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Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica, pronounced is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.
Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army.[2][3][4] Costa Rica has consistently been among the top Latin American countries in the Human Development Index, ranking 50th in 2006.[5] The country is ranked 5th in the world, and 1st among the Americas, in terms of the 2008 Environmental Performance Index. In 2007 the Costa Rican government announced plans for Costa Rica to become the first carbon neutral country by 2021.] According to the New Economics Foundation, Costa Rica ranks first in the Happy Planet Index and is the greenest country in the world. The HPI measures how much of the Earth's resources nations use and how long and happy a life their citizens enjoy as a result.
More from Wikipedia Costa Rica at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rica
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Dream Beaches
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Beach Hotels ?
The are no limits separating Costa Rica from the sea. In this
small area of firm land, there are 762 miles of coastlines,
distributed on the Pacific and the Caribbean. Costa Rican
beaches allow you to sun-tan while having the additonal bonus
of being part of a complex pro-nature system known as the
Ecological Blue Flag, award given to 56 of our beaches, distributed
throughout the territory. This program is implemented thanks
to Costa Rica’s commitment with sustainability and environmental
protection. This guarantees tourists that beaches they visit
have enough safety and cleanliness to spend well their vacations.
Costa Rica’s beaches are surrounded by forests, and
have great natural diversity. In many of them there are beautiful
coral reefs, where you may dive and explore. In addition,
depending on the place visited, you have a series of complementary
activities, such as: hikes to mangroves, diving, surfing,
sportsfishing, hiking on trails or horseback rides. Thanks
to the easy access to many beaches, you can make the most
out of both coasts. Most of them have warm water throughout
the year, so you may come and enjoy the country any season
you prefer. If it’s diversity you’re interested
in, each coast offers different shades and textures of sand,
white, yellow, gray and black, product of the constant crashing
of seashells on coral reefs.
WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR AS ROOM AND BOARD
Costa Rica’s great variety of beaches will let you plan
your vacations according to your interests and budget. They
all offer the perfect conditions to forget about the city’s
noise. There are diverse options for lodging near the coast,
to fully enjoy yourself, with your family, couple or friends.
As you prefer, there are great hotels, offering comfortable
facilities, or staying in the warmth of boutique hotels. Besides
that, you may treat yourself to Costa Rican gastronomy, varied
and characteristic of each region. From coast to coast, you’ll
find enormous differences as to the food’s ingredients
and preparation. A common element to all, is their excellent
taste, something to excite your appetite and curiosity for
sampling the delicious dishes you’ll find in this country.
GUANACASTE REGION
These are the beaches located in the Guanacaste area, which
offer many options for adventure and recreation. It is one
of the destinations that satisfies different expectations
of visiting tourists. For those who like sunbathing in the
coast, they have radiant sunshine almost all year round. Atmospheres
are varied, and to profit from each one of them, you may select
among adequate lodging options. If you go for retired places,
as the beaches found near the Santa Elena Peninsula, there
are small boutique hotels, or beaches with hotel compounds,
at the Gulf of Papagayo. In them, you may try and combine
different activities as swimming, diving, surfing, windsurfing,
fishing, beach volleyball and golf. Or simply enjoy the sun
while walking along the coastline. You might want to have
the opportunity of tasting the gastronomy of Guanacaste, which
has a strong indian influence. The products of the area are
mainly based on maize, some of them are “bizcochos”
or biscuits, “tortillas”, “pozol”
and rice with maize, or if you have a sweet tooth, you should
try the popular “cajetas”. The positive side is
you can reach the local beaches of the area, with direct flights
from the United States to the international airport in Liberia,
Daniel Oduber, or also by land, from San José and the
Middle Pacific.
CENTRAL AND MID PACIFIC REGION
Find fun for all tastes. Your visit may begin with the islands
on this shore, that offer visitors nice beaches to sunbathe,
swim, snorkel, have a boat ride, or peacefully share the surrounding
nature found in the rainforests. In the central area you may
find attractive places, like Puntarenas, with the landing
of cruise ships on its pier, its famous gastronomy, offering
well-known and varied seafood dishes, like “ceviche”
(marinated/pickled fish in lemon and/or vinegar) and baked
whole fish. Other specialties of the region are the “churchil”,
made with frappée ice and different flavors, condensed
and powdered milk and ice cream, “mate” and fruit
salads. For the area of the Middle Pacific, you will find
exuberant landscapes where sun, beach and forests combine,
mainly where there is some kind of protection, in national
parks such as Manuel Antonio and Marino Ballena. On the other
hand, for surf lovers, the beaches of Jacó and Hermosa
have the ideal conditions for the practice of this sport.
