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Vacations are a great way to escape and experience something completely different. For those who have to deal with everyday work stresses, they also represent a way to take a deep, long breath and simply relax for a little while.
Finding the perfect place to provide the backdrop for this relaxation, however, isn’t exactly easy. In fact, it can be pretty darn difficult, especially with the number of beautiful locations that are out there!
In our opinion, one of the best ways to narrow down a vacation destination is by following the herd and seeing what everyone else is doing. Hey, it might be unoriginal, but at least you’re guaranteed a good vacation!
With this in mind, one of the most popular vacation destinations over the last few years has been Costa Rica. In 2022 alone, as many as 2.4 million tourists visited the country, which registers an annual growth of nearly 75%.
So why has there been an increase in Costa Rica tourism, and what do they all know about the place that you don’t? Well, we’ve concocted seven reasons why so many people are visiting Costa Rica below, each of which has been gathered from the visitors themselves:
It’s A Haven For Adrenaline Lovers
When tourists describe what they like so much about Costa Rica, one of the things that always crops up is the sheer amount of activities that you can get up to. One of the most popular seems to be waterskiing costa rica style, which many undertake toward the north of the country at a spot called Lake Arenal. Other activities include wakeboarding, tubing, ziplining, bungee jumping – you name it, it’s likely that Costa Rica has it.
It’s The Perfect Place To Channel Your Inner Attenborough
Another thing that Costa Rica has in spades is wildlife. According to a recent study, around 500,000 different species live in Costa Rica, which equals around 5% of the estimated species on Earth! Take into account that Costa Rica makes up around 0.03% of Earth’s landmass, and it’s pretty clear that the country puts a strong emphasis on protecting its biodiversity! Some of the animals you can look out for include anteaters, howler monkeys, jaguars, margays, dolphins, orca whales and bright green pit vipers – although whether you’ll actually want to spot one of those is another question!
It’s Impossible Not To Fall In Love With Costa Ricans
One of the many compliments that tourists have about Costa Rica is that the people are all so friendly. In order to keep up that biodiversity that we mentioned earlier, Costa Rica has to maintain a strong economy – of which $1.7 billion is made through tourism each year. For this reason, Costa Ricans are incredibly welcoming to visitors and love sharing their culture and social activities. They are proud, diverse and friendly people, and all of these traits create yet another reason to visit and see for yourself.
It’s Impossible Not To Fall In Love With Gallo Pinto!
Speaking of falling in love with Costa Ricans, it’s also impossible not to fall in love with the best Costa Rican food! While in the country, you will be treated to a number of local delicacies, including casado, tamales, black soup, ceviche and tostones. One of the most popular, however, appears to be gallo pinto. According to tourists who have been there, once you’ve tried a bowl of this meal, all you’ll want to do is go back for more.
It Reaches For The Sky
Ever wanted to climb a volcano? Well, you’ll be pretty spoiled for choice in Costa Rica. Throughout the country, there are as many as 67 volcanoes – 6 being active and the other 61 dormant. For the ones that you can climb, you can get some amazing vantage points of the country below, with tour guides who are incredibly enthusiastic about sharing the story of the landscape and the volcano itself.
It’s Impossible Not To Be Happy In Costa Rica
Every tourist that has come back from Costa Rica claims to have done so with a big smile on their face. This seems likely, given that the HPI (Happy Planet Index) named Costa Rica the happiest country in the world. That’s right, last year, the HPI put Costa Rica first amongst 152 other countries – not only this, but it labelled Costa Rica as first for the fourth time in a row! If work and everyday life has been getting you down, this happiness is sure to spread into your system and make things feel a little brighter again. That’s what vacations are all about, after all!
It Deserves Your Support
Lastly, we’re going to note one of the biggest reasons to visit Costa Rica: it needs your support. As mentioned earlier, Costa Rica’s main source of income is tourism, and it uses that income to fund its sustainable practices and keep the beautiful nature and wildlife alive. The government itself has a number of policies in place that make Costa Rica one of the most sustainable countries in the world, so there’s no better feeling than visiting the country and feeling like you’ve played your part in sustaining its beauty. In 2023, nothing is more important than that.