Costa Rica is a destination perfect for thrill seekers, athletes and adventurers

It isn’t just the pleasant earthiness of Costa Rica that you notice the minute you step off the airplane in San Jose and breathe deeply. It is the plethora of outdoor activities that makes the entire country a beloved destination for adventure addicts. Truly, there is no other country that thrills the thrill seekers, challenges the athletes and amuses the adventurers as much as Costa Rica.

Where else can you paddle your heart out whitewater rafting, study rare birds, hike mountains, enjoy leisurely pontoon boat rides as you photograph massive 70-year-old crocodiles, learn how to spot sloths in trees, identify dozens of rare plants, enter one of the toughest mountain-biking races in the Western Hemisphere or hurl yourself down a zipline strapped into a harness? This is the place where extreme sports and adrenaline rushes co-mingle with medium- and low-impact adventure.

Costa Rica is first and foremost a nature lovers’ paradise, a concept that has been promoted by the tourism board for many years. According to tourism officials, 25 percent of the country is protected by the National System of Conservation Areas. From its 112 volcanoes to the rainforest to its arid land and beaches, Costa Rica offers biodiversity at its best.

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The country’s offerings for the adventure traveler are as diverse as the landscape. Costa Rica has a lot to offer off the beaten path that travelers looking for that “little something different” might not know about. This Central American nation has more outdoor activities from the Caribbean to the Pacific—and the rainforest in between—than many Latin American destinations combined. An added bonus is that you get the tropics without the severe storms, because Costa Rica does not lie within the hurricane belt.

Of course, extreme adventure is not for everyone. Luckily, Costa Rica has all the typical adventures accessible to travelers of any physical ability, from touring coffee and banana plantations to fly-fishing, making it ideal for extended families and cruise-ship groups.

It should come as no surprise that with this much healthy outdoor activity at everyone’s doorstep, Costa Rica was voted the happiest place to live earlier this year. The Sandhill Institute for Sustainability and Complexity in British Colombia scored the country the highest among 123 studied for “life satisfaction,” determining that a nation’s social structure combined with its access to a healthy environment are more influential than income to determine happiness. It is because of that healthy environment, strong ecotourism policies and adventure activities that the country in April hosted for the third consecutive year the qualifying rounds of the Adventure Racing World Series, to be held in September in France.

According to the Costa Rica Tourism Board, adventure tourism is one of the main reasons travelers visit the country’s shores. Ireth Rodriguez, deputy director of marketing, says 72 percent of tourists participate in an adventure-related activity, such as sea or river kayaking, surfing, rafting or bungee jumping.

To keep its shores pristine and its rainforest intact, tourism professionals must strictly adhere to the nation’s ecotourism policies, and all tour operators must move toward being carbon-neutral by 2021. This means they must all have a sustainable tourism certificate that shows they are working to control their emissions, water usage and other natural resources that are becoming more and more regulated. The Costa Rican government also has been working on another regulation to turn entire local destinations into nonsmoking areas. If this goal gains traction, travel agents obviously will need to get up to speed on those details and inform their clients if this becomes an issue.

For now, Costa Rica is ready and waiting for the next crop of adventure travelers. For clients who are in search of something a little more exciting than their last trip, or for those who want a vacation that encompasses their favorite sport, consider some of these options:

Bird Watching: Because Costa Rica is home to more than 850 species, it is a birder’s paradise. The spectacularly colorful scarlet macaw can be found on the Osa Peninsula and near the Carara Biological Reserve. Other favorite birds for viewing are the quetzal, kiskadees and great blue heron.

Every December, many travelers go to Costa Rica to volunteer for the annual bird count, which is taken on both coasts, one a few days before Christmas and the other a few days after. Volunteers hike all day with an ornithologist to identify and log as many species as possible. Yes, it’s an all-day hike, not a leisurely stroll, to see a few birds and then pop off for some black beans and rice for lunch. The National Audubon Society (www.audubon.org)  and the Costa Rican Tourism Board (www.visitcostarica.com) can provide more information on accommodations and volunteering.

