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Costa Rica, A Paradise For Eco-tourism
By Clint Leung, Thu Dec 8th
For those who would like a destination for eco-tourism, CostaRica is hard to beat. For a little country in Central Americathat's only 19,730 square miles, there's definitely a lot to seeand do there. means 'rich coast' in Spanish, which isthe country's official language. Located between Nicaragua tothe north and Panama to the south, is one of the moststable and prosperous of all Latin American countries. There aretropical beach resorts on both the Pacific and Atlantic coastsof the country for sun vacationers but the main attraction ofCosta Rica is the eco-tourism. For example, there is a widervariety of bird species in alone than in all ofEurope and North America. Surprisingly, there are diverse eco-systems and microclimateswithin Costa Rica. In addition to the coastal beaches, there aredense jungles and rain forests with a wide variety of fauna.Some of these forests are referred to as cloud forests becauseof the moisture of the mists that linger among the trees in someparts. One forest has a cable car set up so that tourists canobserve the plant and animal life at the treetop levels. For themore adventurous types, there is a place where one can swingfrom tree to tree using a network of rope attachments. There arealso dry forests as well as colder barren volcanic tundras.Quite extreme changes in microclimate can be observed evenwithin 30 minutes of travel. Some parts of the country havecanal systems similar to those found in the Amazon and a fewrivers offer excellent white water rafting. There are several volcanoes within the country and the extinctones are easily accessible since they are tourist attractions. Afew have beautiful turquoise color lakes that have formed in thecraters at the top of such volcanoes. One of the more famousactive volcanoes is Arenal where visitors can safely watch theeruptions from a nearby facility that has outdoor hot springsnaturally heated by the mountain. (Article continued below)
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addition to the many different birds that can be sighted,there is a wide number of other exotic wildlife includingmonkeys, sloths, jaguars, bats and reptiles that can be seenduring one of the many available nature tours. Every year, thereare sea turtles that come to certain beaches to nest and thisevent attracts many nature lovers. The wildlife in isnot only rich on land or the air but also in the surroundingoceans. For scuba divers, offers excellent divingopportunities and they are quite different from the waters inthe Caribbean. The higher amounts of plankton in the local seasattract more numbers of large marine animals than can be foundin the Caribbean. Coffee and bananas are some of the main exports for Costa Rica.For coffee lovers, this is the place to sample some of the bestin the world although it should be warned that the locals liketheir coffee quite strong. Tours in the valleys will often gopast numerous coffee plantations. Most tourists will fly into the capital city of San Jose.Although there is some nice colonial architecture to see in SanJose, it's not one of the nicer places to stay in Costa Rica.The city is noisy and polluted but relatively safe. One can useSan Jose as a base for many day trips to the various rainforests, volcanoes and beaches. Travelers can also fly intoLiberia which is a town in the north part of the country. Thisis a much quieter region and close to many of the northernresorts. One option that many travelers take is to rent avehicle and tour the country on their own. However, the roads ofCosta Rica are not the best with lots of potholes and mudslidesare common during the wet season from June to November. Ifrenting a vehicle, a 4x4 is definitely recommended. There is so much to see and do in that many visitorsreturn to see parts of the country that they missed before. Thecountry is easily the most popular destination to visit inCentral America. now has tourist offices set up inNorth America for those who want further information. About the author:Clint Leung owner of Free Spirit Activewear(http://www.FreeSpiritActivewear.com) , an onlineretailer/designer specializing in premium quality activewearwith specialty sports themes including scuba diving and martialarts. Free Spirit Activewear has numerous information resourcearticles on specialty sports as well as free eCards. | Sign In |
