Costa Rica's Amazing Diversity

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COSTA RICA'S AMAZING DIVERSITY

Costa Rica is not an island in the Caribbean. It is located in  the center of the Central American isthmus.  It is a very small country with less than 20,000 square miles, bordered on the north by Nicaragua and the south by Panama.  On the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the Caribbean Sea - Atlantic Ocean.  This is a complex area with perhaps more DIVERSITY  than any other place it's size on earth.   Costa Rica is divided into several distinct regions, each of them feels and looks very different from the other.

In the above photo you can see the major mountain ranges which  run (down the middle) from the north to the south of the country . Here are located seven different volcanoes.  Only one of these volcanoes is active and it is the Poas Volcano located in the central valley of Costa Rica

Costa Rica has attracted an international community of  conservationists, biologist, environmentalists, and over one million tourist per year. Tourist come to enjoy a multitude of outdoor adventure activities from birdwatching to zip lining-from surfing to snorkeling and scuba diving.  They come to explore the rainforests in the many national parks and wildlife preserves.

Cost Rica has  seven volcanoes.  The only one which is  active is the Poas Volcano located in the central valley-sixty eight miles northwest of San Jose,  the capital city.  This volcano has a crater one mile wide with active geysers which spew up hot steam and sulfur gases on a daily basis.  The Arenal Volcano is the most visited and  is located in the north central area of the country.  It ceased to be active in November 2011.  However tourist still flock to this area hoping that it will without warning start up again and spew it hot lava hundreds of feet into the atmosphere.

Most of the population of Costa Rica live in the Central Valley at elevations between 456 meters and 1,300 meters.  Temperatures here are very mild at between 70 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit all year round.  Costa Rica has an abundance of rainfall between the months of May and November.  So this tropical rainy climate allows for rich soil which grows coffee, bananas, sugar cane, rice, black beans, and hundreds of tropical fruits and vegetables. Pineapple and bananas are exported to the USA and also to Europe.

The highest peak in Costa Rica is Chirripo  mountain. (located in south central  Costa Rica.) It is around 12,000 feet above sea level with cold and brittle weather.   Tourist from all over world come here to hike  Chirripo.

The coast lines of Costa Rica are a very different story with hot temperatures with abundant  bright sunshine.  The NW Pacific Coast is the most visited with dozens of hotels with a price range and budget for any tourist.  This coastal  area in the north western side of Costa Rica is arid with small trees and less rainfall. In contrast, the Caribbean coast is very rainy all year, thus attracting fewer tourist. It is more tropical and lush with the  natural beauty of palm trees and coconut trees lining the pristine white sandy beaches.

To make one understand more easily, the temperature of the area you are located in Costa Rica is determined by the altitude.

Costa Rica has a dry season mid December until mid April..although on the Caribbean coast this does not apply because here it rains there all year round. Also the south western  Osa Peninsula gets a great deal of rain all year round. Rainy season in Costa Rica is considered May through November with less rain on the northwest Pacific Coastline.

For such a small country Costa Rica is filled with amazing DIVERSITY and climates. This is why North Americans and Europeans find retiring here very appealing.

San Jose is the capital city located in the central valley.  It is not an attractive city and we do not see the beautiful Spanish Colonial Architecture like we see in Granada, Nicaragua. Traffic jams are horrible in San Jose. There are "more vehicles in Costa Rica's central valley than there are roads".

Daylight hours are the same in Costa Rica all year round.  Sunrise -around 5:30 am and Sunset around 5:30 pm.  Twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness.

If you ask someone who has retired to Costa Rica-"What is your favorite thing about living here?"  The say "It is the beautiful weather along with it's Amazing Diversity."

Costa Rica has it all.  Plenty of water.  Veins of water come right out of the side of the mountains forming streams and rivers which run into the seas.  The soil is exceptionally rich due to the volcanic ash fallen to the earth through the centuries.

Geographically Costa Rica is mostly mountainous.  From the air one can look down and see mountains after mountains and all is GREEN and  lush.  This is why it takes so long to drive from the central valley to the coast.  You have to wind up and around the mountainous terrain with two lane often narrow roads.

If you are thinking of a vacation to Costa Rica contact Ann, "The Costa Rica Expert" She can plan your vacation (along with your input) and make the arrangements for you.  This can save you a lot of time surfing the internet and getting confused.  She has twelve years experience in VACATION PLANNING TO COSTA RICA.  You can read all about this on her website www.costaricalearn.com

 

Discover Costa Rica's Five Natural Wonders

Costa Rica is simply one big Natural Wonder.  I would like to tell you about five of the most wonderful.

The first of these natural wonders is the Arenal Volcano which unexpectedly erupted in  1968  destroying the village located on it’s north face and killing sixty people.
Since then the volcano has been producing small eruptions daily until around eighteen months ago  when it simply just stopped, and no one knows why.
The Arenal Volcano is a big  attraction  which draws hundreds of tourist daily year round to experience the  outdoor adventure activities offered in the area surrounding the volcano.

