Costa Rica is a small Central American country bordering the countries of Nicaragua and Panama. It is often considered to be a tropical paradise. In 1502, Christopher Columbus landed along its Caribbean coast and was so mesmerized he named the place ‘Costa Rica’, the ‘Rich Coast’. The name stuck.

In a part of the world often known best for its instability, Costa Rica is a proud, stable democracy and, along with Switzerland, only one of two countries in the world without a military. With an ever-improving tourism infrastructure and two international airports, it is a great place for a spectacular vacation. There is nearly an endless list of things to do and see in a country famous for its incredible diversity of plants and animals.

Though folks from around the world enjoy Costa Rica tourism, 40% of its tourists come from the United States. That country’s economic problems have proven challenging to Costa Rica tourism, which has been struggling. But, of course, every challenge creates an opportunity and now may be exactly the time to travel Costa Rica. You will find cheap airfares and some terrific travel and accommodation bargains. The Costa Rica government is trying to stimulate tourism from the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT) website which contains discount coupons. Google ‘visitcostarica.com/crplus’ and look for yourself but remember: there are hundreds of hotels, spas, resorts, and other places that will also give you a discount—–but you need to ask!

Costa Rica is world famous for the diversity of its animals and plants. As small as it is, Costa Rica has set aside nearly 25% of the country for protected national park and wildlife sanctuaries. How small is it? Think tiny, but mighty: only the size of little West Virginia, it has more species of butterflies than in all of the countries on the African continent combined. It is birdwatchers’ nirvana with nearly as many different kinds of birds as in the entire continental United States and only about 100 fewer species than the entire continent of Europe. The diversity of life is simply staggering. Though it takes up only 1/10,000 of the earth’s land mass, nearly 1 of every 5 species of plant and animal on the face of the planet is found in Costa Rica!

You will also find some the world’s most famous volcanoes here. Arenal Volcano is a tourist hotspot, with resorts built around hot springs where you can loll in luxury, drink a margarita, and perhaps watch the fabulous eruptions of this volcano. There is also Irazu, just outside San Jose. Here, on the day in 1963 that John F. Kennedy visited Costa Rica, a monstruous eruption greeted the President—I like to think of it as a salute. And, only here on a clear day can you drive to the top of its summit, look into its crater, then look west and see the Pacific Ocean, or look east and see the Atlantic ocean. Or, look at both of them at the same time! This ain’t Dubuque!

Be sure to consider going to some of Costa Rica’s Seven Wonders, identified by Costa Ricans themselves. For intrepid adventurers and fisherfolk, there is remote Tortuguero National Park along the Caribbean coast. It is the world’s largest protected area for green sea turtles, its waters teem with great sportfish, and you will gaze-literally-over waters sailed by Columbus himself. There are two great volcanoes among the Seven Wonders: mighty Arenal Volcano and spectacular Poas Volcano just outside San Jose. Not far from Arenal is the Monteverde Cloudforest Reserve with its great plant and animal diversity—including its spectacular orchids and the only butterfly in the world that makes a sound! If you like to dive, charter a boat for magnificent Cocos Island (300 miles off the coast and halfway to the Galapagos. Jacques Cousteau called it the “most beautiful island in the world” and you’ll still see rocks signed by seafarers. This was a famous pirate island with a fabulous fortune of still undiscovered buried treasure and today it provides the best large animal diving anywhere. If you like to hike, try Mount Chirripo, the tallest mountain in Central America, where your hike will take you from tropical forests to cold, glacial lakes. There is a magical place, still virtually unknown to most folks, called the Rio Celeste (Celestial River) where the river literally changes color, from crystal clear to sky-blue in front of your eyes.

No visit to the country would be complete without spending some time at the stunning beaches. Indeed, many tourists spend most of their vacation at the beach. Among the most beautiful in the world, you will find many different types of beaches in Costa Rica: black sand beaches, white sand beaches, coral sand beaches, even boulder strewn rugged beaches. Most of the most popular resorts and fancy hotels are located on the Pacific coast but you will find that the Caribbean coast also has no shortage of beautiful places to go too. The Pacific coast is more-and-more Americanized while the Caribbean has a unique, distinctive, Caribbean aura—and is clearly Bob Marley country.

Here is a partial list of more things to do and attractions to see during the days: 1. Fish for marlin (I recently fought a 450 pounder before releasing it), sailfish, tarpon, snook, and dozens of other denizens. 2. Surf world famous beaches or watch world-championship surfing contests. 3. Raft or kayak in whitewater that will take your breath away or leisurely raft a tropical river with the kids. 4. Golf at courses designed by world-famous designers. 5. Windsurf at Lake Arenal. 6. Bungee jump into deep canyons or at night. 7. Ecotourism. 8. Zipline through tropical forests. 9. Go to a bullfight (where only the bullfighters are allowed to be harmed). 10. Horseback ride in the mountains or along the beaches. 11. Hang-glide. 12. Rappel waterfalls. 13. Take a train ride—in a genuine Swiss train to a genuine Swiss mountain hotel. 14. Visit Corcovado, the most biologically intense place on earth. 15. Scuba or skin dive. 16. Whale watch (Costa Rica has the world’s longest whale-watching season). 17. Visit tropical gardens or tour coffee plantations. 18. Bike, hike, rent motorcycles. 19. Hike into the crater of an active volcano. 19. Visit an African wildlife park. 20. Take a photography or eco tour. 21. Take a volunteer vacation. And more!

The capital is definitely worth a visit too. At night, San Jose and most of the beach communities provide lots of adult entertainment. Restaurants, theatres, cinemas, bars, nightclubs (many, very adult in tone and tenor), gambling, and beautiful women—what happens here, stays here. And for lesbians and gays, there are an increasing number of places to go and things to do as well.

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