Gallery forests are the ecological environment travelers encounter most frequently in Costa Rica. These are basically any forest you can look at straight on like pictures hanging in a gallery. Edge or gallery forest occurs where there's a gap in the canopy and the ground and sides of the … [Read more...]
Natural Areas & Wildlife
Costa Rica is a natural destination and this category is where you'll find our experiences and recommendations for the National Parks, Forests, Wetlands, Wildlife Refuges and Rescues that make it an ecological wonderland.
Get a Guide
No matter how tight your budget or how much you enjoy your independence one of the best pieces of advice we can give you is "at some point get a guide." We've seen amazing things on our own and had some incredible experiences just hanging out with the locals but trained professional naturalists, … [Read more...]
Islands
Most of the protected islands in Costa Rica have landing prohibition policies in effect. Visitors are welcome to cruise offshore photographing birds and other wildlife and boat dives are allowed at most, but the islands themselves are off limits. These strict regulations are enforced because the … [Read more...]
Mangroves
The mangrove ecosystem is one of the most important to the world's economies and one of the most endangered. By definition mangroves grow in swamps which are areas that are fully or intermittently submerged but support populations of trees and other woody plants. Different species of … [Read more...]
Páramo
Rainy Páramo - also known as Andean Páramo is sort of the tropical equivalent of tundra and occurs at very high elevations above tree line. The plant life is dominated by shrubs and small herbs on slopes and bogs in low lying areas where water accumulates. Originally the páramo ecosystem was … [Read more...]
Rain Forest
Tropical rain forests are what most people envision when they hear the word jungle and the ecological region that most people want to visit when they plan travel to Costa Rica. Over half of the National Parks in Costa Rica protect some tropical rain forest. Rain forests in the western … [Read more...]
Volcanoes
Individual Volcanic National Parks are described here and via the links below. The geological activity that led to the formation of Costa Rica's volcanoes continues today generating lava eruptions at Turrialba in 2015-2017 and the boiling mud pots, geysers and hot springs at Arenal, Irazú, … [Read more...]
Wetlands
In Costa Rica if it's Flat it's Probably Wet There are two main types of wetlands. Marshes of grassy herbaceous plants and swamps with woody trees and shrubs. Most of Costa Rica's swamps are comprised of mangroves which are described in detail at that link. Grassy marshes cover much of … [Read more...]
Rescues & Zoos
Some of Costa Rica’s jungle residents are easier to spot in the wild than others, but a visit to one of the many cat, bird or other animal rescues guarantees sightings. You’ll also have a chance to learn about rainforest wildlife from the founders, guides, volunteers and scientists whose … [Read more...]
Ostional Mass Arrival of a Different Sort
Under the waning moon in rainy season Olive Ridley sea turtles arrive by the thousands to nest on normally isolated and deserted Costa Rican beaches in what's know as an arribada. Unfortunately in September of 2015 there was a mass arrival of a different sort - hundreds of visitors from San José … [Read more...]