The Blue River (Rio Celeste) is indeed a natural wonder, located around 2 hours north of the Arenal Volcano, it is the hottest new tourist destination.  And yes the water is blue.  Legend states that when God painted the sky blue, he dipped his bush in the water and turned the water blue.   Scientist will tell you the blue color comes  from minerals in the water.  Tourist enter the  gate to Tenorio Volcano National Park and hike around one hour to the big waterfall and bathe under the cool  blue water

Poas Volcano  (photo top left)located thirty minutes north of Alajuela  in the central valley of Costa Rica is the third Natural Wonder.  Tourist come here on day trips and if lucky can see the mile wide geyser spew hot water and stream hundreds of feet in the air.  Weather here is cool and damp and offers great hiking trails.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is Costa Rica’s fourth Natural Wonder.  It is a primary rain forest-cloud forest, literally located "in the clouds" four thousand feet above sea level.  The trees here are hundreds of years old and their canopies spread their wings and shut out the sunlight.  Underneath are thousands  of different species of plants, the most famous being the fern tree which grows ten feet in height.

The fifth Natural Wonder in Costa Rica is the remote Corcovado National Park, home to one of the last remaining lowland primary rain forest on earth.   Tourist come here to walk the trails where one can see Scarlet Macaws, Toucans, and several species of monkeys such as the howler and the white face.  And to take a boat to Cano Island where snorkeling and scuba diving are very popular.

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Poas Volcano National Park

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Poas Volcano National Park  is located in the central valley of Costa Rica- approx eighteen miles north of the city of Alajuela (where the San Jose International Airport is located.)    Poas Volcano's  elevation is 8,000 feet above sea level thus the air is cool and moist.   The volcano is an active  geyser in that the one mile wide crater is a smoldering pool of  steam and sulphur gases producing acid rain and the smell of rotten eggs.    It is best to arrive as early as possible-park opens at 7:30 am-because clouds tend to cover the crater as the day progresses.  Although the constant winds will often blow the clouds away.  Just stick around for awhile and you might see the crater. The volcano does not often have violent eruptions and the most a visitor will probably see is spurts of steam and hot water coming from the crater.   A visitors area is fenced off with a spectacular view of the crater and surrounding fumaroles which are miniature geysers coming from deep holes in the earth surrounding  the mile wide crater.

The Poas Volcano National Park protects thirteen thousand acres of highland rain forest.  It's  unique highland Ecosystem is a wonderland of tropical vegetation-moses, bromeliads, and ferns. The most famous is  the giant umbrella plant.  Walking trails are well marked so one can get a very good  forty five minute work out hiking up to the old extinct crater lake.  Plus a second hiking trail carved out thru the highland rain forest which takes about twenty minutes.

OUR DAY TRIP TO POAS VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK.

Our adventure began on a cool December morning when the skies were clear and the sun's tropical warming was a delight.  Our car trip to the entrance to the park took around thirty minutes from Hotel Buena Vista,  a small mountain hotel, located on the road leading  from  Alajuela to the park.  We passed spectacular beauty of  verdant green coffee fields and black and white spotted dairy cows grazing along the mountain side.

We wanted to see the crater before the clouds closed in so we entered the park at 7:30 am.  Hiking up to the crater took about ten minutes and behold we could see the mile wide geyser sputtering up puffs of smoke and hot water.   Since we were out for a good work out, we climbed the -not so hard to climb steps- up to the old crater lake with its crystal blue water sparkling in the sunlight.  The hike up and back took about forty five minutes.   Back at the visitors center we visited the small interpretive display of the history of the volcano.   Hungry and thirsty we ventured into the coffee shop and experienced the most fabulous cup of freshly ground Costa Rica coffee along with a piece of homemade strawberry short cake made from fresh strawberries grown on the slopes of the Poas.

The gift shop is  filled with locally made arts and crafts.  A group  of local artist  were around to talk to us about their work.  I purchased one of the oils-very colorful bromeliads, umbrella plants, and ferns- painted in bright colors of yellow, orange, and green.

Lunch was down the mountain a bit at Fredda Fresas, a small family owned restaurant with typical Costa Rican food such as rice and black beans, fried plantains, yucca, cabbage salad, sauteed chicken in garlic sauce, and desert was a delicious home made flan (egg custard)  topped of with a great cup of freshly brewed Costa Rican coffee.

What a wonderful day!  Back at Hotel Buena Vista we settled in for the night to the sounds the pitter pat of rain drops on the tin roof-a very peaceful sound.

 

 

 

 

I'm a Photographer, Where Should I go in Costa Rica to Take Great Photos?

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Tortuguero Canals Costa Rica

Since I am a photographer and my husband is a professional videographer I can recommend some great spots for you.  First, in the cnetral valley of Costa Rica, the Poas Volcano is a great subject.  Go early in the morning and you will have a better chance of getting it without a cloud cover.

