Environment of Costa Rica

Joan Mccord

Costa Rica is located in the center of the isthmus that joins North and South America. It is the migratory thoroughfare and mating ground for species, man and animal, once separated by oceans. Costa Rica is near the equator with elevations from sea level to soaring mountain volcanoes. The result is a diversity of distinct life zones and ecosystems unknown almost anywhere else on the planet.

The Monteverde Cloud Forest is a highland tropical rain forest constantly bathed in warm soft mist. The fern covered forest floor is the home of various species of cats, including the jaguar; birds; insects; and more than 2,000 different orchids.

Enjoy the forest from suspended skywalks or use ziplines to travel through the trees.

Arenal volcano and its pyrotechnics are a distinct presence during your Monteverde visit. A closer visit to Arenal with its perfect cone rising from gentle green hills startles with loud explosions, accompanied by mushroom clouds of gray, brown and orange smoke. Lakes of clear thermal waters invite a quiet soak and rest at the end of the day.