What to See In: Costa Rica

Sightseeing: Visiting Costa Rica

From coast to coast to, well, coast, Costa Rica is a beautiful and rich country (it’s in the name!) and a wonderful place to visit on your next vacation.  No matter whether you are single or attached, planning retirement trips or bringing the kids along, Costa Rica has plenty to see and explore for everyone and plenty of shoreline for everyone, too.

Costa Rica is bordered on the west and south by the Pacific and on the east by the sparkling Caribbean Sea, and is the only country in the world from which you can see both oceans from a single point.  Imagine standing still and being able to turn your head from side to side and see two of the world’s greatest oceans on either side of you, spreading out to infinity.  The sight is enough to take your breath away, and tourists being moved to tears at the amazing sight are certainly not unheard of. 

The history of this beautiful tropical country is as rich as the land itself, with a great deal of strife coloring the country from the arrival of the Spaniards, who killed off much of the native population through disease and mistreatment in the sixteenth century.  Many Africans were brought in as slaves in the next two hundred years, and Jamaican workers were brought in a century later to work on the construction of the railway systems connecting the Central Plateau to the port of Limon on the Caribbean coast of the country.  The same railway system also brought a wave of Italian and Chinese immigrant workers.

The country’s modern culture has little influence from the native peoples who were widely wiped out, but more modern history is still fascinating, including the fact that the country of Costa Rica was the first in the world that constitutionally abolished their army.  The country has the longest standing democracy in Latin America, and is a symbol of political stability in the sometimes unstable region of Central America.

If the history of the place does not hold your interest, though, the land surely will.  Costa Rica is a tropical paradise not unlike Hawaii in its gorgeous waterfalls and beautiful active volcanoes.  The country is landlocked, but also comprises several beautiful islands.  Over a quarter of the territory of Costa Rica is protected within national parks, which likely aid in the fact that the country possesses the greatest density of species in the entire world.

A person could spend months in the exploration of the land in this beautiful country and still only begin to touch on the natural wonders that Costa Rica has to offer.  A simple hike becomes a beautiful jungle adventure.  Try horseback riding to get a new perspective and a new connection to nature, or take a bike tour of a part of the country and prepare to be amazed. 

The sea is another part of Costa Rica that is rich and ready for exploration.  From boating trips to scuba diving to Caribbean islands, there are a plethora of places to love and explore.  Spend hours relaxing on the beach in the warm tropical sunshine, and let your troubles melt away.  Watch your children as they play in the surf – there are beaches all over the country, remember!

Scuba diving and snorkeling are incredibly popular pastimes for a good reason, and a Discover scuba course can have you in the water under an instructor’s watchful eye in a single day with no certification required.  Children as young as ten can participate, making it an ideal family adventure.  If you’d rather stay on top of the water, try boating, sailing, or even surfing along this rich coast.