About Costa Rica
Located between the heartbeats of Central America, Costa Rica is a land where lush rainforests meet golden beaches, volcanoes touch the sky, and “Pura Vida” is more than just a saying—it’s a way of life. Whether you seek adventure, in need to relax, or get connected with nature, this little country has it all. And let us reassure you, once you have been to Costa Rica, you will never really leave.
Where Nature Rules
Costa Rica might be a small country, but it is nonetheless packed with more biodiversity than countries many times its size. In fact, this eco-friendly nation shelters 5% of the world’s species, being a dream for animal lovers and adventurers alike. Just imagine being on a hike through a mist-shrouded cloud forest, catching glimpses of howler monkeys swinging in the treetops and colorful toucans soaring overhead. The next thing you know, you’ll be climbing up an active volcano, peering into its crater, and then cooling down under a secluded waterfall. All on the same day. Impossible? Not in Costa Rica.
Accordingly, with over a quarter of its lands being an embodiment of national parks and protected areas, Costa Rica is a player in nature lovers. From the iconic Arenal Volcano to the pristine beaches of Manuel Antonio, every corner invites an exploration.
Thrills for Every Traveler
Adventures, rejoice! For you, Costa Rica will be a dream destination. From rafting in the roaring rapids of the Pacuare River, zip-lining through the towering canopies of Monteverde, to surfing world-famous waves on the Pacific, Costa Rica is built for thrills. But if you’re more of a beach lounger than a thrill-seeker, do not worry—neither will you fall short of finding your ideal place under the sun, cold coconut in hand, with nothing but wave sounds.
Pura Vida Spirit
One of the first things you’ll hear upon arrival in Costa Rica is “Pura Vida.” It’s so much more than just a saying—it’s something of a philosophy. “Pure life” is the direct translation, but it is used in place of greetings such as “hello” or “goodbye,” and “everything’s good.” That is applied to the laid-back style of lifestyle approach that predominates among Costa Ricans who feel life should be enjoyed, not hurried. Time stands still, and each moment is accorded its full value.
You’ll find Pura Vida in the warmth of the people, the vibrant culture, and the way nature and modernity blend so effortlessly into daily life. The people of Costa Rica are an endearing lot, avowing hospitality and pride for their country. Be it the most diminutive village or the busiest of cities, they will receive you with open arms and a smile.
A Cultural Melting Pot
From Latino and Afro-Caribbean to indigenous Bribri, Costa Rica is as diverse culturally as it is naturally—a heady brew of customs, music, and food. In the laid-back coastal towns like Puerto Viejo, for example, reggae and calypso rhythms meet traditional Latin beats. Don’t be surprised if you get invited to a local fiesta or take part in home cooking that combines flavors you never knew existed.
And speaking of food: Costa Rica is a foodie’s haven. Whether it’s a fresh casado—a traditional meal of rice, beans, plantains, salad, and your choice of meat—or the finest organic coffee in the world, every single bite in Costa Rica tells a story of the land and its people cultivating it.
Why Costa Rica?
From its varied landscapes to its friendly people, to a way of life committed to sustainability, Costa Rica is for the curious-minded who wish to explore, relax, and rejuvenate with nature. Be it flying across forests on ziplines, lounging on secluded beaches, or learning about local conservation efforts, Costa Rica invites you into life at its fullest. So come and dive right into the adventure, feel the Pura Vida spirit, and leave with lifetime memories.
Plants and animals everywhere
About Costa Rica. Costa Rica’s territory is so small that it encompasses only 0,03% of the planet’s surface but is still within the top 20 richest countries in biodiversity on Earth in terms of species density. It means that it is possible to find more species in 1,000 km2 in Costa Rica that in the same area in countries like Brazil or Colombia. Let’s use Brazil as an example. Despite being 166.6 times bigger than Costa Rica, Brazil averages 6.5 plant species, 0.2 bird species and 0.05 mammal species per 1.000 km2. Meanwhile, Costa Rica averages 234.8 plant species, 16.9 bird species and 4.6 mammal species in that same 1.000 km2. In fact, with only 51.100 km2 of total territory, Costa Rica has nearly half a million species, representing 4% of the planet’s expected biodiversity. Are you ready to discover it?
