Nature's Kaleidescope: Pura Vida in Costa Rica's Wonderful Natural Parks
Dec 04 '01 (Updated Sep 22 '09)
The Bottom Line Costa Rica's rich abundance of eco-systems and protected wildlife refuges and parks make it a natural destination for any nature lover!
"Pura vida" is an expression that you hear everywhere in Costa Rica. Literally, it means "pure life" but the Ticos use it as an everyday expression that describes everything stupendous, magnificent, and generally worthwhile. It strikes me as a wonderful sentiment, and one worthy of such a magnificent country -- one where over a quarter of all the land area is inside protected natural parks.
Costa Rica is not a particularly huge country, yet what it lacks in area it makes up for in sheer grandeur and variety. It has wild whitewater rivers that run through jungles and rainforests; it has active volcanoes perpetually spewing lava, smoke, and ash; it has more than 1,000 kilometers of seashore -- most of it mercifully undeveloped.
I've seen a lot of beautiful places in this world of ours, but few that seriously match Costa Rica's natural bounty. The truth was summed up best by a young Columbian man I met in the Monteverde rain forest who said, "this is a country that God kisses." It is indeed...
Costa Rica is also a country that can only be appreciated by getting outdoors and exploring the countryside. There are a lot of countries that you can appreciate just fine in cool air-conditioned comfort as your bus rockets down multi-lane highways. Costa Rica is not one of those countries. Only by getting outdoors and doing some hiking, some whitewater rafting, some horseback riding, some surfing, some mountain climbing -- maybe even a little tan maintenance on the beach -- can you really appreciate why almost everyone who visits Costa Rica comes home raving about its natural beauty.
In my opinion, these are Costa Rica's best places -- the places that you simply must see if you want to experience for yourself genuine pura vida!
Fire and Brimstone: Volcanoes
Few natural phenomena pack quite the dramatic power-punch of a volcano erupting. While we've all seen pictures of billowing smoke and ruby-red flows of steaming hot lava, being up close to a live volcano is something of a humbling experience. There are seven currently active volcanoes in Costa Rica, some just quietly belching sulfuric fumes into the air, but others with predictable and nearly constant lava flow. Just how brave do you really feel??
All of the active volcanoes are in the mountain range that runs through central Costa Rica, from the Nicaraguan border in Guanacaste province, running southeast just on the north side of San Jose. The three most popular volcanoes are:
* Poas - probably the easiest volcano to visit since it's only about 60-90 minutes by car or bus from San Jose. The crater is said to be either the largest or the second largest in the world (depending on who you ask) and it has an odd greenish yellow lake which derives its color from sulfuric fumes. Last big eruption: 1978
* Irazu - also very close to San Jose (on the northeast side) and popular with day-trippers, there are several craters here and you can easily walk to the peak. Allegedly, you can see both oceans from the peak, but it was cloudy the day I visited and you could barely see the craters. Last big eruption: 1964 (when it dropped 5 inches of ash on San Jose)
* Arenal - if you can visit just one volcano, it should be Arenal. Arenal is extremely active with almost hourly eruptions and steady hot lava flows. Many people arrange lodging near Arenal (about 3 hours from San Jose) so that they can see the dramatic glowing red and yellow flows at night. Tourists have been killed trying to climb the volcano, so heed any warnings that the locals give you! Last big eruption: 1968
The other four active volcanoes are Rincon de la Vieja, Tenario, Turrialba, and Barua. According to a display in the visitors center at Poas Volcano, the entire mountain range is volcanically active and an eruption could potentially happen anywhere. (Before Arenal blew its top, people thought it was just another pretty mountain.)
God's Green Earth: Rain Forests, Cloud Forests, and Jungles...
I knew what jungles were -- hot, humid, sticky places full of bugs, snakes, crocodiles and big green plants everywhere. Rain forests and cloud forests were a bit trickier -- I wasn't quite sure I handle on them. Sure I've heard of these places from watching nature shows in TV, but if you asked me to define what they were -- or heaven help me -- to tell the difference between a cloud forest and rain forest, I'd be lost like a babe in the woods...
Fortunately, a trip to Costa Rica set it all straight for me since there are plenty of all three types of eco-system.
Cloud forests lie only in the mountains and they draw their water supply primarily from fogs and mists that lie over the hills. Cloud forests can exist in areas that would technically be considered deserts due to their lack of rainfall, but that aren't because of the near-constant cloud cover that many plant species are able to use to extract their water needs.
The rain forest is a dense, old growth forest of towering trees and lush vegetation. The rain forest has a steady, stable, year-round temperature and very frequent rain with an average annual rainfall over 70 inches. Whereas cloud forests lie only in the mountains, a rain forest can exist just fine in the lowlands, thank you very much.
