| Most of us have heard that Costa Rica is truly a | | | | many hotels, lodges, etc. for visitors as well as |
| Central American jewel and the country is | | | | great trails and even sulphur pools and hot springs. |
| famous for its eco tourism, amazing scenery and | | | | It's a very popular destination. |
| friendly people. What many people do not know is | | | | Tortuguero: |
| that Costa Rica national parks claim over 12% of | | | | The word Tortuga means turtle and of course |
| national territory. Adding to that are biological and | | | | you can see many examples in this park which is |
| forest reserves, wetlands, mangroves, protected | | | | in the Limon Province which borders the |
| zones and wildlife refuges. Costa Rica takes its | | | | Caribbean. This is a popular national park which has |
| ecology very seriously. | | | | rainforests, swamps as well as coastal and marine |
| Many North Americans visit this lovely country | | | | areas. There are also many varieties of turtle, |
| and some even live there permanently. It's an | | | | including the largest sea turtle that nests here |
| ideal place for a vacation. However, a vacation | | | | from February to July. |
| would not be complete here before seeing at | | | | Cahuita: |
| least one national park. For your information, here | | | | This is also located in Limon Province and it |
| is a review of just some of the national parks | | | | encompasses both land and sea. Here you can |
| that you can visit. | | | | enjoy great snorkeling and scuba diving and it has |
| Manuel Antonio: | | | | a large coral reef. The southern beach is also an |
| Manuel Antonio is a lovely place on the southern | | | | area used by several varieties of sea turtle. |
| Pacific shores of Costa Rica. There are many | | | | Palo Verde: |
| hotels and restaurants as well as great beaches. | | | | This park is located in Guancaste and is a bird |
| The park is large and has a great diversity of | | | | watchers paradise. The park protects forests and |
| wildlife. It's best to hire a guide (very reasonable) | | | | marshland between two rivers. It is not far from |
| as otherwise you can walk for hours and not see | | | | the capital of San Jose. |
| all the amazing animals, as many are camouflaged. | | | | From the above descriptions, you can see that, |
| The park also has a couple of great beaches and | | | | just like the country itself, the Costa Rica national |
| for that alone, it's worth going! | | | | parks are very diverse and there is more than |
| Arenal Volcano: | | | | enough variety for everyone, whether you are |
| Arenal is in Central Costa Rica surrounded by | | | | interested in bird watching, scuba diving, looking at |
| lakes, mountains and cloudforests. The volcano is | | | | sloths or just enjoying the walks. |
| a wonderful sight and the town of Arenal has | | | | |