The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
Wildlife and waterfalls in an eco wonderland
Nature has imbued Costa Rica with many riches and reasons to visit. Mara Vorhees selects her top 10 Walk around the crater, peering into the bubbling cauldron
Costa Rica, in Central America, is a biological and geological wonderland packed with possibilities for adventure, education, amusement and amazement. For a relatively small country, it is abundant with life, and visionary efforts are being made to protect its biodiversity and natural resources. Costa Ricans, or Ticos, are keen to play their part and eager to show visitors their homeland, bordered by Panama and Nicaragua and flanked by both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Here are 10 of the country’s must-see highlights.
Rainforests
When you visit the tropical rainforest, you are bound to get wet. Even the “dry season” is really just less rainy, as this habitat sees up to 23in of rain per month year-round. The trade-off is that this precipitation supports an amazing variety of flora and fauna. Plant life ranges from delicate orchids and vibrant heliconias to parasitic strangler figs and massive ceiba trees. Common animal sightings include mammals (including monkeys, sloths, peccaries and raccoon-like coatis), reptiles (caimans, iguanas and lizards) and birds – several hundred species.
Cinco Ceibas Rainforest Adventure Park (cincoceibas.com): tours $125 (£97).
Osa Conservation Area HQ (00506 2735 5036), Corcovado National Park: admission $15.
Osa Wild (osawildtravel.com): Costa Rican company specialising in community-based rural tourism.
La Selva Biological Station: field station maintained by the Organization for Tropical Studies (threepaths.co.cr); guided hikes $35-$50.
Tortuguero National Park: open 6am-4pm, entry $15.