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Costa Rica has the world’s largest variety of natural biodiversity. Actually, you will find twelve different habitats or natural ecosystems in Costa Rica such as following: Highland cloud forests and lowland tropical forests Both fast and slow flowing rivers Marshes, wetlands and lakes Forest Swamps Mangrove forests Lagoons The Caribbean and Pacific Coastal habitats Rainforests and jungle Volcanoes, caves and thermal springs Coral reefs and even shipwrecks Fields and pastures Natural and organic coffee fields In short, Costa Rica is really an ecologist’s paradise. Any scientist or hobbyists may come to Costa Rica and experience both flora and fauna that are uniquely diverse, yet co-located all inside of a single country. Costa Rica Rainforest Probably one of the more popular destination for eco-tourism or ecology is by visiting one of Costa Rica’s natural parks which features rainforests. In Costa Rica’s famous national parks you can experience preserved natural biodiveristy. The most significant and most popular rainforests can be found in these national parks: Cahuita, Central Caribbean Cahuita is the second closest park to San Jose and also the major international airport. It is just south Limon, which is the major port around the Caribbean coast. This park contains a large rainforest, with wetlands, an organic and natural beach and 1,400 acres of coral reef. When hiking the natural trails of Cahuita, you might encounter numerous instances of wildlife including monkeys, sloths, tropical birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects. You must also decide to to some snorkeling where you will find countless species of tropical fish, mollusks and even sea turtles in their natural habitat. Outside the park, you can even visit the village Cahuita, which has about 4,000 inhabitants. There is some shopping and you may also try the native afro-Caribbean cuisine of Costa Rica. Manuel Antonio, Central Pacific Manuel Antonio is definitely the smallest of the big national parks in Costa Rica, yet most favored, because of proximity to San Jose and the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO). It can also be very accessible, and located adjacent to the vibey village of Manuel Antonio, which offers shopping, hotels and restaurants, nightlife, and just about almost every other convenience an eco-tourist might require. The official entrance to the park can be a bit confusing to a new visitor. You should ask for the souvenir shops. There is a long row of them right in front of the beach, past the public parking lot. Walk all the way through the shops, until you find a walking bridge. Cross the bridge and walk about 100 meters more and a street that leads to the park entrance. Corcovado, South Pacific Corcovado National Park is located about seven hours of San Jose, near the Panama border. It has a distinctly different feel than Cahuita and Tortuguero, because it is found on the Pacific Coast. Due to the heavier surf, you will not have opportunities for snorkeling or scuba, however, you may be able to sport dolphins or whales! The rainforest itself has winding natural trails, that are great for hiking and animal watching. Similar to other natural parks you'll probably see monkeys, sloths, birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects, that are native to this section of Costa Rica. If you're extremely lucky, you could also be capable of spot a Jaguar or a Danta. Getting to Corcovado is a long trip and the fastest way is to take the Panamerican Highway 2 towards Golfito. You can stop in Golfito along with our passport receive a permit to purchase electronics, which are duty-free. This can be quite handy you need to buy a camera or binoculars in a pinch. Tortuguero is Costa Rica’s largest national park as well as the largest natural rainforest. It's found on Caribbean coast, north of Limon. In order to get to Tortuguero, you'll need to drive a car, taxi or bus to a town called Cariari. From there, you will have to take a boat taxi to go in the park. Tortuguero, as the name implies, is most famous for being home to between 15 to 20,000 sea turtles. You will want to prepare for both a marine and rainforest adventure, since there is also a beach which leads to miles of naturals trails through the rainforest. You will discover the sloths, monkeys, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects which are native to the tropical Caribbean habitat. Rainforest Exploration Tips When exploring one of Costa Rica’s rainforests, you must dress yourself for sea-level tropical climate. You should wear very light, but water-resistant clothing. Although shoes work great on the beach, when going through the rainforest, you'll need something much more supportive. I recommend wearing water resistant or waterproof hiking boots, with a lot of support, because you can plan to be hiking over some different kinds of trails. In some cases, the trails are well maintained natural rocky paths. In other cases, you might find yourself walking through mud, sand or swampy soil. This all depends on how far you want to go off the beaten path. If you are more adventuresome, I suggest dressing for the some pretty rugged and wet hiking. Pack a good pair of light-weight, broken-in hiking boots which have some degree of water resistance, and you will be all set. For the best guide to rainforest in Costa Rica, visit: http://tipscostarica.com/costa-rica-rainforest
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