With barely 0.03% of the planet’s surface, Costa Rica concentrates 6% of the planet’s biodiversity. “Pura Vida” is the country’s tourism motto and it is true. Pure Life everywhere. The distances are small which makes it easier to move from one place to another -if you want to rent a car that is, no doubt, the best way to discover the wonders of the country on your own.
The best thing about Costa Rica is its overwhelming nature. In this small guide to essential destinations, we give you the keys to prepare your trip to the country. And when is it better to go? The temperatures are stable throughout the year (between 25 and 30 °C) but the rainiest months (and here it rains a lot) are from December to April although there are many regional differences
SAN JOSÉ
San José has things to see and enjoy, as well as being a good way to begin to understand what the rest of the trip is going to mean. The “Plaza de la Abolición del Ejercito” -which is the most beautiful name- and the Central Park, next to the Metropolitan Cathedral, are the axis on which it is organized in the small historic center of San José; a relatively modern center since there is nothing previous to the 1st decades of the 19th Century. Even so, buildings like the National Theater or the cathedral itself. If you are interested in pre-Columbian cultures, you can not miss the Jade Museum, which has an impressive archaeological collection, and the impressive Pre-Columbian Gold Museum.
ARENAL VOLCANO
The Arenal Volcano is another of those places that should not be missed in a trip to Costa Rica. El Arenal is a perfect at least it fits with the idea of a volcano that we have since childhood. A perfect cone that pierces the clouds with its more than one thousand 600 meters high and is still active. From the entrance to the National Park, there are several self-guided trails that allow you to get a little closer to the summit. The usual thing is to spend the night in La Fortuna and take the excursion to see La Fortuna Waterfall and, in passing, take a bath (to reach the lagoon you have to go down 500 steps).
TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK
This place is one of the hot spots of biodiversity globally. The beaches of Tortuguero are one of the best places for the spawning of several species of marine turtles, among which the Leatherback Turtle -the largest in the world- and also the anteroom of an incredible portion of rainforest perfectly conserved in the that there is an incredible variety of fauna and flora. For lovers of nature in its purest state is the best places on the planet although only 1 percent of the park can be visited.
NICOYA PENINSULA
It is one of the most popular destinations in the country and also a myth among lovers of healthy and natural life. This is blue zone; that is, one of the regions of the world where people easily reach 100 years of age. Here nature, which gives incredible beaches and forests, is combined with a calm and relaxed lifestyle making possible the gift of longevity. This philosophy of life has been transferred to the tourism that here becomes a sustainable industry to which the small tourism companies and large resorts that have been built on the spectacular beaches of the area adhere. The population that gives its name to the peninsula, Nicoya, is a small colonial town where the oldest colonial building in the country is located, the Church of San Blas.
CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK
The best for the end. It is hard to get there and that is why there are not many people. And that this place is the one that has the most biodiversity in the whole world; including the entire Amazon. It is an authentic past. Here you find a number of brutal animals, but what surprised us most was a number of macaws that there are. Red aerial bolides that pass by your head. The National Park has dirt roads and a complete network of trails. The beach counterpoint is in Drake Bay, another of the many paradises of Costa Rica where there are a small tourist offer and a very good beach where the palms arrive at the seashore.
