Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse, lush places in the world. The Central American country is nestled between the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans; the landscape makes for several unique microclimates throughout the country, including cool cloud forests, tropical rain forests, dry jungles, and coastal beaches. It’s a nature lover’s paradise.
And Costa Rica has committed to keeping its idyllic slice of earth as such. As the United Nations Environment Program puts it, “[The country] has long punched above its weight as a global green pioneer with a strong social conscience.” Some ways they’ve done this? Renewable energy accounts for more than 98% of its energy source, it has worked forest cover up to more than 53% (reversing the damage done by deforestation), and about 25% of the total land has been transformed into protected areas. The most astonishing of all: The government has laid out a detailed plan to decarbonize its economy by 2050.
Because of the country’s commitment to sustainability and community, it has blossomed into a thriving destination for eco-activists and, therefore, eco-tourism. And travelers who are as committed to the ethos of “leaving it better than you found it” will fit right in.
Here, how to make the most of your trip—for you and the planet.
