Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/613854
COSTA RICA Beauty Untamed Caribbean Sea Dulce Gulf Gulf of Nicoya P A C I F I C O C E A N Talamancae Mts. Guanacaste Mts. NICARAGUA PANAMA C O S T A R I C A San Jose ARENAL MONTEVERDE GUANACASTE LIMÓN PUNTARENAS Jacó Quepos Puerto Limón Los Chiles Puntarenas Playa Tamarindo Liberia Santa Rosa N. P. Barra del Colorado Nature Reserve Amistad P.I. Cano Negro Nature Reserve Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve Tortuguero National Park Corcovado National Park Manuel Antonio Nicoya Peninsula Exhilaration is never far in this hotbed for ecotourism, where man's footprint is still small and adventure can be as big as the majestic volcanoes and thousands of acres of untamed greenery of Arenal Volcano National Park. At the Continental Divide, see just how grand nature can be, with 2.5% of the entire planet's biodiversity represented in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Monkeys, big cats, frogs, 500 types of birds, and 420 species of orchids only hint at all the mist shelters. Peakside treasures are far from limited to the middle region, though. Liberia, a fishing town close to the Gulf of Papagayo, is a favorite among visitors for its River Canyon and golden shores. Sharing the nearby airport is "The White City's" sister destination, Guanacaste, where upscale resorts rest under nearly year-round sunny skies and the shadow of big waves begging to be ridden. Just off the properties, indigenous cuisine like pozole and cajeta make the sight of traditional bahareque homes even more charming, while the capital of San José and endearing Manuel Antonio draw tourists in for a taste of authentic Tico culture. 8 | Costa Rica