Even more things to see and do in Costa Rica

Canopy Tour

• Go on a canopy tour. One of the best ways to explore Costa Rica’s rainforests is by a canopy tour. Canopy tours were originally developed by US scientists who were trying to study trees without touching the plant, animal, or insect life on the limbs and trunks. Canopy tours are considered better than hiking tours because the view is unmatched. The rainforests often have dense plant live and the ground can get very dark, making it difficult to see everything clearly. There are many walkways throughout Costa Rica’s forests that have bridges strung across a valley from where you can walk above the rainforest canopy and get an aerial view of the forest below. The most popular form of canopy tour is the kind where platforms are built into the strongest trees and a zip line is strung in between them. This allows tourists to zipline across the forest from tree to tree on these lines with the help of a safety harness.
• Check out the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. The Monteverde Cloud Forest is a very popular ecotourism desination in Costa Rica. With it’s unique cloud canopy, Monteverde is one of the most breathtaking nature reserves in the world. Cloud forests usually receive much less rain in comparison to rainforests. However, since cloud forests are located at a higher altitude, they have more humidity and are therefore cloudier than rainforests. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve covers an area of 26,000 acres and is home to more than 2,000 species of plants and trees, 100 species of mammals, over 400 species of birds, and roughly 1,200 species of amphibians and reptiles. When exlploring the forest, it is likely that you will see a variety of birds and animals including, bellbirds, guans, toucanets, jaguars, pumas, monkeys, and the golden toad, a species of toad that only exists in the Monteverde Cloud Forest.
• Go scuba diving. One of the best ways to get a view of Costa Rica’s underwater marine life is by scuba diving. Scuba diving is extremely popular in Costa Rica at the moment, with many tour groups and travel agencies offering scuba trips and excursions. The water in Costa Rica is ideal throughout the year and perfect to see massive schools of fish and marine life. The most popular scuba diving locations are Playas del Coco, Play Hermosa and Playa Ocotal. If you visit these places, you can see giant manta rays and swim alongside brightly colored tropical fish. Another extrememly popular scuba diving spot is the Isla del Cano, which is said to be the best place to scuba dive in Costa Rica. The Isla del Cano is home to 18 species of coral, 3 species of dolphin and 57 different species of crustaceans.

Monteverde Cloud ForestScuba diver in Manuel Antonio

 

Scuba Diver in Manuel Antonio

These are just SOME of the many things to see and do in Costa Rica. I just decided to talk about the things that I thought looked the most interesting and fun. My next blog will be about a certain cruise that I really underestimated before taking.