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Fodor's Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a beautiful country with so much to see and experience!
It is located in Central America with Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. It's a peaceful country without a standing army.
There is great surfing on both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. In the Monteverde rain forest you are on top of the continental divide and can see both coasts! Eco-tourism is very big with trips to the rain forest to see the flora and fauna which is abundant and melodic! Some of the best coffee in the world is grown on the sides of the mountains in Costa Rica.
The best time of year to visit is December - March when the rainy season is over (there are basically two seasons in Costa Rica, rainy and dry!) There are many volcanoes scattered throughout the country five of which are considered active. Many people go to the area of the Arenal volcano to soak in the thermal hot springs connected to the volcano. They are said to have therapeutic properties and ease all kinds of aches and pains. Since the topography is so varied you can be way up in the mountains in a cloud forest and a couple hours later be lounging on the beach with a pina colada! It can be cool at the higher elevations and very hot and muggy on the coasts.
The capital is San Jose which is a big, noisy city that most people only see from the airport. There isn't that much to see in the capital so most people head right out to other destinations upon arrival. There is great fishing as well as bird watching and nature trails throughout the country. Hummingbirds are everywhere and if you're lucky you might catch a peak at a toucan or the rare quetzal. Birds you would never think to see anywhere but in a zoo are flying free in Costa Rica.