Costa Rica Land

Costa Rica contains an impressive variety of distinct landscapes within its narrow borders. The country is dominated by a massive arc of highlands that include four mountain chains, comprising of more than 60 volcanoes. Eight of these volcanoes are still active. From northwest to southeast, the chains are Cordillera de Guanacaste, Cordillera de Tilarán, Cordillera Central, and Cordillera de Talamanca, the last of which is non-volcanic. Generally, as one proceeds southeast along the isthmus, the mountains become higher and the cordilleras broader, culminating in Mount Chirripó , Costa Rica’s highest point (3820m). Between Cordilleras Central and Talamanca lies the high Central Valley, whose fertile soil is home to over half of Costa Rica’s population. These mountain ranges exert a striking influence over the country’s climate. On the Pacific side, west of the cordilleras , precipitation levels increase from north to south, with a rainy season from May to October in the north and from April to December in the south. East of the cordilleras, Costa Rica’s Caribbean side experiences rainfall year-round. Temperatures vary mostly by elevation, ranging from steamy humidity in the lowlands, to warm and temperate climates in medium elevations and chilly conditions on Costa Rica’s tallest peaks.

The Pacific shore is narrower, drier, and four times longer than its Caribbean counterpart. In contrast to the Caribbean, the Pacific coastline is a vast, broken series of bays, rocky peninsulas, and white-sand beaches— a product of plate tectonics. Sizable portions of these points of land, most notably the Peninsula de Osa and the Peninsula de Nicoya, were originally islands that were driven into the mainland by the collision of two tectonic plates.

Costa’s Rica’s unique topography has given rise to a striking diversity of vegetation zones. Shorelines marked by vast beaches—with sands that run from pumice-black to sparkling white to cinnamon-brown—are broken by densely tangled mangroves along the Caribbean, Nicoya, and Osa coasts. Further inland, the lower mountain slopes are covered with tropical rainforests and evergreen forests that resemble ecosystems further south in Latin America. At higher altitudes, the lush cloud forests for which Costa Rica has become famous are full of oaks, laurels, orchids, and thick canopies. At even higher elevations, conifers form a significant part of the forest landscape. Above the treeline, the vegetation resembles that of the Andean highland moors, with evergreen shrubs, berries, herbs, and mosses. The country’s drier northwest has some savannas and deciduous forests.

The convergence of tectonic plates off Central America’s Pacific coast makes Costa Rica prone to both earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. An earthquake of 6.7 on the Richter scale struck 89km south of San José in August 1999. Thankfully, the damage was much less severe than in 1991, when an earthquake measuring 7.4 struck Limón, leaving 27 dead, 400 wounded, and 13,000 homeless. An even larger risk stems from volcanic eruptions, as several active volcanoes line the densely populated Central Valley. Volcán Irazú’s eruption in 1963 left clouds of smoke and ash showering over San José for two years. Though hurricanes tend to pass by over the country’s northern borders, causing more destruction in Nicaragua and Honduras, they occasionally hit Costa Rica, as Hurricane Cesar did in 1996, causing widespread damage in the south.

Costa Rica’s national park system began in the 1960s and has since expanded to form the base of the country’s extensive ecotourism industry. In 1998, Costa Rica passed the unique Biodiversity Law, intended to encourage environmental education and regulate the use of its natural resources, protected areas, and biodiversity. It is through this law that Costa Rica now holds approximately 161 of these “protected areas.” Though not all of these areas are tourist attractions, some of the more popular parks, like Manuel Antonio or Monteverde attract over 1000 visitors per day during the high season. Tourists primarily visit the 25 national parks and 58 national wildlife refuges in existence, while the 19 currently active biological reserves cater to those interested in scientific research on specific ecological systems. There are also a large number of private parks, native reserves, and wetlands. Although it attracts large crowds each year, Costa Rica’s national park system still manages to maintain its conservation of each area with only minimum human impact.

Entrance fees vary by park, but are generally US$5-10. The use of a guide also varies by park; some parks require guides, others simply recommend them, and some do not have any available. Not all parks are easily accessible by foot. MINAE has a fairly large presence in the national park system and often offers guides, maps, and trail advice in heavily touristed parks.