Biggest Oxcart and Yoke in the World
The oxcart is the national symbol of the traditional Costa Rican transport device and it is also considered a genuine expression of popular art. The same applies to the “yoke”, a wooden apparatus which fits over the necks of two oxen and permits that the beasts can be harnessed together in order to pull a single cart. And so important are both, that in the country it is possible to find the world’s largest oxcart and yoke, created by reputable Costa Rican artisans and painters.
Costa Rica’s Little Amazonas
There is a place in Costa Rica where the exuberance of natural wildlife and visitors become one and where the water is a giant mirror reflecting the lush foliage all around. Surrounded by a system of natural canals and lagoons running from southeast to northeast, Tortuguero National Park, located in the Northern Caribbean side, is without any doubt our little Amazonas. It is also one of the most important places in the world for the protection of the green turtle and home of other incredible species such as the manatee, the American crocodile and the Gaspar fish, which is considered a living fossil.
Majestic birds such as the Great Blue Heron, the biggest heron in the country, and the Northern Jacana, very famous in the animal world because the female protects the territory while the male nests the eggs, populate and thrive in this rich environment. The birds are so diverse that they account for approximately half of the species found in Costa Rica and surpass the number of species found in all Europe. Herbal swamps, marshlands and ‘flooded’ forests are part of this array of diverse habitats. But Tortuguero is not only about nature. Being on the Caribbean side, it is one of the larger regions of Afro-Caribbean culture in the country. The majority of its population has Jamaican origins and keeps their food, dances and traditions. Their dishes are mostly spicy and many include coconut, turning Tortuguero in a very interesting place to experience nature and culture.
Costa Rica’s Marvels of Fire
As part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, Costa Rica’s volcanoes are among the most mesmerizing in the world. In fact, the present-day landmass known as Costa Rica is the result of complex volcanic activity that took place some 75 million years ago and still continues today. Counting every location or crater where an eruption has occurred within its borders, Costa Rica volcanoes boast a stunning 112 sites throughout the country. Most Costa Rica volcanoes and their surrounding areas have been made into national parks. One of them is Arenal Volcano, listed among the 10 most active volcanoes in the world and for a good reason: It regularly puts on a spectacle, showing off with strong rumbling sounds and occasional rock avalanches, as well as smoke, ash and lava eruptions that descend its slope at speeds reaching 70 kilometers per hour and temperatures reaching 1,000 degrees Celsius. Arenal Volcano’s last great eruption took place in 1968. Until then, it was assumed that the volcano was just another peak of the mountain range. The mountain and surrounding area were declared a national park in 1994. Thermal hot springs are now the area’s main attraction, most of which boast nearby trails and numerous lookout points.
An indigenous legacy that is still a mystery
Although the indigenous populations inhabiting Costa Rica before the Spanish arrival did not build architectural structures rivaling the Mayan pyramids of northern Central America, our ancestors who lived in Costa Rica’s South Pacific left as their legacy a mysterious production of artistically elaborate stone spheres whose meaning remains a mystery to this day. There are 235 registered stone spheres in Costa Rica, all of them equal in perfection, measuring up to two meters and as small as 20 centimeters. They were created over a 1,000-year time period that began around the year 400 A.D. and lasted until the colonization of Costa Rica by the Spanish. The majority were found in the South Pacific and constituted such an important element to these societies, that their production survived nearly a millennium. The spheres were associated with pre-Columbian populations and regions where plazas, passing zones and open terrain where present. They constituted an art form that was meant to be seen, perhaps to differentiate the towns in which they were made from their neighbors. The spheres were often aligned with each other, forming lines, triangles or rectangles with an unknown meaning. These indigenous groups also became recognized for their metal and ceramic work, and Costa Rica’s South Pacific was, in fact, the principal locale for pre-Columbian objects.