Costa Rica has plenty of examples of all three ecosystems. If you want to see them for yourself, I recommend three top parks:
* Tortuguera National Park in the far northeast corner of the country as the best example of a jungle (it's also got miles of undeveloped Caribbean beachfront and some navigable rivers)
* Manuel Antonio National Park south of San Jose for an example of a lowland rain forest (it also has one of the best Pacific beaches in Costa Rica)
* Monteverde National Park northwest of San Jose for an example of a cloud forest.
There are lots of ways to see the forests and jungles. There are boat trips along the Sarapiqui River through the Tortuguera National Park and there are lots of hiking, horseback riding, and other tours in the rainforest (more on that in an upcoming review).
A River Ran Through It...
If you've got rain forests and mountains, you've probably got rivers, and Costa Rica has just that. Some of the rivers start fairly small but drop quickly with dramatic waterfalls deep in the highland forests. Whitewater enthusiasts will want to head towards the many rivers that drop from the Central mountain range to the east and northeast of San Jose eventually emptying into the Caribbean Sea.
Several outfitters run rafting and kayaking trips on these rivers and even the most sedate tourist can enjoy an easy run down a Class II river. For those seeking a bit more of an adrenalin rush, there are also trips down Class IV and V rivers. Some outfitters take 2- or 3-day rafting trips, while most offer at least one 1-day trip.
The most popular river for whitewater enthusiasts is the Revantazon, which has easy stretches, but also has stretches of Class IV and V water. Other trips may run down the Pacuare or parts of the Sarapaqui. The easiest way to arrange these trips is to ask at the travel desk of any major hotel in Costa Rica -- they can all set you up for a day-trip that includes bus transportation to the river, meals, and a guided trip through an outfitter. It costs about $75 for a 1-day rafting trip leaving from San Jose early in the morning and returning the same evening.
Coastal Rica: Sandy Beaches or Rocky Bluffs?
Can you name one big beach resort in Costa Rica? Didn't think so...
Costa Rica has hundreds of miles of seashore along the Pacific Ocean and along the Caribbean Sea -- and while many of the beaches are stunningly beautiful, none are household words in the way that Cancun, Aruba, or Rio might be.
That's a good thing!
Many of the beaches are undeveloped and some are inside protected natural areas. There are lots of beaches where you'll find hotels and restaurants -- just not many with huge sprawling mega-resorts with golf courses and swim-up bars.
If lying on the beach is your bag, then head to the northwest corner of Costa Rica. The best beach resorts for just lounging and relaxing lie along the shores of Guanacaste province from the Nicaraguan border south about 100 miles or so. Much of this region is somewhat difficult to reach, with limited bus service (mostly via Liberia), however, Sansa does fly small single-engine prop planes into several beach areas from San Jose. There are more than 100 beaches here, but the most popular beach in Guanacaste seems to be Playa Tamarindo. Along the central Pacific coast, the most popular beach is probably Jaco (where surfers go) or the beaches of Manuel Antonio near Quepos.
On the Caribbean side, there are beaches around Barra Colorado in the Tortuguera National Park, though most of the people going there are into nature and want to see the turtle nesting grounds. Limon on the central coast is a dump, but there are some nice beaches on the south Caribbean shore near Cahuite or Puerto Viejo.
If I could only do one beach in Costa Rica, it would probably be Tamarindo.
Dream Itinerary
I really think the best way to experience Costa Rica is to pick one place and stay there for a week, or at least a few days, really soaking up the local atmosphere. But if you really do want to try to see everything in one mad dash, here are the high points that I recommend not missing:
- Jungles of northeast: visit Tortuguero National Park or Barra del Colorado
- Whitewater: raft down the Revantazon
- Volcano: visit Arenal late afternoon/early evening
- Beaches of northwest: visit Santa Rosa National Park and/or Tamarindo
- Central beaches: Visit Manual Antonio National Park
- Cloud Forest/Rain Forest: Visit Monteverde Cloud Forest
Costa Rica: Naturally Your Best Vacation Ever!
I hope I've given you at least a taste of the wonderfully varied geography of Costa Rica's wonderful natural parks. If you're planning to visit many of these, remember that the rainforests and cloud forests are often cool and wet (so bring a raincoat and hat), the beaches are usually sunny and hot (don't forget the sun block), and the jungles are hot, sticky, and full of nasty bugs (bring the mosquito repellant). Don't leave home without the camera -- you'll want to take lots of pictures!
If you do get a chance to go, drop me an email. I'd love to hear about which places you think are the best natural destinations in Costa Rica! Until then, PURA VIDA!
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