Costa Rica, aptly named by Christopher Columbus in 1502, means "rich coast" in English and indeed, this small Central Latin American country has a wealth of varied terrain, rich flora and abundant fauna for the eco explorer with a longing for variety. Rainforests, Cloud forests, mountain ranges, volcanoes, rivers and a treasure trove of grey, black, white, golden and even pink sand beaches are just the beginning. Costa Rica is also home to sub-alpine dwarf vegetation, mangrove swamps and even seasonal dry forests.
Costa Rica's landmass is a coastal plain, separated by mountains. The two mountains, Cordillera de Talamanca and Cordillera Central form the spine of the country.
Covering less than 2% of the earth's surface, rainforests are home to 50% of the world's plants and animals. With more than 25% of Costa Rica comprising of biological reserves, national parks and wildlife refuges, it is not surprising that Costa Rica is one of the most bio-divers regions in the world.
The rainforests of Costa Rica cover most of the southwest zone of the country while cloud forests are found in the higher areas of the mountains and volcanoes throughout the central mountain range.
With over 1800 Kilometers (1100 miles) of coastline, visitors are enchanted by variety with everything from rocky shores, wave crashing cliffs, palm-lined soft sand beaches and stretches of colorful shell covered coasts along the Pacific and Caribbean sea sides of the country, making Costa Rica a truly magnificent beach vacation destination. Delightfully, most of Costa Rican coastal areas have a sparse population, so there is plenty of opportunity for privacy and seclusion for those who long for tranquility.
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