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From the Top Of The Mountains...
Costa Rica General Information |
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 Each year, Costa Rica welcome thousands of visitors to share the peaceful beauty and natural treasure of their country. In Costa Rica, tropical nature has reached its greatest expression. Located in the tropical latitudes, between the giant biological influences of the North and South America and bordered by two ocean, mountainous Costa Rica enjoys an immense diversity of climates and environmental regions. Twelve major life zones harbor an astounding amount of plant and animal life.
While Costa Rica covers a mere 0.03% of the planet's surface, the nation is endowed with over 5% of all life forms on earth. Costa Ricans have preserved this invaluable biodiversity in protected areas covering fully one-quarter of the land and organized into major units called Conservations Areas. No other country in the world has so much actively protected area per capita. Costa Rica is often citied as a model for conservation in harmony with community development and economic growth. National parks and reserves are open to the public at government established fees. Private reserves set their own entrance rates. An impressive 22,647 miles of roads plus well-developed nature trail systems give easy access to every habitat and all but the most remote areas. You can drive to the very edge of a volcanic crater, though the heart of a mountain jungle, take an aerial tram ride in the tropical rainforest canopy and soak up sun on a deserted beach, all on the same day in all but the most remote areas.
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 Costa Rica's mine active volcanoes vividly remind visitors of the awesome power contained in the earth's thin mantle. At Irazu Volcano, it is easy to see why Neil Armstrong said that is desolate landscape looks like the surface of the moon. Anyone peering into Poas mammoth crater with its boiling, sulfurous lake, is reminded just how tenuous is man's supposed dominion over the world. Arenal, the most active and no doubt the most studied of all of Costa Rica volcanoes, booms and rumbles with an unnerving consistency and its nocturnal pyrotechnics have struck awe in the hearts of thousands of observers. On the lower slopes of Ricon de la Vieja, power is vented in boiling mud pots, hissing fumaroles and thermal streams. The non-volcanic Talamancas are ruggedly beautiful and contain tow of the nation's tallest peaks. The Inter-American highway, crossing the 11,453 feet, Cerro de la Muerte, reaches over 9843 feet, passing though highland forest of Costa Rica Oak and the only road-accessible "paramo" vegetation in the country. To see evidence of the glacier that topped 12,533ft. Chirripo, during the last ice age, requires a 9 hours hike and cold-weather camping. But it's definitely worth the effort. |
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The cloud forest on the upper slopes of Costa Rica's mountains and volcanoes are frequently draped in mist of clouds. Algae, mosses and lichens get a foothold on the constantly wet surfaces, providing a place for orchids, bromeliads, ferns and innumerable other plants to cling to. So prolific is this "epiphytic" growth in the cloud forest that conditions such as prevailing winds and supersaturated soils cause the forest to be stunted - like the elfin forest at Monteverde's continental divide or the gnarly, dwarf woods at the summit of Poas Volcano. The cloud forest captures the imagination of even the most cynical among us. It emanates sense of ancient and enduring life. Sitting quietly overhead, its long feathery tail swaying gently in the breeze, is a scarlet and emerald bird that seems to embody the spirit of the cloud forest. Resplendent Quetzal is considered by many to be the most beautiful bird in the world. |
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 In the foothills and lowlands of both slopes, Costa Rica's rainforests harbor thousands of know life forms and thousands more yet to be described. They are among the last strongholds of biodiversity on earth. Resonating with the song of birds, at dawn, the rainforest is quiet in the heat of the day, its stillness punctuated by the insect-like call of poison dart frogs, rasping of cicadas or the whistled notes of wrens and antbirds. The dark, cool interior of the primary rainforest is surprisingly free of entangling vegetation. Only where light manages to filter though the interlocking canopy to the forest floor dos vegetation proliferate. Walking in the rainforest is like taking a step back in time. The modern world and all its stress fade into insignificance. |
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For the most fulfilling experience in the forest, it is important to growth an experienced naturalist guide. These woods do no give up their secrets easily. Indeed, the uninitiated can be overwhelmed by such all-pervasive greenness. A naturalist guide will explain the complex inter-relationships of species in the forest, help you identify the birds, spot well-camouflaged  creatures and, with luck, maybe even point out tracks of those ever elusive tapirs of jungle cats. Of Costa Rica's 840 birds species, visitors usually spot the big or colorful birds such as hawks, ducks, toucans and tanagers,, plus the noisy parrots and macaws. Monkeys, coatimundis, peccaries, agoutis, armadillos, sloths, deer, squirrels and bats are the most commonly seen mammals. Also frequently found are iguanas, crocodiles and various species of lizards. During the sea turtle nesting season, lucky visitors can witness one of natures' ageless miracles, as these prehistoric looking creatures return to the same beach room which they were hatched to laboriously dig their nests and lay the eggs from which the nest generation of turtles will emerge. Bizarre and colorful insects, vast numbers of flowering trees, shrubs and plants in every color of the rainbow are all [art of an infinitely rewarding experience with tropical nature. |
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 Those who venture beneath the seas, will find Costa Rica's oceans teeming with fish and countless other creatures of the deep. It is said that life in the sea rivals the biodiversity of the rainforest. No matter whether you are exploring the sea, the cloudforests, rainforests, mangroves or any other of Costa Rica's many ecosystems, the most important things to take with you are curiosity, patience and realistic expectations. The natural world is not a zoo with defined times for animal viewing. Every sighting from the industrious parasol ants to frolicking dolphins, to drowsy howler monkeys, is a very special gift. Savor each one. And it your taste is more action, Costa Rica offers plenty of exciting alternatives. |
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