Costa Rica Laguna Vista

Costa Rica

Tucked in between Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, Costa Rica is truly the crown jewel of Central America. Though tiny in size, the country is home to a stunning range of natural beauty that is virtually unrivaled anywhere else in the world. From its inland mountain ranges to its Pacific and Caribbean coastlines, it offers a maze of emerald green rain forests, misty altitude-high cloud forests, smoldering volcanoes, miles of clean black and white sand beaches and an unprecedented diversity of animal, insect and aquatic life. Amidst the plush tropical setting is a Costa Rican culture steeped in democratic tradition, a people noted for its warmth and a government working to stay in step with the rest of the world.

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Costa Rica's largest province, Guanacaste, more so than any other, has a little of all that the country has to offer. Characterized by sweeping savannas and rolling hills that turn dense and green in the rainy season, Guanacaste is edged with volcanic mountain ranges and national forestlands to the east and miles and miles of Pacific Coast beaches to the west. The climate perhaps is Costa Rica's most temperate, averaging 85°F and only 65 inches of rainfall annually. Sunshine washes over the region most days even during the rainy season, making outdoor activities from hiking or windsurfing to sport fishing or lazing about on the beach a year-round possibility.

It is all within easy reach from Playas del Coco, the first beach community you arrive at when traveling southwest from the provincial capital of Liberia. Located 30 miles from Liberia and 17 miles from Liberia's Daniel Oduber International Airport, Playas del Coco is a traditional fishing town set on a large, sandy cove in the heart of Guanacaste's Papagayo Gulf. Here, the lush sounds and greenery of the jungle combine with the grandeur of the Pacific to create a laid-back tropical atmosphere in which Costa Rican tradition and culture mesh with an international population and Western World creature comforts.

The bank, church, police station and post office are located around Coco's main paved road as are a well-stocked supermarket, hardware store, small pharmacy and taxi services. Cable and satellite television, telecommunications and Internet services are readily available. There's a medical clinic in town and 24-hour emergency services only a few minutes away. International port and immigration offices operate out of Coco, while plans for a full-scale marina are underway. Among the available leisure activities is plenty of opportunity for shopping. Open-air booths and small retail stores line the main drag of Coco.

Amazing Facts

Although Costa Rica covers only 0.03% of the earth's surface, this tiny country holds more than 5% of all life forms. It actively guards this incredible biodiversity in protected areas covering more than one-quarter of its land. It is no wonder, then, that Costa Rica is considered a model for conservation and draws nature lovers from all around the world. But there are many other attributes, from its friendly, peace-loving culture and people, to its relatively stable economy and its many historical secrets, that make the nation a fascinating place to visit. Below we've listed just a few "amazing facts" about this country.

More than 10% of Costa Rica's territory is under the protection of the National Parks Department for parks and preserves.

No other country has preserved more tropical cloud forest than has Costa Rica.

1,500 species of orchids have been classified here, with hundreds more awaiting verification.

With drops of more than 125 feet per mile, Costa Rica has some of the most exciting white water in the world.

Costa Rica's dense tropical rain forests contain an estimated 2,000 species of plants and trees, 75% of which remain unknown and unstudied.

There are 160 kinds of amphibians, 220 species of reptiles and 208 types of mammals that inhabit Costa Rica.

There are more than 150 kinds of edible tropical fruits in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica's legendary Ceiba, or silk cotton, tree can grow up to 13 feet in a year and rise as high as 200 feet. With a huge, thick trunk and perpendicular branches that give way to glossy leaves and creamy white flowers, the tree offers such a majestic presence that the Mayas considered it a sacred tree of life.

No fewer than 34,000 species of insects thrive in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica's got some 850 species of birds.

It has also got more than 1,000 species of butterflies.

With 20,000 troy ounces of gold on display, Costa Rica has one of the largest gold museums in the New World.

A puzzle for archaeologists: Two mysterious almost perfect stone spheres, accurate to within 0.07 inches, have been excavated in the south of Costa Rica, and no one can tell their origin. One sample adorns the entrance to Daniel Oduber International Airport outside of Liberia, Guanacaste.