Located in Central America between Nicaragua and Panama, Costa Rica is a small country with many miles of coastline as it juts between the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Costa Rica has two seasons: rainy and dry. The dry season runs from December to April and the rainy season from May to November. The rainy season is very wet; it rains every day and can rain constantly for days on end.

Costa Rica is one of the most environmentally rich and environmentally conscious countries in the world. The government intends Costa Rica to be the first carbon neutral country in the world. The government projects this goal will be achieved by 2021.

With vast expanses of beach and forests, there are many outdoor adventure opportunities from travelers. It is difficult to escape Costa Rica without doing at least some hiking. Some of the best hikes end in canopy tours, in which you are harnessed and sent swinging among the trees on a zip-line.

Many tour operators lead white water rafting trips. You’ll find opportunities year-round and near almost any destination you choose in Costa Rica as the country has more rivers per square mile than any other. If you prefer something lazier, there are many other options for boating on Costa Rica’s rivers including cruises and fishing excursions.

On the coast, you can learn to surf and/or SCUBA dive. The Pacific coast has the best surfing sites while both coasts have excellent diving.

Approximately twenty-five percent of Costa Rica is protected land. Much of this protected land is open to some visitors and provides excellent opportunities for spotting wildlife. Additionally, Costa Rica has an exceptionally high rate of biodiversity. You can find five percent of the world’s living species there, an impressive number as over 1.7 million species of flora and fauna exist on Earth.

Corcovado National Park provides some of the best opportunities to see wildlife, especially large animals like jaguars and endangered species like the Geoffroy’s spider monkey. You will also find about 6,000 species of insects here, possibly every species you could find in Central America. The massive park includes twenty-three miles of beaches and thirteen distinct ecosystems. Many travelers choose to spend several days here backpacking and camping.

It is possible to take ecotours with guides to help you find and identify animals as well as to volunteer with the possibility to get up close with the animals. Volunteering during turtle nesting season at Tortuguero National Park is popular as there are often opportunities to work closely with endangered species of turtles to complete activities like moving nests of eggs to safer locations to give the next generation a better chance at survival.

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