The Biggest Rainforest in Costa Rica
Amistad International Park (PILA) is not only the biggest natural park in Costa Rica with almost 200,000 hectares, but also the only bi-national park, created by the governments of Costa Rica and Panama in 1982. It could explain the name La Amistad, which means friendship in Spanish. The total extension of this amazing portion of protected land in both countries is nearly 400.000 hectares, which covers a great variety of humid, rain and cloud forests in the Pacific and Atlantic sides, as well as indigenous reserves. The Talamanca region, a big portion of the park, was a refuge in colonial times for indigenous people who were resilient from the Spanish colonizers’ repression. The isolation of the region, thanks to the difficult geographical conditions, allowed its inhabitants to safeguard most of their traditional ways of life and customs. The enormous cultural richness and extraordinary natural habitats, result of different altitudes, soil and microclimates, was the reason why the park was also designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site. Species in great danger of extinction such as the jaguar, the largest feline in the Americas and third largest world-wide, live in the park as well as a great variety of wildlife, which includes 400 species of birds, 263 species of amphibians and reptiles and 213 of mammals. Many other species are found only in this giant rainforest.
A Paradise for Divers
With a marine surface that is 10 times bigger than the terrestrial and an immense biodiversity, Costa Rica is the perfect place for diving fanatics. The majority of these places belong to wildlife protected areas around the country, such as the famous Cocos Island National Park, also a World Heritage Site. Costa Rica’s Pacific coast was even considered by Rodale’s Scuba Magazine as one of the top 5 destinations around the world for advanced scuba diving.
Located 532 kilometers off the Pacific coast, Cocos Island was in old times a refugee for pirates, merchants, whalers and even colonizers. Today is known for its natural treasures that include the very peculiar and endangered hammerhead shark, as well as humpback whales, bottle nose dolphins, hawksbill turtles and a variety of coral species, just to mention some. The famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau deemed Cocos Island “the most beautiful island in the world”. But the Caribbean coast has its own wonders too. For example, the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge is unique because of the amazing species found there. In only 5 square kilometers of coral reef, scientists have discovered 600 species of mollusks, 10% of which are unique in the world. In general, the Costa Rican oceans shelter at least 6,777 species, representing 3.5% of known species in the planet and also making the country a real paradise for diving enthusiasts.
An Old Survival Ritual
Marine turtles have inhabited the Earth for more than 100 million years surviving extreme climatic changes, including Ice Ages. Costa Rica has some of the most important nesting beaches in the world where it is still possible to witness this old survival ritual. On the Pacific as well as the Atlantic coast, hundreds of female sea turtles representing five different species of the world’s seven species of these reptiles, arrive on Costa Rican beaches to carry out their tireless mission to guarantee their survival. For example, Ostional Beach, on the Northern Pacific coast, is considered the main nesting site for the olive ridley turtle, which is famous for its large mass arrivals. The giant leatherback turtle cannot go unnoticed, even though it is in great danger of extinction in the world due to man-made causes. It is not only the largest sea turtle on the planet, measuring up to 1.8 m and weighing up to 400 kg, but also the furthest traveling reptile. Their journey takes them from their feeding sites back to the beach where they hatched in order to lay their eggs. In some cases, we are talking about a trip between continents. Other sea turtles that can be seen in the country are the green, hawksbill and loggerhead.
