It's often said that there's no place in the world like Costa Rica: active volcanos, carefully protected rain forests, secluded beaches and undersea coral reefs. A small mountainous country on the narrow Central American isthmus, Costa Rica enjoys an immense diversity of climates, environmental regions and plant and animal life. But it is also gaining in importance as a strategic business center, with easy access to world markets and friendly investment policies.
Located in the middle of the American Continent, Costa Rica lies between Panama to the south and Nicaragua to the north, with its Pacific and Atlantic coasts merely 175 miles apart. Costa Rica has a well-developed tourism infrastructure, ranging from luxurious beachfront hotels to locally run lodges that provide a base for exploring the pristine mountains and rain forests.
Costa Rica welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to share its peaceful beauty and natural treasures. This peaceful Central American nation also hosts hundreds of meetings and conventions annually through its nationwide network of resorts and other hospitality facilities. Ticos, as Costa Ricans are commonly known, know their country is a special place and go out of their way to accommodate visitors, pointing them in the right direction, explaining the local customs and helping to ensure an enjoyable stay.
Most international visitors arrive at the recently remodeled Juan Santamaria International Airport located in Alajuela, 20 minutes from the capital city of San Jose. Last year, the airport posted 769,000 international arrivals, including 375,000 from the United States, 130,000 from Europe and 87,000 from South America.
Costa Rica is the oldest democracy in Latin America. The nation's armed forces were abolished in 1948, and those resources have since been devoted to education, personal health and an emerging broad middle class. The United Nations' Human Development Index has classified Costa Rica as the country with the best quality of human resources among developing nations.
Costa Rica is the oldest democracy in Latin America. The nation's armed forces were abolished in 1948, and those resources have since been devoted to education, personal health and an emerging broad middle class. The United Nations' Human Development Index has classified Costa Rica as the country with the best quality of human resources among developing nations.
SO MANY THINGS TO DO
The biggest challenge that visitors to Costa Rica face is choosing how to spend their vacations with so many choices available. Here are some of the options.
Beaches
Beach lovers can select the perfect spot to unwind along Costa Rica's more than 621 miles of shoreline. Each beach has a beauty and character all its own. Costa Rica's many beaches are part of the national park system, which adds to their attractiveness, since visitors can enjoy the beauty of the tropical countryside as well.
Snorkeling and Diving
Few places in the world have such a profusion of underwater beauty as is found in the waters of the Caribbean in the east and the Pacific Ocean in the west. This beauty makes Costa Rica one of the most attractive international destinations for snorkeling and diving, with numerous dive centers offering rental equipment and organizing tours. The most beautiful areas are found around the Coco and Cano islands, but because of their distance and wealth of protected species, special permits and transportation are needed to get there. The Papagayo Gulf in Guanacaste and the southern Caribbean also are noteworthy because of the large number of spectacular coral reefs.
Sport Fishing
Costa Rica is known throughout the world for the richness and diversity of its sportfishing, including marlin, sailfish, tuna, rooster fish and snapper on the Pacific, and snook, sea bass, mahi mahi (dolphin fish) and snapper on the Atlantic side. Anglers can also enjoy their sport in mountain lakes and in some rivers.
Surfing
It's no accident that Costa Rica has become one of the primary destinations for surfers. The easy access to the oceanside and the variety of surf are very attractive to lovers of the sport. Four different areas on the Caribbean and the North, Central, and Southern Pacific coasts offer the best in surfing.
Windsurfing
World champions have called Costa Rica one of the globe's top five windsurfing spots. From anywhere in the country, the warm surf is only a few hours away. There are river mouth breaks, beach breaks, reef and one of the longest left-hand curls in the world.
Raft
Rafting on Costa Rica's wild and scenic rivers is perhaps the single most popular adventure sport in the country. Professional equipment and guides are available so visitors can enjoy the Reventazon, Pacuare, General or Corobici rivers to the utmost. Whitewater kayaking is another favorite, and Costa Rica has hosted more than one international tournament. Ocean kayaking is also rapidly gaining devotees.
Volcanos
Visitors can enjoy Costa Rica's volcanos, but judiciously. The Arenal Volcano is one of the most active in the world, with an eruption on the average of once per hour. The dormant Irazu Volcano offers breathtaking views. The inactive Poas Volcano has the largest crater in the world.
Historic Sites
The San Jose metropolitan area boasts many historic sites, including the National Theater, the National Museum, the Post Office, the Atlantic Railway Station, the Cathedral, the Central Park, the Metallic Building, the Central Market, the CENAC (Arts and Culture Center), the National and Morazan Parks, the Melico Salazar Theater and the Children's Museum. In the outlying areas, sites of interest are the Orosi Church and the ruins of the Ujarras Church, both in Cartago Province. Anyone who enjoys archeological sites should visit Turrialba in Cartago Province to see the Guayabo National Monument.
