natural bounty showcased in its numerous national parks, is a paradise for animal and nature lovers alike. Visitors can take an eerie hike through humid Monteverde Cloud Forest, amid dangling roots, trunk-like vines and twisted trees layered with thick green vegetation while birds sing and howler monkeys roar. At night, watch the flowing lava light show of cone-shaped Arenal Volcano, one of the country’s four active volcanoes.
This peaceful, politically stable country, which has not had an army since 1949 and whose population has an outstanding academic level, has other attractions as well. The capital metropolis of San Jose offers its National Theater, museums, parks and historic sites. Heredia is appreciated for its colonial heritage, traditional architecture such as adobe houses and coffee plantations. Guanacaste and Puntarenas are known for their spectacular beaches and hotels.