Second is the Arenal Volcano located in the northern region of Costa Rica.  The Arenal has many moods.  Again go early in the morning because it also tends to get a cloud cover.  If you are lucky you will get one of its mighty eruptions with fire and hot rocks spewing from it's summit.  Also Lake Arenal is gorgeous early in the a.m. with losts of water birds and the view of the volcano from  the lake  is the best!

The blue River in the northern zone is a photographer's dream.  It is located at the base of the Tenerio Volcano.  However, it is hard to get to.  Requires a hike of more than two hours .  The water is sky blue due to the mineral deposits in it.  But if you love hiking and are in good shape, then go for it!  Sunset tours in La Fortuna will sell you a day tour to the Blue River.

The Tortuguero Canals on the  north eastern Caribbean  side of Costa Rica allows you to photograph the dense jungle with monkeys, crocodiles, and toucans.  Also the exotic tropical flowering plants are unique.

The  Southern Caribbean beaches of Costa Rica are lined with palm trees and coconut trees and the houses are painted bright colors of yellow, blue, and green, reflecting the Afro-American culture here.  Everything here has color.  The dense rain forest in it's thousand shades of green.  The sloths which hang out quietly in the tree tops, and the beaches are rocky and the water beats upon these rocks. There are lots of monkeys, crocodiles, and wildlife galore such as several species of Iguanas.  The whole culture here is colorful , even the fishing boats are colorfully painted in blues and yellows. It's a great place for a photographer.

So bring your camera and come on down!

costaricalearn.com strives to present travel tips that will make your vacation to Costa Rica a more meaningful one.   Bring your camera and come join Ann's escorted group tour to Costa Rica departing on June 19, 2010 for 8 nights.  I guarantee you will have wonderful photography opportunities.  Contact Ann at    anncreed23@gmail.com

Also

What's So Great About Costa Rica as A Tourist Destination?

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Thinking about taking a vacation to a warm tropical place where sunshine abounds and lots of outdoor nature orientated activities are available.  Costa Rica has the mountains, rain forest,  pristine beaches,  wild rivers,  colorful birds, monkeys, and well almost everything except giraffes,  rhinoceros, lions, and elephants.  The are lowland dry forest, low land rain forest,  cloud forest at the high elevations.  River rafting from a river float to a class IV rafting.  You can sleep on the river banks and feel like you are living in the jungle.  The many wildlife reserves provide sanctuary for hundreds of species of tropical birds. As well as three species of monkeys, the howler, the spider, and the white face.

Costa Rica has set aside over 20% of its land surface for National Parks and Wild life Reserves.  Quite an accomplishment so such a small country about the same size as out state of West Virginia.

Costa Rica has the Poas Volcano National Park in the Central Valley, the Arenal Volcano Nationl Park in the northern zone, and the Irazu Volcano National Park just east of San Jose near the smaller town of Cartago.  The most visited and the most exciting is the Arenal which spews fire and hot rocks from its crater several times a day.

The two coast of Costa Rica, the Pacific and the Atlantic (Caribbean are distinctively different)   read about the differences by clicking         http://costaricalearn.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=2226

Most beach lovers choose the Pacific coast of Costa Rica because there is consistently more sun there, all year round.   And in certain areas there are long stretches of beach with no rocks and waves good for surfing.

Also there is the jungle destination of the Osa Peninsula, where the low land primary rain forest are just gorgeous and full of wildlife.  Development has not yet reached this pristine area because it is very inaccessible.  No roads to speak of so you have to take a boat or small plane to get there.   Many small eco lodges are here but it is not inexpensive because of it's remoteness.

Poas Volcano National Park One of Top 10 vacation spots in Costa Rica

Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica center piece is the beautiful and mysterious Poas Volcano, the largest active geyser in the world. It's an easy day trip from the central valley of San Jose and Alajuela. It's best to arrive early when the gate opens, around 8 a.m. if you want best shot to see the crater, because it stays overcast with clouds most of the time.
Bring your camera and wear a rain jacket, and very comfortable walking shoes. It's 8,000 feet above sea level so the weather is very cool and rainy. You have to walk around 10 minutes from the parking lot to see the actual crater. It is a turquois-blue gurgling pool of hot, hot water with ocasional small eruptions of steam.
It is a must see, if you are staying in the central valley and want an exciting day trip. Also you can stop by the Doka Four Generations Coffee Tour where you learn first hand the history of coffee in Costa Rica, how it is grown, and how it is processed. An excellent tour.. well worth the stop..costs around $12 per person.
The drive up to the volcano is very picturesque with coffee fields, fern farms, small villages, and dairy farms. You can get a good idea of how rural Costa Ricans live. Altogether it all makes for a very enjoyable day's outing.
Best time to visit: Dec.-mid April is dry season and best chance to see the crater..however tourist also come May-end of August, which is rainy season. Note: September and October are very rainy months and not the best time to visit.

Many tour operators in the central valley offer day trips to the volcano and the region. I highly recommend this tour. Cost around $85 per person. Usually includes a typical Costa Rican lunch.