RAINFOREST

TOP WALKING DESTINATION: COSTA RICA

COSTA RICA IS SERIOUSLY on the rise as an adventure destination. Popular with Americans looking for a sultry (and vaguely handy) holiday, this extraordinary Central American country has coastlines on both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, as well as a generous helping of volcanoes, inland lakes and a tourist infrastructure that is just the right side of basic. Come here for a holiday and you will guarantee an eyebrow raise from an adventure-savvy acquaintance, but without any associated hardships. What Costa Rica does really well is rainforests and wildlife, and usually hand-in-hand. The country has one of the highest biodiversities in the world, and it’s in the rainforests where the highest concentration of life – plant, insect, bird, mammal, reptile – is found. This isn’t jungle; jungle by nature is dark, almost impassable and can be rather unpleasant. These are the ‘cloud forests’ – atmospheric, misty places found in the cool uplands of the tropics. There are many places in Costa Rica where you can trek through this balmy environment at a low level or, in areas such as Monteverde, on hoisted walkways through the canopy itself. What you’re sure of in this exciting destination is variety; from mountain forests to soaring volcanoes and coastlines where the tropical-bird filled treeline spills onto white-sand beaches and lagoons tracked with crocodile footprints, this is a magical experience.