WELCOME...


Pura vida! Welcome to your official guide to Costa Rica


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t’s true what they say – the best things really do come in small packages! What often surprises travellers to Costa Rica is the size of the country. A fifth the size of the UK, our country packs a punch when it comes to diversity. On a two-week holiday, visitors can travel from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean, taking in the incredible variety of landscapes en route.


Last year, the UK was our largest European source market. Indeed, UK visitor numbers have grown every year since 2016, helped by the launch of the British Airways direct flight from Gatwick into San José, which has opened up the destination, especially for the family market. Brits have discovered a unique and special destination that offers nature, wildlife, adventure and off-the-beaten-track experiences.


Home to 5% of the world’s biodiversity, but accounting for only 0.03% of its land mass, amazing wildlife can be seen everywhere. Sightings of famous locals such as the red-eyed frog and two and three-toed sloths are part and parcel of most trips to Costa Rica. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to welcome new-born green turtles to the world, or watch mother whales teach their offspring to swim in the Pacific, make holidays to Costa Rica unforgettable. National parks protect 26% of Costa Rica, and the landscapes range from lush


green rainforests and mountain ranges to active volcanoes and cloud forests. Costa Rica is a natural playground. Visitors zipline above the treetops, ride class-six rapids on rafting trips and abseil down waterfalls, before retiring to luxury eco-lodges to get some rest and waking up for a morning yoga session in the rainforest. Every region of Costa Rica has a different culture and climate, as well as unique flora and fauna. We invite you to discover it with us.


María Amalia Minister of tourism, Costa Rica Costa Rica 2018 is published by Travel Weekly Group, Third Floor, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0AU. Tel: 020 7881 4897


Editor Natalie Marsh Art editor/Production editor Flora Ioannou Senior designer Emma Winton Subeditors Mike Walsh, Stephanie Krahn, Darron Kirkby Travel Weekly Group editor-in-chief Lucy Huxley Head of sales Mary Rega Production manager Nick Cripps Managing director Stuart Parish Printed by Southern Print Pictures Shutterstock; Ricardo Quiros; Terri K Miller; Imagenes Vivas SRl/Carlos Charpentier © Travel Weekly Group 2018 PART OF JACOBS MEDIA GROUP


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