Costa Rica is also a friendly country that has no military, no nuclear power plants, lots of culture to offer and no winter.

Costa Rica is a democratic society that is known as one of the most peaceful in the world. There was a Civil War in 1948 after which all armed forces were abolished and the country has since been able to avoid such dangers as despotic dictatorships, military coups, terrorism, and any kind of internal strife. Not only is Costa Rica the safest country in Latin America to visit; it is also amongst one of the most friendly.
 

Costa Rica is rich for far more than for which it was named; it is a country of incredible natural beauties and many species of animals, some of them rare. The floral biodiversity of Costa Rica is made up of well over 10,000 species of vascular plants and beautiful flowers. Almost 2000 tree species have been recorded in Costa Rica. The birdwatcher will be happy with over 850 species to search for in their travels.

There are more than 260 mammal species to be discovered, 235 species of reptiles of which over half are snakes although only 18 are venomous and 835 species of fish of which 700 are saltwater fish. And yes, it is true; Costa Rica does have insects, 65,000 classified species so you will see a few bugs. It is also true that Costa Rica has a far greater flora and fauna population than much larger areas such as North America, Australia, and Europe.
 

If we focus a minute on the north west region of Costa Rica, called Guanacaste where most of the travelers are driven nowadays because of the wide variety of scenery and activities offered, you will realize that The traveler can arrange so many types of tours for themselves to get really close to Costa Rica and actually see all these wonderful trees, plants, flowers, animals, and fish.

There is a wide range of activities to choose from, most of which depend on the part of the country in which you are vacationing. In the rainforest there are bird watching walks with well-informed English speaking guides or horse back riding through the forest. The canopy tours are popular all over Costa Rica although the richest and best experience is going to be in the heart of the rainforest area which is north towards the west. Where the climates are dryer naturally the vegetation lacks some of its beautiful richness in both density and color.

 

The Arenal Volcano is also a tremendous visit where you will be able to enjoy the observatory by day and the lava by night. There are actually some restaurants along the road at the bottom of the volcano where you can have a great dinner and enjoy the fireworks of the live volcano. During your dinner from outside booth, you will be able to watch the lava roll down the volcano in its fiery orange, red, and yellow coloring. Yes, the Arenal volcano is truly an active volcano and the postcards are for real. To repeat, not all activities are right for wherever you are staying in Costa Rica.

To really enjoy each part of the country, it is highly recommended to split the trip into parts, one of the solution will be to enjoy the Arenal area of Costa Rica for a couple of days and then head to the beach for your sun and a very wide assortment of water activities depending on what suits you.

As we entered the cloud forest there is a town called Monteverde that has grown in popularity as tourist destination. Monteverde is a mountain destination with dense, chaotic vegetation that sits high on the Continental Divide allowing for the cloudlike atmosphere and much mist. Monteverde features lots of galleries and its mystical eeriness creates a fascinating destination for those that love to go mountain hiking. This area is especially noted for its birds with the Quetzal being the dominant specie for its historic sacredness. In tropical Costa Rica, Monteverde is a refreshingly cool oasis surrounded by mist, mountains, and nature.

As you head back to the pacific coast for the ocean scenery, you will have a choice on different locations and wonderful beaches.
To mention a couple of things about Playa Flamingo, it is a beautiful white sand beach. I make that distinction because as you move up the coast you will finally end up on a black sand beach, which would be just beyond Playa Panama, another cute beach.Playa Flamingo is known for its sport fishing for which many of the beaches along the coast of Guanacaste are well known as well. This is a very popular activity for the tourist who visit this area, there are many sport fishing outfits.

Playa Flamingo is truly one of the better-known beaches in Costa Rica and it is no wonder why. The original name of this beach was Playa Blanca and the name has transformed itself into Playa Flamingo after the famous Flamingo Beach Hotel. Just so that you all know, there are not any flamingos in Costa Rica, and interesting tip. Playa Flamingo was Costa Rica’s original upscale beach along the Guanacaste Coast although this Costa Rican coastline has experienced tremendous popularity therefore growth.

Playa Del Coco is cute! It is located on a very nice white sand beach and again well known for its sport fishing. This beach is only a short distance from the Liberia airport and the easiest of beaches on The Peninsula Nicoya to access. Playa Del Coco is located between two rocky headlands and is becoming a very popular spot for Scuba Diving. The hotels in Playa Del Coco appeared to be on the rustic side without many of the amenities to which the American tourist is accustomed. The properties all seemed small and owner operated except a few larger ones.