By Kent Ninomiya
Costa Rica is a wondrous place full of things to do and places to visit. This Central American country is a narrow strip of land sitting between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. It has a warm and inviting climate, stunning
beaches, bountiful rainforests and an active volcano. The people of Costa Rica are friendly and the government is relatively stable for the region. This makes Costa Rica a popular place for tourists to visit.
Rain Forest
One of the most popular things to do in Costa Rica is to hike through the rainforest. Costa Rica is thick with tropical forests and has a well-maintained national park system to protect them from development. Two of the best places to experience the Costa Rica rainforest are the Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula, and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Monteverde is so high in the mountains that the clouds hang in the trees.
Beaches
Since Costa Rica sits between two oceans, it is literally surrounded by beaches. Many have rainforest running right up to the sand. The finest example of this is at the Manuel Antonio National Park. Gold Coast beaches like Tamarindo and Playa Langosta are known for their steady waves and pleasant beach towns. Central Pacific Coast beaches like Playa Hermosa and Jaco Beach are popular with surfers.
Snorkel and Scuba
Another popular thing to do in Costa Rica is put on a mask and dive underwater. Costa Rica is surrounded by warm water and coral reefs. Snorkeling and scuba diving are popular activities. Cahuita National Park has the most active coral reef. Tortuguero National Park features a turtle breeding ground and also has manatees.
Mountains
Costa Rica has a number of mountain towns that are worthy of a visit. San Ramon, Sarchi and Grecia are the last bastions of the local Tico culture. Meet members of their society and shop at their stores. They are known for their intricate wooden crafts. Costa Rica also has an impressive cave network at Barra Honda Caverns. The caves are virtually untouched by tourism.
Arenal Volcano
The Arenal Volcano sits in the middle of Costa Rica. It is active and regularly spews out molten lava. This tends to be a controlled flow, so visitors are not in danger. The town of La Fortuna at the base of Arenal is a great place to hang out. Hot springs provide a constant supply of warm water in a tropical setting. You can sit in the springs and watch the lava flow at night. The Rincon de la Vieja Volcano is more remote. You can hike to bubbling mud pits, waterfalls and hot springs.
About the Author:
Kent Ninomiya is a veteran journalist with over 23 years experience as a television news anchor, reporter and managing editor. He traveled to more than 100 countries on all seven continents, including Antarctica. Ninomiya holds a Bachelor of Arts in social sciences with emphasis in history, political science and mass communications from the University of California at Berkeley.
