Costa Rica

It was early 16th-century Spanish conquistadores, perhaps even Christopher Columbus himself, who labelled this tropical land ‘Rich Coast’ after reputedly seeing ‘natives’ weighed down by chunky jewellery and gold. These stirring reports proved largely unfounded. There were few indigenous people (for it was sparsely populated) and little in the way of natural resources. Even under Spanish colonisation until independence in 1821, Costa Rica remained an isolated and little-fancied backwater.

First planted in the early 1800s, it was coffee and later bananas that helped build and support the nation. Ironically Costa Rica has also proved rich in ways the Spanish conquistadores never imagined. This is widely considered to be among the most biodiverse regions on the planet – an astonishing 4% of the earth’s species can be found here on barely 0.5% of its landmass, and many are endemic. More than a quarter of the country is either a national park, or protected area or wildlife reserve and ‘Ticos’ (as Costa Ricans are popularly known) are rightly proud of this unmatched dedication to nature.

So, for good reason, this is one of the world’s premier eco-tourist destinations with almost unrivalled easy access to wildlife in its natural habitat. Its extraordinary biodiversity is a factor of geography. Situated just north of the equator with the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, a predominant tropical climate is tempered by terrain and rainfall. Lush tropical and mangrove forests on the coast and its hinterland give way to deciduous uplands, misty cloud forests and an array of microclimates. There’s no shortage of scenic drama either; a mountainous spine with around one hundred identifiable volcanoes – a handful of which remain active – peaks at 3820m-high Chirripó Grande.

This remarkable variety also means Costa Rica offers far more than high-minded ecotourism. The core ingredients for exciting adventure holidays are here too: wonderful hiking, white-water rafting, mountain biking and even horse riding. Ranging from turquoise-tinged sandy arcs to dreamy lagoon-like shallows, its picturesque coastline – particularly the Pacific – offer myriad opportunities to surf or simply idle on idyllic beaches.


A Costa Rica holiday at a glance

• Beautiful and compact country.
• 25% of country is National Park or protected area.
• Jungle, beaches, cloudforest and active volcanoes.
• Easy to get around – perfect for self-drive.
• Dry season December to April, but most areas can be visited all year round.
• Amazing selection of wildlife- including turtles, monkeys, sloths, butterflies, caiman, crocodiles, iguanas, poison dart frogs and armadillo.
• Excellent bird watching – over 800 species including hummingbirds, toucans and scarlet macaws.
• Wonderful flora – including 8,000 species of orchid, 150 species of edible fruits and  ‘walking palm trees'.
• Excellent boutique hotels and jungle lodges available across the country.
• Ideal for Costa Rica adventure holidays, activities include white water rafting and horse riding.
• Perfect for honeymoons and romantic getaways.
• Great for families.