Activities on a Costa Rica vacation include anything from bird and butterfly watching, surfing, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, tree top (canopy) tours, four wheeling, snorkeling, shopping, hiking, river rafting, horseback riding and casinos to finding a female companion either temporarily or permanent. Once in Costa Rica you’ll find pristine beaches, tropical jungles, clear blue skies, high mountain rain forest, and tropical sun. That’s why Christopher Columbus was aptly named ‘rich coast’ by Christopher Columbus in 1502.
Nature is Costa Rica’s calling card. Wildlife diversity and exceptional landscapes provide a long list of uncontaminated lands and protected areas that will get you involved in as many Costa Rica expedition activities and adventure sports as you can imagine.
Costa Rica has a tremendous variety of butterflies. There exists about 20,000 butterfly species worldwide. Of these, about 1,000 or 5% can be found in Costa Rica. Of particular interest are the many butterfly farms where the process of “farming” is explained and a demonstration on how the butterflies are color designed via cross breeding.
Costa Rica has more than 850 species of birds, all found within a tight geographic area. Costa Rica offers birdwatchers of all levels of expertise an unrivaled bird watching experience. Birdwatchers out on the trail in Costa Rica’s forests should keep an eye out for mixed flocks foraging on certain types of food, especially fruit, in the forest canopy.
Costa Rica has approximately 150 species of amphibians, some of which are extremely colorful and exotic. There are tree frogs, which spend their entire lives above the forest floor, breeding in the water of tank bromeliads or in holes in the trunks of trees. Others, like the poison-arrow frog, are exuberantly colored, ranging from bright red with blue or green legs to bright green with black markings. There are over 200 species of reptiles in Costa Rica. A quick stop at the Puente Rio Tarcoles on the way to Jaco demonstrates just how abundant the reptiles are in Costa Rica. There you will find no less than twenty large and extra large crocodiles congregated under the bridge at midpoint. The 14 turtle species include both marine and freshwater varieties. The largest of the marine turtles are leatherbacks. Their shells are up to 5 feet and they weigh upwards of 800 pounds! Marine turtles climb up sandy beaches to lay their eggs, a spectacular sight because it happens in mass.
Although rarely seen by the casual tourist in Costa Rica, snakes make up almost half of all reptile species in the nation (135 species, 17 poisonous). It is a fortunate traveler indeed who gets to see in the wild the fantastically elongated, I-beam-shapedchunk-headed snake, with its catlike elliptical eyes; the slender, beak-nosed bright green vinelike vine snake; or the relatively benign boa constrictor. Many neotropical snake species inhabit a wide range of Costa Rican environments, and wherever you are in the country there are sure to be snakes about. Not that you should worry. Fewer than 500 snakebites are reported each year, and less than three percent of these are fatal. Most bites occur among farmworkers.
Still, caution is always the watchword. Never reach into holes or under rocks, debris, or forest-floor leaf litter without first checking with a stick to see what might be quietly slumbering there. And remember that many snakes are well-camouflaged arboreal creatures which snooze on branches, so never reach for a branch without looking. You should even be cautious when peering inside bromeliads: the dark-colored chunk-headed snake likes to doze inside the moisture-collecting plants during the dry season.
Costa Rica has over 9,000 identified species of vascular plants, including over 900 different species of trees. Costa Rica is native to some 1,500 species of orchids. From sub-alpine dwarf vegetation, rainforest flora from sea level to mangrove swamps and seasonal dry forest with its deciduous trees, there is an astounding range of floral habitats for a country so small.
The protection of Costa Rica’s natural heritage is managed by the respective national parks and reserves. These areas protect many species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fresh and salt-water fish, and a vast number of identified vascular plants-representing 4% of the world’s total floral and faunal species.
In addition, these management groups protect examples of almost all the existing natural habitats such as deciduous forests, mangrove swamps, rain forests, herbaceous swamps, cloud forests, paramos, hilillo forests and marshlands. They also protect areas of historical and archaeological interest, such as pre-Columbian settlements and early battlefields, as well as beautiful areas of scenic interest, such as beaches, valleys and waterfalls. But above all, the areas of particular interest to the conservationist are the zones which protect the last remaining examples of Central American dry forest and the beaches where the sea turtles nest.
The protection of Costa Rica’s natural resources has implications beyond its borders because they encompass an incredible biodiversity, including numerous species on the verge of extinction. All of this is the reason the country has become one of the most popular destinations for visiting ecologists and biologists. On the whole, access to these areas and facilities are freely available provided the visitor respects the need to protect them. These protected areas are ideal for hiking and rafting, for watching the birds and other wildlife, for camping and just for enjoying in general, their rivers, beaches, jungles, mountain forests, volcanoes as well as their historic and archaeological sites.
A Costa Rica vacation is fast becoming the #1 romantic honeymoon and family vacation destination in the world. Whether it’s your honeymoon or family vacation– Exotic, Romantic and Nature– the perfect ingredients for that special get away, what more could you ask for on your vacation.
For those considering relocating to Costa Rica it is a good idea that a thorough due diligence be done prior to entering into any contractual agreement. Time, money and heartache can be avoided if you retain a private investigator (someone like, yours truly) and a Costa Rican attorney. This is due in large part to the number of con artist that have re-located here from the United States. The money you invest in knowing before you commit is both prudent and necessary.
Costa Rica is an unbeatable choice for those travelers looking for a combination of relaxation, romance and activity. The atmosphere on a Costa Rica vacation is “Pura-Vida”, the pure life. Enjoy!
