2: Costa Rica; A Brief Rundown

Costa Rica is a nation located in Latin America, with Guatemala to its north and Panama to the south. It is a country rich in diversity in its flora and fauna due to its tropical climate and rain forests, allowing for life not seen anywhere else in the world. Along with the variety in its wildlife, the culture is diverse as well, with a mix of traditional native Americans, Spaniards, and African workers who arrived from the Caribbean. The primary languages spoken are Spanish and English.

The Costa Rican culture holds a very positive and encouraging identity, which is why National Geographic says it is one of the happiest countries in the world. They have a strong Spanish presence that came from Spanish colonizers, who spread Catholicism, their native cuisine, and language. A common phrase is "Pura Vida", which translates to "Pure Life" and is quite representative of their philosophy.

The relaxed nature of the country along with its amazing landscape makes Costa Rica an amazing tourist destination, which brings in a large portion of the country's revenue. It is the most visited country in the Central American region with over 1,000,000 tourists from the United States. Also, in 2004 tourism began to generate more revenue than Costa Rica's coffee bean and banana industry.

They are a presidential constitutional republic with 7 provinces and 81 cantons, each of which are run by a mayor who is elected every 4 years.

Travelling to Costa Rica

When travelling to Costa Rica, one is presented with 2 different options: flying or driving. From Atlanta, driving to Costa Rica will consist of a 3,226 mile trip that, if driven with no traffic or stops, would take 67 hours; approximately 9 days of driving, assuming about 8 hours of driving per day.

However for those not so accustomed to long road trips, the option of flying there instead exists. It is a 4 hour flight from the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to the Juan Santamaría International Airport, costing an average of $285 for a round-trip flight. 

Before leaving for your flight, what should you bring with you? 

Be sure to exchange your currency for the Costa Rican colón, which has an exchange rate of 1 colón to .0077 US dollars, so you will be able to purchase goods there and nab yourself a fancy hotel for your stay. A great recommendation would be the Casa Del Toucan pricing itself at $98 dollars a night. While that might seem out of some people's price range, it is absolutely worth it for the view and what some previous visitors have described as "a treasure in the jungle." 

When you arrive in the country and settle into your gorgeous room, what should you do now?

While there are many different things to do, Costa Rica has a booming ecotourism industry, allowing people to visit pristine, untouched parts of nature and see the country's natural beauty. The country is ranked the 2nd best country in Latin America to visit for ecotourism in 2017, only slightly behind Panama. In particular, areas like the Arenal Volcano National Park and the Corcovado National Park. The Arenal National Park is the home to one of the most active volcanoes until 2010, which is now significantly less active and still home to a myriad of beautiful waterfalls and hot springs.