TOURIsmHome > Tourism

Costa Rica is one of the most highly valued tourist destinations in this planet. In just 51.000 square kilometres, the visitor can enjoy lovely tropical beaches, the grandest adventures, the wonders of nature, scintillating culture, all the necessary components of an ideal vacation. No wonder, then, that thousands of tourists have made Costa Rica their top travel choice.

 

What to do in Costa Rica?

Sun and beaches tourism

Costa Rica occupies a privileged spot in the heart of Central America. In this small area of firm land, there are 762 miles of coastlines, distributed on the Pacific and the Caribbean. While its territory of 19,652 square miles touches both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the country is surprisingly accessible - one can travel from coast to coast in just three hours by car (or 45 minutes by plane).

Costa Rican beaches allow you to sun-tan while having the additional bonus of being part of a complex pro-nature system known as the Ecological Blue Flag, award given to 56 of our beaches, distributed throughout the territory. This program is implemented thanks to Costa Rica´s commitment with sustainability and environmental protection. This guarantees tourists that beaches they visit have enough safety and cleanliness to spend well their vacations.

Costa Rica's beaches are surrounded by forests, and have great natural diversity. In many of them there are beautiful coral reefs, where you may dive and explore. In addition, depending on the place visited, you have a series of complementary activities, such as: hikes to mangroves, diving, surfing, sport fishing, hiking on trails or horseback rides.

Thanks to the easy access to many beaches, you can make the most out of both coasts. Most of them have warm water throughout the year, so you may come and enjoy the country any season you prefer. If it's diversity you're interested in, each coast offers different shades and textures of sand, white, yellow, gray and black, product of the constant crashing of seashells on coral reefs.

Culture

The richness of Costa Rica stems

from the cultural diversity of its people. Throughout its history, waves of immigrants have added to the pre-Hispanic native populations, settling on this land and making it their home.

Presently, in addition to the majority Mestizo demographic, there are several colonial and national immigrant ethnicities that have restored their unique cultural heritage like African descendants, Chinese, Hebrews, Libanese, Italians, etc., as well as native people of Bribri, Cabécar, Maleku, Teribe, Boruca, Ngöbe, Huetar and Chorotega.

Costa Ricans are proud to have had more than a century of democratic tradition and more than 50 years without a military. This was abolished in 1948, and the money that the country saves from not having armed forces is invested in improving the quality of life of its citizens. This contributes to the social peace that makes Costa Rica a welcoming place to visit.

Adventure

Costa Rica is a land of volcanoes, rain forests, waterfalls, and rivers. Adventure travelers can choose from a variety of activities such as rafting, snorkeling, kayaking, sport fishing, surfing, and lots more. The most challenging activity will be choosing what to do!

Costa Rica is a destination with an abundance of thrills and adrenaline for lovers of adventure tourism. The whole year round, and in most parts of the country, whether it is on water, land or earth, you can select among a great variety of activities for all of the family. Usually they take place in natural environments, where you will have unforgettable experiences.

Ecotourism

In 51.100 square kilometres (0,03% of the planet's whole surface)

Costa Rica has 91.000 animal and plant species, equivalent to 4,5% of the species identified so far in the whole world, and thus it is considered one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world. In 1970 the country took the decision to create the National Park’s System, that currently covers 25,58% of the territory, under different conservation regimes. Due to this natural richness and environmental stewardship. Costa Rica is one of the top destinations in the World for ecotourism.

Costa Rica is divided in 20 natural parks, 8 biological reserves, and a series of protected areas that captivate ecotourism lovers. The variety of activities includes horseback riding, hiking mountainous paths in the cloud forests, and guided bird-watching tours.

Executives

Find in Costa Rica the proper environment for commercial success. A symbiosis of adequate facilities, immersed in the city or surrounded by beaches and natural wonders, will make it easier for you and your work team to carry out your meetings with a surprising performance. You may also consider it as a destination for congresses, seminars, symposiums, and lectures.

Medical tourism

In Costa Rica the traveler can combine pleasure and health, being able to enjoy the beauty offered by the country and to the best medical services in the region. Medical assistance in Costa Rica is attractive to international patients due to low prices, high care standards and access to tourist attractions.

Costa Rica has health indexes similar to those of developed nations. Costa Rica has hospital facilities of the highest quality and covers all medical specializations. The patients are protected under the proper legislation, which makes Costa Rica an attractive country to people looking for high quality treatments.

The country is also one of the World top technology exporters, and the main in Latin America and an important part of this industry is biomedical industry. Therefore, there is an integration of a series of stages in terms of medical industry, from devices production to treatment services, thanks to a highly qualified labour force.

Medical tourism has been growing very fast in the last years, and has become an important branch of tourism in Costa Rica, not only for the quality and quantity of medical tourists traveling to Costa Rica, but also for the importance the Government has given to it. The last administration signed a decree that declared medical tourism as an activity of public and national interest.
Spas, resorts, recovery centers, clinics, and plastic surgery romos are abundant in Costa Rica.   As well, it is easy to find hotels specialized in medicals tourism.

Approximately 200 procedures are realized every month in Costa Rican Hospitals for medical tourists. Among the procedures realized there are: esthetical surgery, orthopedic operations, hip replacement, cataract removal and other eye treatments, and dental care.  

We invite you to visit Costa Rica and to visit the website of the Costa Rican Tourism Board: www.visitcostarica.com
In the Embassy of Costa Rica in Ottawa you can obtain touristic information such as maps, brochures, and multimedia on tourism in Costa Rica. We will be pleased in provide you this touristic information.