Costa Rica, or officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country situated in Central America. Translated from Spanish the name means Rich Coast and it covers a large 51,000 square kilometers of land area. There are 4.7 million people living on Costa Rica and the biggest city which is also the capital city, San Jose, houses 1.7 million of the population. Costa Rica has traditionally relied of the export of bananas, pineapples and coffee to drive the economy but recently the increase in tourism and pharmaceuticals are also adding to the economics of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica has a strong tropical climate based on its position so close to the equator. Throughout the entire year the average high temperature stays above 25 degrees Celsius but the seasons are more closely defined by precipitation because the wet months, May to November experience a huge amount of rainfall compared to the dry months. September is the wettest month of year experiencing on average 355 mm of rainfall and only 20 percent sunshine. January conversely experiences just 6 mm rainfall.
Much of what keeps tourists coming to Costa Rica is the natural beauty and surrounding landscapes and National parks. The most popular of these is the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, just outside the village of Monteverde ? a village that has shied away from the modernization sweeping through Costa Rica and the inhabitants still live a very rural life. The actual reserve itself is absolutely breath-taking, with the tree canopy surrounded in clouds and, unlike a rainforest, it receives much less rain making it a very desirable place to visit not only just for the walks and sights, but for the sheer peace and tranquillity it offers too.
To see a bit of the man made history of Costa Rica, a trip to LA Fortuna de San Carlos should be on the cards and its proximity to the Cloud Forest Reserve means you can see them both easily. La Fortuna is quickly becoming a luxury destination of choice with a range of resort spas that surround the volcano, which on a clear evening can be seen erupting and small bright red rocks rolling down the sides.
If you?re travelling to Costa Rica, you?ll want a car to get around in. Car hire in Costa Rica is very accessible and made even more so by using Tripindicator.com where you?ll get quick, instant quotations that you can compare and select for booking upon your arrival in Costa Rica.