Being home to\u00a0more than 500,000 species\u00a0(300,000 of which are insects \u2014\u00a0although that may not be a very appealing piece of information!) makes Costa Rica a top destination for animal lovers and curious explorers.<\/p>\n There is a wide variety of wildlife-oriented tours around Costa Rica, from sanctuary visits to eco-treks,\u00a0horseback riding, hiking mountainous paths in the cloud forests and guided bird-watching tours.<\/p>\n Corcovado National Park<\/a> is definitely the place to be for\u00a0flora and fauna enthusiasts\u00a0\u2014 it is often regarded as the proverbial crown jewel of Costa Rican national parks because of its spectacular\u00a0ecological variety. This is, without a doubt, where the wildlife sightseeing will occur!<\/p>\n Sloths, scarlet macaws, numerous butterflies, anteaters, a variety of wild cats, frightening spiders and\u00a0highly colourful – albeit lethal – frogs, toucans as well as\u00a0endangered species like\u00a0the Baird’s tapir and the squirrel monkey, the spider monkey and several species of snake all live\u00a0in the national park\u00a0\u2014 not to mention the marine mammals visible from the shore, such as humpback whales, several species of dolphins, manatees and killer whales.<\/p>\n This impressive abundance in wildlife can partly\u00a0be explained by the 13 different\u00a0variety of vegetation types and 500 species of trees.<\/p>\n In addition to what is obviously a spectacular offering in terms of natural beauty, Costa Rica is also a land of volcanoes \u2014\u00a0six active and another 61 dormant or extinct ones, to be exact.\u00a0Most are\u00a0caldera volcanoes, whose craters are filled with water and rising steam.<\/p>\n The most popular one is\u00a0Po\u00e1s Volcano. It makes for a perfect daytrip from the capital and it offers unparalleled views of both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans from atop its summit.\u00a0Rinc\u00f3n de la Vieja,\u00a0Iraz\u00fa\u00a0and\u00a0Tenorio\u00a0are also very popular destinations.<\/p>\n Alternatively, Costa Rica caters to visitors looking for exhilarating experiences such as zip-lining and canopy tours. Talk about an experience to remember!<\/p>\n Not one to be content with just <\/em>overland attractions, \u00a0Costa Rica also boasts exceptional marine life. Perhaps this explains why so many scuba divers, surfers, fishers, rafters and snorkelers are fond of this destination! Between the wold-famous Cocos Islands<\/a>, the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans as well as countless rivers, there really is no shortage of under and over water adventures in these parts.<\/p>\n If reading this article leaves you wondering if you should visit Costa Rica<\/a> now before it gets too popular, do not fret. The country isn’t about to become a tourist trap or a giant zoo; roughly\u00a025% of the Costa Rica’s\u00a0land area is in protected national parks \u2014\u00a0the largest percentage in the world \u2014\u00a0making it near impossible for developers to take over the precious and fragile biodiversity.<\/p>\n![\"costa](\"http:\/\/expedia.blog.ca.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Costa_Rica_Playa_Tamarindo_and_Rivermouth_2007_Aerial_Photograph_Tamarindowiki_01-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIf One Can, Toucan<\/h2>\n
![\"costa](\"http:\/\/expedia.blog.ca.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Keel_billed_toucan_costa_rica-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAnyone Looking For a Thrill?<\/h2>\n
Underwater Explorations<\/h2>\n
Don’t Rush \u2014\u00a0Costa Rica Won’t Be Spoiled<\/h2>\n
Is Costa Rica on your bucket list?<\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"