About Costa Rica

Costa Rica

 

Costa Rica stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea and posses a distance of 200 miles. The variety of landscapes and microclimates that can be enjoyed in one day, make this country a paradise destination. In just 19,691 square miles, the traveler can find: sun and beach, adventure, nature and culture.

 

Although the country is small and it covers only 0.03% of the planet's surface, it has the privilege of being the habitat of 5% of the existing biodiversity worldwide. The 25.58% of its territory is protected under diverse forms of conservation. Costa Rica is among the 20 richest countries in biodiversity on Earth in species density. This means that is possible to find more species on 1,000 km2 in Costa Rica, that in the same area in countries such as Brasil or Colombia.

 

The country also owns a great cultural legacy, whose manifestations can be appreciated in symbols such as the ox cart, national symbol that highlights becasue of its beauty and color. Also, Costa Rica has an indigenous heritage from tribes such as the Chorotegas, Cabécares, Malekis, Bribris, Borucas, among others.

 

 

 

 

Guanacaste

 

With a total area of 9529 km2 and over 700 kilometers of coastline, the tourism unit Guanacaste, comprises the Pacific coast of Costa Rica from the border with Nicaragua to the mouth of the River Bongo in the Nicoya Peninsula. This unit houses an important portion of the Costa Rican cultural and natural heritage. Not in vain there are a significant number of protected coastal areas including in where life develops with exuberance in aquatic, terrestrial and mountain ecosystems.

 

La belleza incomparable de sus paisajes que van desde el bosque seco tropical hasta el bosque montano bajo y su cálido clima, así como su fértil naturaleza han hecho de Guanacaste uno de los lugares más concurridos por el turismo local e internacional. Tiene además un importante soporte en el Polo de Desarrollo Turístico del Golfo de Papagayo, así como, por el Aeropuerto Internacional Daniel Oduber al cual llega una gran cantidad de vuelos charter y de vuelos regulares procedentes de los Estados Unidos.

 

The incomparable beauty of its landscapes ranging from tropical dry forest to the low forest montano and its hot climate, as well as its fertile nature, have made Guanacaste one of the places most frequented by local and international tourism. It also homes the impressive Papagayo Gulf Touristic Pole and, the Daniel Oduber International Airport which gets a lot of charter flights and regular flights from the United States.

 

Numerous beaches that bathe the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean are located along the Guanacaste coast. The coastal scenery is outstanding. There are beaches of white sands and a peaceful sea tinted by an intense blue.

 

The province features numerous protected areas such as:  Rincón de la Vieja National Park,  Santa Rosa National Park,  Guanacaste National Park, Barra Honda National Park,  Lomas de Barbudal Biological Reserve, Tenorio Volcano National Park, among others.

 

The natural beauty and geographical conditions allow various activities from hiking in the foothills of a majestic volcano, zip-lining, world class rafting and surfing, sport fishing, dolphins and whales watching, hiking in mysterious caverns, and much more.

 

Guanacaste is known for its music, the most common manifestation of popular art in the province, with the marimba as its signature instrument. As a complement to music, Guanacaste typical dances have been preserved throughout time like oral traditions, they are the most faithful representation of what was the social and cultural life of the province of Guanacaste. These dances have a strong influence of Spanish Andalusian zapateado. Some are: El Punto Guanacasteco, Los Amores de Laco, La Cajeta, La Flor de Caña, El Torito, El Zapateado, El Pavo and La Botijuela, among others.

 

Corn is one of the products of great importance in the Guanacaste area, this grain is derived in many foods and drinks: the Guanacaste tortillas, tanelas, tayuyas, tamales, pisques, sweet tamale, rice, corn, tamales, donuts, cakes, pozole, atole, chicheme, chicha, pinol, among others.

 

In the houses there is usually a clay oven, where all kinds of breads are prepared and many of the foods discussed above.

 

Among the drinks you can find pinol, corn chicha and chicheme.

 

For the enjoyment of these foods and drinks there are key places to visit such as the Liberia and Nicoya markets and in the famous Cooperativa de Mujeres in Santa Cruz.

 

Peninsula Papagayo and Culebra Bay

 

Papagayo's charm has fascinated human kind dating back thousands of years. With calm and relaxing beaches that are a product of a unique geological formation on the Pacific coast, yet different from the rest of the country. These features first attracted the Corobicies over 12,000 years ago, the indigenous who inhabited the area thousand of years before the groups from Mexico and the north of Central America arrived. The region between Costa Rica and Panama was used as a "land bridge" between different cultures, so in these lands took place a transit of people, products and fascinating objects.

 

Years later Chorotegas groups were formed, named for the ancient language, which is already extinct. Although the indigenous population in Guanacaste developed in small groups, Papagayo was one of the places chosen by them. In the 90`s, four ponds used by the pre-Columbian indigenous were discovered, the pounds were used to fish about 1,000 years ago. Two of them remain intact and although most of the year remain covered by the sea, in the months of lowest tide (March and October) are exposed, giving us the opportunity to go back in time and relive this ancient culture.

 

The Papagayo Area is formed by 4,900 acres, with 17 diverse beaches with a quiet sea ideal for family enjoyment. Diving and water sports are a must, the clear water allows to observe the marine beauty of Culebra Bay. If you prefer relaxation, take some time to rest under the shade of trees and walk through a primary forest watching the wildlife and endemic species.

 

A boat trip by its irregular coastline allows visitors to enjoy a beautiful landscape tempered by a series of surprises like caves, islets or the unexpected sight of dolphins or other marine species such as cat sharks, fish of various colors and giant tortoises.

 

This bay is rich in marine species of great scientific and economic value because waters are rich in plankton, their main food, which develops in mangroves in the area. In his land you can also discover abundant flora and fauna, making often watching howler and white face monkeys, iguanas, deer and 400 species of butterflies.