Mountain Biking: La Ruta de Los Conquistadores (www.larutadelosconquistadores.com),  or “the route of the conquerers,” is an annual mountain-biking event that is one of the toughest in the world. This year it is being held Nov. 1-3, starting in Jaco on the Pacific Coast. On the third day, bikers are transported to the Pacuare River for a whitewater rafting trip that ends in Siquirres, where they begin their final stage of cycling (the rafting is optional). Hard-core bikers travel from all over the world to test their skills and compete in teams.

Marathon Running: From jungle trail runs to the popular marathon in Puntarenas, which has two nearby ports and an airport, runners flock to Costa Rica throughout the year. Boston-based Marathon Tours & Travel (www.marathontour.com)  is organizing a trip for the Sept. 22 marathon, half-marathon, 30K and 10K events at Tamarindo Beach.

For hard-core adrenaline addicts, there is La Transtica (www.latranstica.org) on Nov. 21. This is a small group of about 50 racers who complete five stages, crossing the country from east to west. Runners cover as much as 200 kilometers—20 to 40 kilometers per day, depending on the race—to “discover the country and its way of life and to share this experience with the locals,” according to race organizers.

Cycling: Road cyclists have options for tours throughout the country, whether they are cranking it past the Arenal Volcano, one of the 10 most active in the world, or riding in a race. However, the roads can be dangerous for cyclists and damaging to their bikes. Guided tours/races are recommended, and bikes can be rented locally. Though roads are now being greatly improved throughout the country, traditionally this has been a terrain more suited to mountain bikes with fat tires. Agents should make sure they have the most up-to-date information on road conditions. For more information, visit www.lavatours.com,  www.bikingcostarica.com  and www.backroads.com.

Whitewater Rafting: Whitewater enthusiasts will find rivers that range from Class II to Class V rapids, with May to June and September to October being the best months for high water. The scenery along the way is spectacular, with the tall riverbanks and old-growth trees dwarfing everything that passes it. The Pacuare, Reventazon, Sarapiqui and Corobici rivers (rios in Spanish) are favorite whitewater destinations. For more information, visit www.riostropicales.com.

The 18-mile Pacuare offers challenging Class III-IV rapids, and has perhaps the largest variety of vegetation and steepest gorges with a variety of wildlife to spot. Visit www.govisitcostarica.com  or www.rainforesttours.com . The Sarapiqui is nine miles of Class III rapids, so it offers a more moderate pace. Rio Reventazon ranges from Class II-V. Less-experienced rafters can run the middle section, which is popular with day-trippers. The most difficult (Class V) rapid, named El Horrendo, is found in Guayabo.

Ziplining: It wouldn’t be right to visit Costa Rica and not experience one of the many ziplines found there, where they’re called canopy tours. Though this thrill ride can now be found on several Caribbean islands and throughout Latin America, as well as in such states as Florida, Virginia and West Virginia, the denseness of the rainforest and the bird population make it particularly spectacular in Costa Rica.

Find out how many zips a particular tour has, since at $70 to $100 per person, you don’t want the adventure to be over too quickly. Luckily in Costa Rica, the guides have all been trained to entertain and inform tourists as they go from platform to platform, pointing out the names of flora and species of fauna as they go. For more information, visit www.rainforestadventure.com

Getting There: Within Costa Rica there are two national airlines—Sansa and Nature Air. Numerous international carriers fly into Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Juan, including Aeromexico, Air Canada, American Airlines, Avianca, Condor, Continental, Copa, Delta, Frontier, Iberia, JetBlue, Spirit, TACA and US Airways. Visitors also can fly to Liberia, in the Guanacaste region, on Air Canada, American, Continental, Delta and US Airways.

Once in Costa Rica, a car is necessary to get from coast to coast to mountain range, but roads can be treacherous and automobile accidents are plentiful, even though major roadways are being reconstructed in most areas of the country. However, it is still advisable to hire a car and driver.

For more information on Costa Rica, visit www.visitcostarica.com.