Biodiversity
 Located in the tropical latitudes between North and South America and bordered by two oceans, Costa Rica has an amazing amount of plant and animal life. While Costa Rica covers only 0.03% of the earth, it harbors over 5% of all life forms on the planet. The people of this tiny nation have protected these treasures by designating one-quarter of the land as conservation areas and national parks. No other country in the world has so much actively protected area per capita. National parks and reserves are open to the public at government established fees. A well-developed road and nature trail system makes these areas easy to access. You can visit a volcano, a rainforest, and a desert beach all in the same day in Costa Rica.
Volcanoes and Mountains
 Costa Rica has nine active volcanoes. Costa Rica's most famous volcano, Arenal, booms and rumbles with unnerving consistency. Neil Armstrong once said that Irazu volcano has a surface that looks like the moon. Anyone interested in studying the sulfurous, steaming volcano lakes can visit Poas, the Costa Rican volcano with the largest crater. Down below in Rincon de la Vieja, the earth growls in boiling mud pots and thermal streams. One of the beautiful mountain ranges, the Talamancas, contain two of the nation's tallest non-volcanic peaks. The Inter-American highway crosses over 9,843 feet (3,000 meters) and passes through beautiful highland Costa Rica. Visitors who like cold weather camping can take a nine hour hike to the top of Costa Rica's highest mountain, Chirripo, which sits at an elevation of 12,533 feet (3,820 meters).
Cloud and Rainforests
 The forests on the upper slopes of Costa Rica's mountains are often covered in mist and clouds. These cloud forests are home to everything wet; algae, mosses, lichens, orchids, bromeliads, and ferns nestle in closely with the rest of the forest. In the foothills and lowlands visitors will experience the rainforests. Home to thousands of known and unkown species, these forests have thick canopies of foliage. You can see and hear a great variety of birds, monkeys, tree frogs, insects, and more. Occasionally the light manages to make its way through the rainforest canopy and creates spotlights in the normally dark atmosphere.
Beaches and Sea
 Take your pick. Costa Rica has two oceans: the Pacific and the Atlantic. The Pacific has a drier and warmer climate but the Atlantic has warmer waters. The Pacific has calmer waters but the Atlantic has a fun, laid back beach culture. Don't worry. They both have white and black sand beaches and they are both covered in palm trees. Costa Rica's oceans are full of exotic fish and sea life. Visitors often go diving or snorkeling to see their vibrant colors up close.
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