The rich world of Costa Rica
The name of this country is translated from Spanish as “rich world”. And this is very true of Costa Rica, because its territory is a continuous reserve with amazingly beautiful landscapes and exotic animals. There are beaches with multi-colored sand (black, white, silver), a panorama of mountains covered with centuries-old forests and smoking volcanoes.
Although Costa Rica is the financially richest country in its region, and its central part is somewhat reminiscent of Europe, the main tourist treasures are wildlife and everything associated with it.
Costa Rica landmarks
The tourist infrastructure is well developed here, and you can easily get from point A to point B by bus. You can also rent a car to travel on your own.
Interesting fact. Urban buildings occupy only 10% of the area of this country. The remaining 90% are unique, untouched nature.
The main attractions of Costa Rica are its picturesque national parks, as well as valleys, caves, waterfalls, rivers, lakes and, of course, captivating volcanoes with their grandeur. Among the “urban” attractions can be noted the Catholic cathedrals of the 19th century, which can be found walking along the streets of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica.
Conventionally, local attractions can be divided into 3 groups:
natural;
beach vacation;
thermal resorts.
Interesting places to visit in Costa Rica
There are a lot of tourist sites here, so it is better to decide in advance which of them will be of interest to you. The tour operator Aves Travel has prepared 10 of the most famous places, and you can choose for yourself.
Manuel Antonio National Park
A must-have for all travelers and the most visited place in Costa Rica with incredibly beautiful beaches, white sand warmed up in the sun and crystal clear waters. Due to the constant presence of tourists, local monkeys are very friendly, do not miss the opportunity to communicate with people, but it is forbidden to feed them. There are also many souvenir shops, cafes, bars and restaurants of various levels along the coast. And for lovers of nightlife there are clubs.
Santa Teresa Beach on the Nicoya Peninsula
Another local natural attraction – like a postcard tropical paradise! The sand here is snow-white and silky, because it is very fine, and the water is like crystal.
A good place for families with children with shallow water and spreading trees in the shade of which you can hide from the sun. The tourist service is also excellently established here: a good entrance, there is where to eat and relax. Surfers also love the beach of Santa Teresa. there is a high wave here all year round.
Venado Caves
Their age is about 20 million years! Here you can admire beautiful stone pillars (stalactites and stalagmites), see the fossilized remains of underwater fauna and meet a flock of bats.
Arenal volcano
It is an active volcano, the youngest and most active on the territory of Costa Rica, and a mountain with an impeccable cone shape. But the most interesting thing can be seen after sunset, when the volcano begins to glow with longitudinal lines. Eruptions happen once every several centuries – the last time it was in 1968 and lasted for several days.
Corcovado National Park
Corcovado Park is a continuous wild forest, a corner of untouched nature. 400 species of birds live here, some of which are very rare, 500 species of trees and a famous cotton tree with a 3-meter trunk 70 m in height grow. And, of course, there are many monkeys, sloths, jaguars, ocelots.
La Fortuna Waterfall
La Fortuna is located in the Arenal Park. It is a 75 m high waterfall with a narrow stream of water and a clean cool lake at the foot. Here you can swim, and then follow the narrow path up to the observation deck to capture the rushing stream from a different angle and enjoy the fantastic views of the surroundings.
Gold Museum
Located in the capital, San Jose. Here you can see the jewelry works of Indian craftsmen – household items, ritual figurines, jewelry, golden shields the size of a man, figurines of fabulous birds and about 2 thousand more exhibits. There are also very ancient objects, which are more than 2500 years old, and dated to the 16th century.
Isla Tortuga Island
Tortuga is another must-have for tourists. You can’t put up tents here and there are no hotels, but there is silk sand and blue ocean waters, clear, transparent, sapphire color. You can see the beauty of the underwater world by swimming on a boat with a transparent bottom, then go to a cafe for a snack, and then relax in the shade of a coconut grove.
Tabacon Resort
This natural attraction is thermal pools with different water temperatures (from 27 to 42 ° C). The closer to the Arenal volcano, the warmer the springs, and you need to move from one to the other along paths lined with beautiful greenery. The hotel has luxurious service and carefully tended greenery, so there is no feeling of a wild, impenetrable jungle.
Isla del Coco Island
The largest uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. The real adventure is to wade through the lush rust
