Playa Tamarindo

The camera stands on the dry sand a little way up the beach, at about the height of someone sitting down. Loungers and moulded plastic seats are set out around it in ones and twos, most of them occupied, and the tree line begins immediately behind - palms leaning out over the sand at the angle they always take on a windward coast, with denser green behind them. A bleached driftwood trunk lies along the beach on one side. Ahead the sand runs down to the Pacific, flat and wide at this state of the tide. What the panorama gives you that a photograph does not is the enclosure: the trees come almost to the water, so the beach reads as a room.

Costa Rica has many qualities that make it attractive to visitors from around the world, as well as a sizeable expat population, primarily made up of retirees and semi-retirees from the United States. The government invests generously in businesses, there is a literacy rate of almost 95 percent, and it is a country that has been at peace since 1949, when the military was abolished. Unlike many developing countries blessed with an abundance of natural riches, Costa Rica itself has been one of the pioneers in preserving those riches, and almost 25 percent of the country is protected in some way—by national parks, biological reserves, and wildlife refuges.

This is one of the most environmentally conscious countries in the world, and people come from around the globe to enjoy its pristine beaches, lush rainforests and cloud forests, stunning volcanoes, natural hot springs, sparkling waterfalls, and the abundance of wildlife found in all these regions. They are welcomed by a sophisticated tourism infrastructure and some of the world’s most beautiful and exclusive eco-conscious resorts.

Both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts have wonderful national parks and marine reserves. The two most well-known on the Pacific side are Corcovado National Park and Manuel Antonio National Park. Corcovado is famous for its biodiversity, thanks in large part to its remote location on the Osa Peninsula. Here you will find all four of the nation’s species of monkeys, as well as tapirs, more than 50 different species of bats, 375 bird species, jaguars, ocelots, margays, and peccaries. About halfway between these two parks is the laid-back resort community of Dominical, with fabulous surfing beaches that are known for their consistently good waves. The most famous coastal park on the Caribbean coast is Tortuguero, named for the endangered green, loggerhead, leatherback, and hawksbill turtles that nest on its beaches. The park is also home to monkeys, sloths, and 320 bird species. Beaches within and near these parks and reserves are unspoiled, serene, and often remote.

Costa Rica also has many more easily accessible beaches that offer more sophisticated infrastructure, resort towns, casinos, fine restaurants, and nightlife. The majority of these are found along the Guanacaste Coast on the northwestern Pacific Coast, stretching from the border with Nicaragua south to the end of the Nicoya Peninsula. Here is the bustling resort area of Tamarindo, which has lovely rental villas, superb scuba diving, and many lovely beaches with excellent surfing conditions.