It has never been easier to travel to Costa Rica. Now that British Airways fly direct, twice a week, us Brits can finally get to experience some of the remarkable fauna and flora that this small Central American country is so famous for. But in order to see it all, you may have to plan a few trips – there are just so many aspects to see here, from forests and coastlines, to volcanoes and microclimates.
Keep in mind that some of the attractions are extremely isolated and some wildlife is seasonal so it pays to do a little homework if there are any particular critters you want to tick off that must-see list.
WHAT TO SEE
RESPLENDENT QUETZALÂ
Travel in May through the Monteverde cloud forest area and you may be lucky enough to see the pretty rare quetzal birds that nest here up close.
SLOTHS
Keep an eye out for the amazing two-toed and three-toed sloths. They rarely move so once you’ve spotted one there’s plenty of time to photograph him/her. Chances are, you can return to the same place hours later and continue to watch them ‘at leisure’ as they scratch, stretch and catnap.
SEA TURTLESÂ
Over on the Caribbean lowlands, four types of sea turtles nest on wild beaches between July – Sept at Tortuguero and it is possible to observe this phenomenal ritual discreetly in small groups. The journey to Tortuguero itself is a nature-lover’s delight: access is by boat via navigable waterways, similar to the Amazon!
HOWLER MONKEYS
It seems whatever time of year you go, the howler monkeys will wake you from around 04:30 am so there’s no need for an alarm call if you’re staying close to their habitat!
No two holidays are alike in Costa Rica as it’s extremely easy to plan tailor-made trips so that you get to go where you want at a pace that suits you. And with the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Pacific Coast on the other, you’ll want to allow plenty of time to hit the beach!
