- Costa Rica has National Parks and protected areas that make up 25% of its landmass, protecting the incredible biodiversity here, which is why ecotourism is a fast growing activity.
- There are more than 121 volcanic formations in Costa Rica, and 7 of them are active. Poas Volcano has the second widest crater in the world and Arenal in the Tilaran Mountains is one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world.
There are over 130 species of fish, 220 of reptiles, 1,000 butterflies (10% of the world’s butterflies are in Costa Rica!), 9,000 plants, 20,000 species of spiders and 34,000 species of insects and 52 types of hummingbird! Not to mention monkeys galore.
- If you’re interested in a holiday here, you might be most surprised to learn that Costa Rica is the only country in the world to meet all five criteria established to measure environmental sustainability.
- It was identified by the New Economics Foundation as the greenest country in the world in 2009. Water pollution is highly taxed and smoking is banned almost everywhere!
- It has greater political and economic stability than most Latin American countries, abolished its army in 1948 and has over 90% literacy, with education being free for all until aged 16 and delivered by radio to some very rural areas.
- The climate is tropical with summer, the dry season, December to April and, winter, the (very) wet season, May to November. Humidity can be intense, with average high temperatures of 27 or so degrees centigrade.
Costa Rica has 800 miles of coastline, as it has shores on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Water sports are incredibly popular and the beaches are stunning. You can travel from one side of the country to the other in about 3 hours.
- With rain forests, jungles, cloud forests, beaches and mountain landscapes, you will be spoilt for choice as to which environment you visit.
- Spanish is the official language, with English also spoken and some indigenous languages still being used too. Most tourists who visit are from the USA.
So if you’d like a holiday with a huge range of activities to do: think hiking, aerial walks in the rain forest canopies, cloud forest walks, visits to local communities, sailing, snorkelling, birdwatching, wildlife spotting, Silver Travel Advisor recommends Tropical Sky who offer tours, adventures and beach holidays in this nature lover’s paradise.
