ESCAPE TO… COSTA RICA, a tropical paradise through the eyes of JETLIVING.COM - THE STANDARD IN VACATIONING - PART 1

Costa Rica is a country located in Central America that has unlimited tourist potential and is ranked as one of the most visited international destinations. One of Costa Rica’s main sources of income is tourism. Costa Rica is a democratic and peaceful country, and it has not had an army since the year 1949. Although the country is small and it covers only 0.03 % of the surface of the globe, it proudly shelters a 6% of the existing biodiversity in the entire world. 25.58 % of the country is composed of conservation and natural protected territory. Costa Rica is also an attractive country for investment and it offers great potential for the establishment of important multinational companies, thanks to the outstanding academic level of its population, as well
as the high standard of modern services and social and political stability.
Costa Rica extends majestically from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, and its distance is barely 200 miles. Its land portion occupies only 20 thousand square miles.  If you travel throughout the provinces of Costa Rica, it’s easy to notice that in no other place you shall find fields with so many variations in their landscape and climate as here. Costa Rica is one of most highly valued tourist destinations in this planet. This small piece of land includes all of the necessary components to satisfy the taste of thousands of travelers visiting each year. Find a vacation home to fit your needs at www.jetliving.com
Costa Rica’s territorial division includes 7 provinces, which are: San José, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas, and Limón. Together they offer an attractive tourist destination, of almost limitless possibilities, that include extensive rainforests, volcanoes, rivers traveling through the mountains, beaches and natural resources safeguarded by an important organization of national parks and forest reserves.

San José - San José is the country’s most highly populated province. Located in the Central Plateau, it extends to the northeast, crossing the impressive mountains of the Central Mountain Range, which includes national parks, forest reserves, and fertile lands, with an abundance of coffee plantations.  Costa Rica’s capital, San José, is in the Central Valley. It’s an extensive plain, guarded by majestic volcanoes and green hills, honoring the natural richness that exists throughout the national territory. Founded in the first half of the eighteenth century, San José is nowadays a city where visitors of the entire world converge; metropolis full of interesting places, faces, and colors reflecting the history of a population. Its architecture is diverse, as may be the people walking its streets. In the north sector of the city you can find the most refined samples of urban development of the early last century. There are many houses and buildings of European inspiration, built with a profound Costa Rican sense of style. Among the most representative places of the city, we can mention the National Theater, Costa Rica’s pride, and historically, house to some of the best artists, national as well as foreign. Inaugurated in 1897, fruit of the determination of merchants, intellectuals and politicians, who were able to identify the importance an opera house could have, to present the best artistic productions in the world.  Nonetheless, a list of world class museums, parks, hotels, theaters, and historic buildings, are some other options to be discovered by the thousands of tourists visiting San José yearly.  Once in the city, visitors may choose among dozens of one-day tours to the most outstanding natural places, inside and out of the Central Valley, as well as having access to a great variety of sports adventures and activities for exploring. Find a vacation home to fit your needs at www.jetliving.com
Heredia - With a territory of 2.656 km2 and a population of 75 000 inhabitants, Heredia is Costa Rica’s smallest province, town appreciated for its colonial heritage and traditional architecture. A great number of adobe houses may be appreciated along the communities of Barva and Santo Domingo. The city of Heredia, best known as ‘City of the Flowers’, was founded in 1706, pursuant to an initiative of some 150 families dwelling there.  In Heredia you still find an important number of coffee plantations, many of which have been adapted to perform guided visits with tourists. It can be delightful to enjoy the captivating process of harvesting, drying, and roasting of coffee beans.

Among the natural wonders of the province of Heredia, we find Barva volcano, a formidable colossus located at the west part of Braulio Carrillo National Park, which rises 2.906 meters over sea level. The vegetation surrounding this sleeping giant is astonishing; an ideal place for bird watching, especially for those who dream with the magnificent quetzal.  On the other hand, Braulio Carrillo National Park represents the greatest natural richness near the Central Valley. A tropical rainforest, home to hundreds of plant and animal species.  The dense vegetation of the park safeguards many cascades and rivers, some of which are used in sports adventures. Sarapiquí River is another of the attractions of the province. This imposing river travels through dense vegetation, where birds are abundant. It has an ideal current for those who enjoy the rapids, with a moderate degree of difficulty.  The mountainous areas of Heredia, just before crossing the Central Mountain Range, are characterized by vast extensions of forest and fair climate. Ma

Image by Wha’ppen via Flickr

ny people choose these green and fresh sites to establish themselves, to live far away from the city crowds. Find a vacation home to fit your needs at www.jetliving.com
Guanacaste - Generous and warm province, Guanacaste is known for its cattle ranching production and spectacular beaches. It is the driest region of Costa Rica, specially the coastal areas. Guanacaste became part of Costa Rica in 1824; until then, it had remained an independent province. This territory certainly has a very important natural and cultural richness for Costa Rica’s economy. Some of the best beach hotels in the world are found on the beaches of Guanacaste.  Guanacaste is well known for its beaches and the sun, which is exactly what visitors find along its coastline, with an abundance of hotels, cabins, and restaurants. Some are luxury ones, others more modest, but they all guarantee that guests have the perfect option for each budget.
Panamá Beach, in the north area of the province, is one of the good options for tourism. A quiet place with white sand and easy waters, invite you to enjoy a care-free weekend.  Coco’s Beach features as one of the most popular spots, due to its night life and great number of visitors; and without having to travel much you can reach Flamingo Beach, an ideal place for those preferring a mix of good hotels and a quiet atmosphere.  There are also Ocotal and Hermosa beaches, among the favorite of Guanacaste’s coast. Grande Beach is located further south, and along with Las Baulas National Park, is a sanctuary for thousands of leatherback turtles (baula) arriving to spawn in its coasts each year.
Tamarindo offers a blend of white-sand beaches and mangroves, sea birds and iguanas, making it a paradisiacal and perfect spot for those wishing to live in harmony with nature.  Many other beaches along the coast of Guanacaste will complete a matchless natural offer. Carrillo Beach, Ostional Beach, Manzanillo, and Coyote, are some of those destinations giving the greatest province of Costa Rica its reputation.  In Guanacaste you may enjoy delicious food, so characteristic of its people and that with the passage of time, became authentic traditional Costa Rican dishes. Santa Rosa National Park is located to the north of the province. It is a jewel of the tropical dry forest, counting with a remarkable biological inventory. Likewise, embedded in the Guanacaste Mountain Range, are the Tenorio, Orosi, Miravalles, and Rincón de La Vieja volcanoes, the latter surrounded by the national park of the same name.  Guanacaste is undoubtedly a privileged land. Possessing a mixture of forests dry and rainy, warm beaches, extensive plains and an impressive volcanic range; a natural world expecting to be explored. Find a vacation home to fit your needs at www.jetliving.com