Costa Rica

One question always flabbergasts tourists to Costa Rica - how can a land stretching only 51,000 sq. km, hold in its belly so many breathtaking wonders? But soon the inquisitive character of tourists transform into a feeling of admiration and awe. Though most part of Costa Rica is surrounded by seas ...read more and comprises few islands, it is not entirely an island country.
Costa Rica is bordered by Nicaragua in north, Panama, Caribbean Sea in east and Pacific Ocean to south and west. Costa Rica is a beautiful country, which is made even more lovable by its people. The country was positioned fifth in the world and first in America on the basis of Environmental Performance Index. It is not too behind on Human Development Index as well. Costa Rica is also the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army. Costa Rica, till few years back, earned highest foreign exchange by exporting bananas. But it was overtaken by tourism which has now become an ever swelling industry. Eco tourism has been the major section of tourism in Costa Rica. The well preserved and mostly undiscovered rainforests, hundred of animal species and the thousands of bird species that reside in it are a major attraction for the tourists. You will be amazed to know that Costa Rica, with 840 bird species, has more bird species than all of North America combined. To provide a home to all these species, there are many huge and excellent national parks throughout the country. Palo Verde National Park and Cocos Island are the most visited. Costa Rica is dotted with numerous dormant as well as highly active volcanoes. Not to be missed are Arenal Volcano which is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and Irazu Volcano which is extremely beautiful. San Jose is the capital city of the Costa Rica and is the largest one which is situated in the Gran Area Metropolitan. Seat of the national government and a bustling commercial center, San Jose is a base destination from where you could visit any part of Costa Rica without any difficulty. San Jose itself is no less of a tourist attraction. It is a charming city with a splendid nightlife and few museums to visit. Costa Rica is divided into 7 provinces namely Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limón, Puntarenas and San José. [-]