Costa Rica is a natural paradise. “The rich coast” is well known for its exotic beauty, breathtaking scenery, active volcanoes, beautiful beaches and tropical rain forests. These natural riches make Costa Rica one of the top eco-tourism destinations in the world. Costa Rica has a delightful temperate climate, without extreme weather changes.

But Costa Rica is more than just beautiful scenery – it is one of the most stable countries in the world. Costa Rica’s growing popularity among American and European travelers is based on its political and social stability, open society, strong conservation policies and a concern for sustainable development. For the past 60 years, Costa Rica has been an oasis of peace and stability in a region marked by unrest and political upheaval.

Costa Rica has been a democratic country for the last 110 years. During the 1940s, the country established progressive social security programs, implemented free and compulsory elementary and high school education, and abolished the armed forces. These governmental programs spurred economic growth and helped strengthen the middle class, thus achieving high health, education, per capita income and employment indexes.

The economy has successfully shifted from a traditional agriculture base, which had offered bananas and coffee as the main export products, to a service-based economy, with high tech and tourism leading the way.

Visitors come to Costa Rica for its natural beauty, but they are charmed by Costa Rican’s warmth and friendliness. Costa Rica has a tradition of hospitality and “ticos” (native Costa Ricans) will go out of their way to make visitors feel at home.




Costa Rica offers a wide variety of places to visit and things to do. Here’s a small sample:

Lots of great information on Costa Rica is available from the Costa Rica Tourism Institute: