Visit Costa Rica
Costa Rica can shift from cloud forest to Pacific beach in a day, but it rewards resisting that speed. A howler monkey before breakfast, rain moving through enormous leaves and a night walk alive with small creatures make the country's biodiversity feel immediate. Choose a few regions rather than collecting every coast and volcano. Protected areas, community guides and slower transfers create space to understand why conservation has become central to the country's identity and economy. Check current travel, weather and park advice; distances can take longer than the map suggests. Use licensed guides for demanding wildlife or adventure activities, keep well away from animals, prepare for heat and heavy rain, and follow every trail, beach and volcanic closure. Count it complete after a stay that includes at least one protected landscape and time to observe it properly. Add it if nature is the reason for travelling rather than scenery between other plans.