Costa Rica has much to offer visitors from exhilarating adventures, like zip-lining through the rainforest, to picturesque beaches along the Pacific Ocean or the Caribbean and the mystical beauty of nature
Until you actually arrive at a location, you don’t really know if what you’ve seen or heard is true. Unfortunately, they often are mostly fluff and the trip can be disappointing. Costa Rica, however, defies this trend.
Costa Rica truly has a little something for everyone. You probably think of golden beaches first and you are correct. Both coasts offer amazing beaches that can range in style from isolated beaches miles long to beaches full of party revelers.
There is much more to Costa Rica than just beaches. Rain forests that are legendary, volcanoes, epic windsurfing on Lake Arenal, health retreats, and more. The country simply has pretty much anything you could possibly dream of in a vacation location.
Ah, but now I am just throwing words of hype around. You need some facts, so here are a few on the country.
Christopher Columbus in 1502, made the first European landfall in the area. It was his fourth trip to the Americas. That being said, it took the Spanish another twenty years to actually settle the country.
The Spanish optimistically called the country “Rich Coast.” They thought they would find tons of gold. They didn’t but claimed the country because of wood resources and its beauty.
Costa Rica is not particularly large, covering 19,730 square miles. Of this, over a quarter are protected lands.
The capital city of Costa Rica is San Jose, located in the center of the country.
Costa Rica has no standing military but does have a police force.
Costa Rica is definitely the most visited nation in the Central America region with a tourists footfall of around 1.7 million every year, the tourism industry generates $1.7 billion a year.
Education is tremendous in Costa Rica with the country having a 96 percent literacy rate. The average life expectancy for a woman is 79 years while men come in at 74. Spanish is the dominant language.
Costa Rica puts Seattle to shame when it comes to rain. 100 inches annually is the number. Mountain areas can get as many as 250 inches. Temperatures always remain in the 70 to 90-degree range.
Instead of a military, the Constitution guarantees universal public education for all citizens. Primary education is obligatory, and both preschool and high school are free. The county has leading Universities in biological fields.
In an old-world mix, the Roman Catholic Church and government are in bed on marriage. The government only acknowledges marriages by the church. All other marriages are civil and must be by a lawyer.
Planning for Costa Rica in your Next Trip? Vacation time is precious, and Costa Rica is the place to use it. The “wow” factor is huge and you will not regret it.
