Costa Rica is a quite unusual country. Its small area concentrates so many different natural systems that some far bigger countries can only dream of. Just a few hours of traveling will take you from forever green jungle and volcanic wasteland, to savannah and rain forest, to mountain slopes, long beaches and extensive banana and coffee plantations. There are numerous national parks, caves, a variety of historical sites and monuments, archaeological sites and ancient Indian settlements, as well as waterfalls, picturesque mountain and river valleys as the main attractions of the country.

The capital, San Jose, is a city famous for its pleasant climate. The appearance of the city is a patchwork of different styles ranging from traditional Spanish architecture to the ultra-modernist trends. The heart of San Jose is a beautiful Plaza de la Cultura. Nearby you can find an impressive building of the National Museum in the building of the former barracks, colorful buildings of the Legislative Assembly and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the magnificent Museum of Jade.
Other noteworthy sights of the city include the Cathedral of San Jose, the Museum of Natural History in Sabana Park, the National Theatre, the tower of the Aurora hotel, the National Bank, Simуn Bolivar Zoo, the Children's Museum, the Museum of the History of the Press and the Museum of Criminology.

The second largest city in the country is Alajuela, where you can see an interesting farm for breeding butterflies and Juan Santamaria Museum in a former prison. Alajuela is often called the cleanest city in Latin America and the center of the production of handicrafts made of wood. The nearby Poas Volcano is one of the most visited volcanoes in the country.

The province of Cartago is located southeast of San Jose and is famous for its green valleys, covered with plantations of coffee and sugar cane. Today it is the largest religious center of the country, although its former grandeur has barely survived to the present day. The glorious past of the city is traced due to the cathedral and the famous Basilica of Cartago Nuestra Seсora de Los Бngeles. Every August thousands of pilgrims flock to the Basilica from the capital to pay homage to the patroness of the country. You can also visit the Ethnographic Museum, which houses an extensive exhibition of objects representing the pre-Columbian and colonial periods.

Mirador Sanchiri is the center of the famous valley covered with amazingly green vegetation and dominated by coffee trees. The town is famous for a small museum of antiquities and the history of religion. Nearby, in Uharrase, you can see the ruins of the oldest churches in the country. Turrialba is a world famous center of cultivating tropical crops. Not far from this place there is also an active volcano with the Irazu National Park. Contact your Costa Rica tour operator to organize an excursion in Turrialba.

The northern part of the country is adjacent to the Nicaraguan border and markedly different from the center of the country. The main element of the landscape here are the tropical plains overgrown with high evergreen vegetation. This area is little visited by tourists and is subject to flooding, but this does not diminish its merits. The main attractions of this area are the Venado caves, Cano Negro forest reserve, the waterfalls of La Paz and San Rafael, Sarapiqui region, with its forest tourist camps and research stations in La Selva and Rara Avis, and the zone of archaeological excavations in Kutris.

The eastern part of the country is a zone of meandering channels, jungle, spectacular mountain ranges and the original population. The most attractive for tourists is the north-western part of the country. The climate here is milder. Luxury beaches stretch here for many hundreds of kilometers, and the government’s caring for the environment is most clearly visible in parallel with the development of tourism infrastructure. In addition to the beautiful tourist complexes, there is a whale bay Bahia Balena, rocky coves and waterfalls near Montezuma, Wilson Botanical Garden, a special reserve protecting sea turtles, the country's first wildlife reserve of Cabo Blanco and the hot springs of Tabakon.

Contact one of Costa Rica travel agents collected by Tripcook to request a free travel quote for a journey in the country. Use the local knowledge of travel professionals who are always there to assist with travel needs such as flights, hotels, or excursions.
Costa Rica: from http://www.korall.travel/country/costa-ricka/