoon!
Costa Ricans have a saying; ‘pura vida’, whose exact meaning is difficult to translate but equates roughly to ‘this is what life is all about’. It is used widely, as a greeting or to show pleasure, and is reflective of a happy and exuberant culture, in a prosperous and stable country blessed with enormous natural riches.
What to expect from your Costa Rica Holiday: Fondly known as Central America’s Switzerland, Costa Rica has no army and is a relaxed and friendly country to travel around. If anything, it is almost Americanised in parts, so accessible is its culture, with English widely spoken. San José isn’t an appealing city but all other tourist centres have excellent hotels and there are many memorable jungle and beach properties with a handful of rooms and some serious character.