At night, these tourist centers fill with fun and enjoyment,
so you may expect to have great moments. All the beaches of
the area have comfortable accomodations in the different hotels
available. There’s easy access thanks to the International
Airport Juan Santamaría, from where you continue by
land for approximately 3 hours, until reaching the desired
destination.
SOUTH PACIFIC REGION
This region of Costa Rica offers the possibility of combining
the attractions of a beach with the virgin vegetation and
coral reefs of Caño island, where you may also practice
diving and snorkeling. All of the scenic and exuberant beauties
bestowed by nature to this coast are surely going to help
you spend some quiet, relaxing vacations. This added value
you will discover in its purest form, in the beaches of Golfo
Dulce and the Osa Peninsula, being protected by Biological
Reserves and the National Park of Corcovado. Access to this
area you have in Golfito’s or Puerto Jiménez’s
runways, which have internal flights that make your trip easier.
Thanks to these facilities, you’ll arrive faster to
one of the places of greatest natural diversity of the country,
surrounded by magnificent landscapes, formed by the forests
that populate the seaside. This area also counts with access
by land and great lodging facilities, characterized by rustic
accomodations that will make you feel in closer contact with
nature. Give yourself the opportunity of living an adventure,
with the activities you may engage in: observation of flora
and fauna, will show you a vegetation that is unique, or admire
animals as the marvelous macaw. You may go fishing, or surfing,
whose fans will profit from the left wave of Pavones, one
of the longest in the world.
SOUTH CARIBBEAN
Beautiful beaches are expecting you in this region of Costa
Rica, which you may reach by land. When visiting the South
Caribbean with your family, couple or friends, admire the
contrast of colors of white or black sand, of the beaches
of Cahuita and Puerto Viejo. To the colors is added an exuberant
vegetation, blending perfectly with the sea shore, in places
where beaches and forests are side by side. Also enjoy sharing
with the local culture. There is a strong Afro-Caribbean influence
that will make you live a different experience. Learn about
the particular architecture of the region, the joy of living
of its people, the popular fashion of braided hair, the flavor
of the exclusively characteristic foods of the area such as
“rice and beans”, “pati” “plantinta”,
chicken with coconut and “ron don” and the autoctonous
exotic habits, that originate becuase of the ethnic diversity
that coincides in this place. All of this you may complement
with adventure activities, such as surfing, fishing or diving,
which will allow you to learn about the coral reefs, protecting
an incredible amount of fish species.
NORTH CARIBBEAN
The voyage to the North Caribbean you may do by sea or air.
From June to October, you can live the unforgettable experience
of the green turtles’ spawning at the beaches of the
National Park of Tortuguero. Also enjoy fishing for shad and
snook at Barra del Colorado.
ISLANDS
Costa Rica offer islands to enjoy sun, breeze and sea. The
most surprising is Coco’s Island, declared by UNESCO
as Natural Heritage of Humanity. It is located 330 miles from
Costa Rican territory, and you may reach it by boat, trip
that lasts 36 hours, prior consulting specialized companies
that may take you in this journey, to enjoy all of the natural
beauty, diving or hiking in the island. Here you may appreciate
incredible examples of marine life, such as the whale shark,
white-tip sharks, tuna fish, parrotfish, corals, mollusks
or the hammerheaded shark, in quantities that are hard to
find elsewhere. Another of the popular islands is Tortuga.
Besides enjoying the beach, here your may practice diverse
aquatic sports. There is also Caño Island, which is
perfect for diving, as its waters are crystal-clear and you
may also learn of its Pre-Columbian legacy. Do not miss the
islands of the Gulf of Nicoya, that include lots of activities
like diving and fishing, with the benefit of the short time
to get there and its natural richness. All of these islands,
you may reach in a quiet yacht or boat trip. These tours are
organized by specialized companies, offering everything necessary
to make your stay in that place comfortable, since neither
one of them has hotel facilities. Generally, permanence in
the island is limited to daytime, when you may profit from
activities organized for receation, such as island tours or
beach games. Also offered is the necessary nourishment for
the different times of the day, so you may delight with them
while observing the immense ocean surrounding you.
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