Before I visited Costa Rica, I had a picture in my head of lush, tropical rain forest, friendly faces, wildlife, fresh fruit, and colourful food and believe me it did not disappoint! Costa Rica is a truly wonderful country to visit. It has so much diversity, beaches, rainforest and wildlife; there is something there for everybody.
I would love to share with you, my list of the 5 top reasons to visit Costa Rica.
- Pura Vida
I love this phrase; it translates as “pure life ” which is everything that Costa Rica is. The Costa Rican people tend to be relaxed and worry-free. Why would you worry when you live in Paradise?! Pura Vida is both a greeting and a goodbye and is their approach to life.
Costa Rica is ranked as one of the happiest countries on the planet and has one of the highest life expectancies. This is one of the reasons why I love Costa Rica so much, not only for its beautiful landscapes but most importantly the warmth of the people which you can experience in one of the friendliest countries in the world.
Click here – How to Quickly Develop a Bond With Your Dog
Our Costa Rica Specialist Elaine with the friendly team at The Four Seasons in Costa Rica
- Adventure
Costa Rica will take your breath away with adventure, from zip-lining through the cloud forest, hiking to waterfalls, to seeing the most colourful wildlife on the planet. It is truly a dream vacation for outdoor adventurers. You can learn how to surf the best waves in Tamarindo or anywhere along the West Coast. Soak in natural hot springs near Arenal’s active volcano and visit Manuel Antonio’s National Park with all its wildlife, jungle viewpoints and nearby beaches.
The list is endless for adventure in the land of Pura Vida! When booking with Exceptional Villas, you will have your concierge who can plan your entire vacation from start to finish or will be there to guide you in the right direction, if you prefer to go with the flow.
Frequent views from our villas in Costa Rica
- Beach’s
The pacific coast of Costa Rica has the most incredible beach’s hugging the coastline. These beach’s offer turquoise waters with white powdery sand that look like they are right out of a magazine. Beaches here provide the perfect place to soak up the sun or set out on an ocean adventure. You see the beauty of Costa Rica’s diverse landscapes in this unique setting when jungle and beach collide. It is incredible.
Colourful wildlife or lush green islands on the horizon as you sit back and relax on some of the gorgeous beaches in Costa Rica. Check out our villas located in Tamarindo.
One of the many stunning beaches in Manuel Antonio
- Wildlife
Costa Rica is bustling with wildlife and nature. What a destination to spot wildlife and you don’t have to go far, relaxing outside one of our villas like Jungle Villa you will encounter all sorts. There are more than 500,000 species of plant and animal existing in Costa Rica. An incredible 25% of Costa Rica is protected, and within that area, you can find 25 National Parks. Costa Rica is the land where 5% of the world’s biodiversity call home.
My favourite animal to spot when visiting Costa Rica is the Sloth; we were lucky enough when staying at Tule Villa in Manuel Antonio to see one right outside our villa. They are so cool with their slow and lazy pace of life.
We also spotted Scarlet Macaws when we were inspecting some villas in Manuel Antonio. It was so lovely to see them with their rainbow styled bright feathers. They were once almost extinct in Costa Rica, but conservation efforts have paid off. The list goes on really with many species of monkeys, crocodiles that we spotted on the famous Tarcoles River Bridge, frogs and many more.
View from Casa de Luna on The Papagayo Peninsula
Click Here – Why The Best Dog Nail Grinder Is Vitally Important!
- The Food
Costa Rica is not a destination that is famous for its cuisine, but it has some traditional dishes that I love. The main one is Gallo Pinto which is the most common breakfast in Costa Rica. Its plain rice, beans, onions, pepper, cilantro, sweet plantains and topped with a fried egg and cheese. You will not be hungry for hours as its breakfast that is fit for a king!
A nice treat for a hot day on the beach is Ceviche, there are always several types to choose from, and they are all delicious. It is no surprise that the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica is part of the five blue zones on our planet where a large number of people are living to be at least 100. This mainly comes down to their diet consisting of black beans, bananas, plantains, papaya, squash, yams, and homemade corn tortillas.
Costa Ricans eat black beans every single day which are high in antioxidants, little that they eat have preservatives and are mostly locally grown and freshly prepared.
Are you looking for something equally beautiful? You could also try the beautiful island of Barbados in the Caribbean.
