Costa Rica is unique among Central American nations in that most of the population is of mainly Spanish descent, rather than mestizo or indigenous (though Costa Rica does have several small indigenous groups within their territory). The country is known for several reasons: a significant group of American retirees, Spanish language schools for foreigners, and its extensive national park system, including its rainforests. It consists of three geographical regions: the mountainous central region, the Pacific coast, and the Caribbean coast. It is nicknamed the "Switzerland of Central America" as its size is comparable to Switzerland, as is its mountainous terrain.
Costa Rica is one destination that I haven't seen myself, but my wife was there in 2005 on a field trip with her sixth-grade Spanish class. They covered quite a bit of ground on their eight-day stay: from San José, the capital, the group went to the Poas volcano, then to the cloud forest of Monteverde (both in the central region), and finally to the park of Manuel Antonio on the Pacific coast.
One region they didn't see was the Caribbean rainforest, which is a draw for many foreign tourists. The Caribbean coast is where Latin American and Caribbean cultures meet, where much of the population is of African descent and calypsos are sung in both English and Spanish. The main town in the region is called Puerto Limón or simply Limón.
Copyright 2012 by Michael Esposito. All rights reserved. Todos los derechos reservados. E-mail: meesposito@gmail.com This site updated October 9, 2011/Este sitio fue ampliado el 28 de abril de 2012 Santa Fe Travel: a division of L & M Travel - Michael Esposito: IC Travel Specialist of L & M Travel - CST# 2043262-40 L & M Travel IC Agent