Guayabo: A Glance of Costa Rica’s Indigenous Past
The most important archeological site in Costa Rica, the Guayabo National Monument, located in the skirts of Turrialba Volcano, was declared in 2009 a World Engineering Heritage Site by the American Association of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Guayabo is the third archaeological site in Latin America to receive this distinction after Machu Picchu and Tipón in Perú. One of the reasons is its over 700-year old aqueduct, still functional today, as is its calzada, a stone walkway used as a transit route and part of the drainage system. The calzada leads towards a ceremonial center, where it is possible to observe several mounds which at one time served as supports for the famous conical roofed straw and reed structures of South American influence. Stone was commonly used in Guayabo to build a system of sidewalks and walls that helped prevent erosion and landslides. There are also stone tombs decorated with pebbles, flagstones and engravings or petroglyphs. Guayabo was constructed between 300 B.C. and 1.400 A.D. and was populated by indigenous groups of the Intermediate Cultural Area, which extended from Alajuela, in Costa Rica, all the way to Colombia, Venezuela and part of Ecuador. Despite the fact that Guayabo was no longer populated when the Spaniards arrived and the causes of its depopulation are still a mystery, the site was for centuries undoubtedly a highly developed cultural and political-religious center, whose importance was heightened precisely because of its rich resources and the presence of the Turrialba Volcano.
A Perfect Whale’s Tail
The Uvita tombolo or sandy bridge that connects the mainland with a rocky islet, near Dominical Beach, in the Southern Pacific of Costa Rica, looks like a perfect whale’s tail in low tide. But more interesting is the fact that the place and surroundings are one of the best spots to watch humpback whales coming from North and South America. These warm waters are just what these whales are looking for when the winter time arrives to their places of origin. Northern humpbacks are normally seen from December to April and southern humpbacks, from July to October. The spectacle is amazing taking into account that they can measure up to 16 meters in length and weight up to 40 tons. The name is due to a small hump in front of their dorsal fin that can be very noticeable when they double over to dive into the water: Definitely something to remember, especially when you are lucky enough to watch a female with its little calf.
The canopy Tour, Originally from Costa Rica
Born in Costa Rica in the 90s, the canopy tour is the closest experience to enable one to feel like a monkey travelling in the tree tops. It is also one of the best ways to explore the richness of the canopy, where the biggest amount of the forest´s biodiversity is found, and to raise awareness about the rainforest’s fragile ecosystem. It consists of a series of suspended cables attached from tree to tree on which you can glide along using a pulley that is secured to alpinism equipment (the harness). Cables vary in length (they can measure even 700 meters long!) and end in small wooden platforms built in the tops of trees, which are located up to 100 feet above the jungle floor. The impact to the forest is minimal. This explains why biologists were the first ones who, more than three decades ago, started using this technology for research. The canopy tour has been adapted to a great variety of environments and landscapes within the country, including mountains, canyons, rivers, waterfalls and cloud, dry and tropical forests. The tour has also been exported to other Latin American countries such as Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Belize.
Nature on the skin
Imagine if the delicious cup of coffee, the freshly made piña colada, the aromatic essences that give flavor to your salad or even the fragrance of the wild flowers which you breathe, could be part of your skin. Mixing these ingredients within various health, relaxation and beauty treatments is possible in Costa Rica. Situated throughout our territory are locations that are also home to many diverse spas. These strive to offer a holistic service of international quality and to do it with the warmth and personalized attention of the Costa Rican people. If you add a never-ending source of certified natural produce, creativity and knowledge, you will end up with an array of benefits to replenish your skin. These products can improve health, calm emotions and truly work their magic while used for massages at the able hands of local therapists. These healing ingredients include coffee, brown sugar and even coconut. They may be used to exfoliate your skin and help it eliminate dead cells and toxins, or they may improve blood circulation and allow positive energy to flow throughout your body. One way to do it is by enjoying the ever-popular body wraps, in which volcanic mud, jasmine, mint or tropical fruits are used to hydrate and replenish the skin while also nurturing it with vitamins and minerals. Specially designed healing rooms provide an ideal climate – one enriched by stimulating decorations, soothing music and ambient sounds from nature, sea or forest animals – in which one may enjoy a therapeutic experience to be shared even with couple, friends and family.