Costa Rica is truly the heartland paradise of Central America with its gorgeous rain forests, scenic rivers, and abundant wildlife. The beautiful Arenal Volcano attracts lots of sight seers each year, although it is now more dormant that it has been in years past. There is much more to Arenal than the volcano, of course. You can see waterfalls in the rain forest, go river rafting, and enjoy rappelling from dizzying tree top heights.
Some tourists visit Costa Rica just to relax, while others go looking for white knuckle adventure. Relaxing boat tours and shorter hikes are available for those who want to take it easy and just enjoy the sights. On the other hand, off the Pacific Coast you can find coral reefs for some great scuba diving if you are more of an adventurer. There are rich opportunities for spelunking and mountain bike riding in Costa Rica as well.
Many visitors are attracted to Costa Rica for its exotic wildlife. The Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge is great for bird watching during the wet season, which runs from about July to November. Jaguars, capuchin monkeys, and iguanas also live there. You may spot caiman along the marshes, too. Tours regularly run along the outskirts of the refuge, which lies in a very remote area in the northern country near Nicaragua.
Costa Rica is especially attractive to American tourists looking for an exotic vacation spot since it is closer than Africa, Asia, and Australia. It is also politically more stable than certain remote regions in Africa and Asia, which is important to some tourists traveling with families.