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Costa Rica is at the southern end of Central America, border to the north by Nicaragua and Panama to the south. It is a little smaller than the state of West Virginia and largely mountainous with thin strips of low lands by the Pacific and Caribbean. Traditionally focused on exporting bananas and coffee, Costa Rica's new top industry is tourism.

 

Many tourists arrive in the capital San José and head straight for the Pacific coast beaches. But if you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary, the country has several prime spots for volcano watching but the most popular is Arenal near the town of La Fortuna. Since 1968, the volcano has been on a red-hot eruption¹ spree. From the observation lodge², you can watch alongside volcanologists as Arenal spews hot ash, steam and molten rock. The volcano has also created many hot springs. Relax and enjoy the bubbling water at mountain spas and resorts.

 

When you are ready for a change of pace, see the rain forest from a bird's eye view. Attached to a zip line running through the jungle canopy³, you can fly from platform to platform. It is an addictive⁴ adrenaline rush. Take a moment to catch your breath and you might even catch sight of some of the rain forest inhabitants.

 

Costa Rica is rich in wildlife and ranks as one of the most bio-diverse countries. Its national parks are home to everything from howler monkeys to white-faced capuchins. It is a bird watchers' paradise with over eight hundred species including toucans⁵, macaws and the resplendent quetzal.

 

On the ground, tapirs sniff⁶ for food using their short trunks to grab leaves and fruit. Meanwhile huge colonies of leave-cutter ants pour in the forest.

 

Along river banks, the visibility is great for spotting animals hanging from the treetops, so keep your eyes filled before they hop⁷ away. Along the coasts, turtle watching is popular, especially in April and May. Leatherbacks and green turtles lurch⁸ up onto the beach to lay their eggs. They only rest for a little while before making the return trip back out to sea. You will find that many animals are nocturnal so guided tours let you discover everything that flits, crawls, climbs and goes bump in the night.

 

When planning your trip, the right time to go depends on what you wanna do. The dry season for most of the country runs from December to April.

 

The different parts of the year are best for surfing, fishing and animal watching so there is always something happening. More than twenty five percent of Costa Rica is protected territory in the form of national parks, forest reserves and wildlife refuges. So bring your binoculars⁹, your sense of adventure and settle in to a bit of "la Puda Vida".

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