A short guide about Overland Expeditions to Costa Rica
The perfect vacation paradise; Costa Rica, is a family destination with activities galore to keep everyone entertained. From secluded white sandy beaches with great surf and amazing scuba diving, to active volcanoes and towering rain forests. This is a country rich in flora and fauna, making eco-tourism the specialty of the house and its warm friendly people make travel fun and safe. Sixty-five percent of Costa Rica's borders are made up of coastline with some of the world's most idyllic beaches including the tranquil pacific beach of Playa Samara. The longest distance inland from the beach is 75 miles, which makes the country, feel like a large tropical island.
The bustling capital city San Jose is conveniently located in the Central Valley region and as all the bus lines stop here, it is the best place to start exploring. Being tropical, the evenings in the city can be quite cool due to the high altitude. San Jose is not the most beautiful city in the world, but is generally safe and has a lot to offer tourists. But most travelers often miss these sites by heading straight from the airport to the beaches or rainforests. The port of Limon is on the Caribbean coast side of the country and has quite a different atmosphere from the capital. Life is more laid back with reggae music and here is a good place to explore some of the beaches on the Caribbean.
Some of the principal mountain ranges are volcanic, and in the province of Cartago is the Iraza volcano which last erupted in the early sixties. The Poa¡s volcano is located in the province of Alajuela and has one of the largest active craters in the world. The Arenal volcano is the youngest in the north western region and treats thousands of visitors each year to a constant stream of red, hot lava rocks tumbling down its slopes. Being constantly active; it has a natural spa with hot springs. The perfect place for horseback riding is along Lake Arenal to Monteverde, and in the midst of the cloud forest you can swing through the treetops on a canopy zipline. Beautiful forests grow in the crater of the dormant volcano Barva in Heredia and on a clear day both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans can be seen from atop Mt Chirripo, the country's highest peak and although it is not volcanic, it measures 12,412 feet.
With so many amazing places to explore, such as the Tortuguero National Park, the Turtle Walk and the native Animal Rescue Centre in gorgeous Costa Rica, tourabout will have you swinging through canopy treetops in no time.