Travel to Costa Rica

The two coastlines (Pacific and Caribbean) are very different from each other. The Caribbean coast is wild and lush, epitomised by Cahuita and Tortuguero National Parks. The Pacific coast, meanwhile, is renowned for its paradise beaches, particularly on the Nicoya Peninsula (Tamarindo, Playa del Coco, Nosara, Sámara).

Finally, Costa Rica is a mountainous country. Its highest point reaches 3,819 metres (Cerro Chirripó) and it is in these high mountains, at dawn only, that you can spot the Quetzal: a bird with emerald-green plumage, unmistakeable with its long tail and distinctive crest.

Ecotourism in Costa Rica

The land of “Pura Vida” (the pure life) is one of the greenest countries on the planet. Costa Rica is home to between 4% and 6% of the world’s species, on just 0.03% of the Earth’s surface. This exceptional wildlife and plant life must be preserved and the country fully understands that.

In 1970, environmental protection became a national cause. In 1994, the right to ‘live in a healthy and ecologically balanced environment’ was enshrined in the constitution. Since the 1960s, the government has been committed to clean energy projects and has created 29 National Parks. Today, 99% of the country’s electricity is generated from renewable sources.

Costa Rica’s ambition is to become the world’s first carbon-neutral country by 2050.

In this spirit, the Costa Rican government actively promotes ecotourism. Hunting is banned in Costa Rica, as is felling a tree without government authorisation. A recent law even prohibits taking selfies with animals in the wild!

Eco-friendly accommodation (eco-lodges) and restaurants serving locally sourced, organic food are plentiful. Low-impact activities are hugely popular. From your rowing boat in Tortuguero, you can watch iguanas, toucans, caimans and multicoloured birds and, if you’re lucky, a jaguar. You can also glide through the canopy on hand-operated cable cars and suspension bridges, reaching the very level of the parrots!