In Costa Rica, we cultivate oxygen

Any visitor to Costa Rica should be prepared to get wet.

Never stingy with jokes, the

, as the locals call themselves, don't worry about the weather forecast.

They know that "the rainy season is followed by a very wet season".

Open to the Pacific Ocean on one side, and the Caribbean Sea on the other, their country is indeed abundantly watered throughout the year.

These climatic conditions, associated with a volcanic topography forming a corridor between North and South America, have favored the emergence of an exceptional biodiversity.

Already struck by the luxuriance of the region, Christopher Columbus had baptized it

, "The Garden", when he approached it in 1502. Costa Rica is both a confetti on the surface of the planet and a world all by itself. This tiny country, covering barely 0.03% of the land mass, is home to nearly 5% of the animal and plant species known to date: 12,000 plants, including 1,300 orchids, 300,000 spiders and insects, including 10,000 butterflies, 930 birds, including 50 hummingbirds, 230 mammals, 220 reptiles, 160 amphibians… Enough to make the most experienced biologist dizzy!

This remarkable heritage is protected by some thirty national parks where, in a few kilometers, one passes from forests to volcanoes, from plains to marshes, from mangroves to fine sandy beaches.

Departing from any city, you just need to drive half an hour by car to get drunk in the greenery.

Fifty Shades of Green

In the vegetal half-night of the tropical forest, nothing is visible at a glance. Twig or stick insect? Liana or snake? You have to relearn how to look through the inextricable web of ferns. And above all, follow the advice of a naturalist guide like Bertrand Ducos de Lahitte, who warns: “Jaguars roam around, but the dangers come from much smaller animals, such as frogs or even ants. None are aggressive, but all know how to defend themselves if you put your foot or your hand on them. "

This wild life flourishes with even more exuberance in the treetops. It is indeed in the canopy mist sheets that orchids bloom under the gaze of quetzals and sloths. Costa Rica has made the most of such an environment, focusing above all on ecotourism. The country's first zip line was set up in Santa Elena, in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Since then, more than 80 agencies have stretched their wire ropes across the territory. Adrenaline guaranteed! But the chances of observing the flight of a toucan are slim when one rushes forward feet in the green tunnel.

Fortunately, the Monteverde area is also equipped with suspension bridges that allow you to walk serenely among the foliage.

The tangle of mosses and epiphytic plants, dripping with moisture, gives a dreamlike atmosphere to these heights hidden in the clouds.

Each tree contains thousands of species, some of which have yet to be discovered.

A formidable playing field for bioprospecting, this discipline aimed at inventorying living things and studying their genetic material in order to find useful applications for them, in particular in pharmacopoeia.

Farewell to arms

Its stability and quality of life have earned Costa Rica the nickname “Tropical Switzerland”.

The country, which this year celebrates the bicentenary of its independence, regularly ranks at the top of the happiest nations in the world.

A quiet happiness that draws its source from geography and history.

Isolated from the rest of the former Spanish colonies, this small territory, crossed by cordilleras and devoid of mineral wealth, very early on benefited from enlightened policies: free and compulsory primary school from 1869, abolition of the death penalty in 1881, Social security in 1940 … The decisive turning point was the civil war of 1948 and its singular conclusion: the abolition of the army and a reallocation of the budget for the benefit of education and health.

The environment, meanwhile, was not always at the heart of concerns.

Like everywhere else, much has been cleared in Costa Rica to facilitate agriculture and animal husbandry.

Forests covered only 25% of the territory in 1985. But a reforestation policy has reversed the trend.

In exchange for an annual rent, farmers are notably encouraged to devote part of their farm to forest regeneration.

Thanks to these new "oxygen cultivators", forest cover today represents more than half of the country.

With electricity entirely from renewable energies, Costa Rica even intends to become the first “green democracy”.

An ambition supported by the inclusion in its Constitution of the right to a healthy environment.

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Go

With climate change, the seasons are less and less marked at the level of the equator.

We can therefore consider a trip to Costa Rica, even in the heavy rainy season, usually between September and November.

From Paris, most flights to the capital, San José, require one or even two stopovers.

Allow 12 hours for the rare direct flights.

In the context of a pandemic, it is advisable to be well informed about the local situations before embarking on a trip.

Currently, Costa Rica accepts French people with a European Covid certificate and a Health Pass generated after filling in a digital form.

Housing

Exemplary, Costa Rica is also for its sanitary measures. There is no public place that is not equipped with a sink for washing hands! The temperature of visitors is taken as they enter national parks, as well as when they arrive at each hotel. In a country that makes eco-responsibility a priority, we will naturally favor establishments with the CST (

)

stamp

. This label replaces the traditional stars with leaves to indicate the level of environmental and social involvement of hotels.

Our favorite addresses: Xandari, for its proximity to the international airport.

Arenal Springs, for swimming in front of the volcano.

Senda Monteverde, for its gardens dotted with hummingbirds.

Rio Celeste Hideaway, for its Zen atmosphere in the greenery of Tenorio Park.

Hacienda Guachipelin, to discover the way of life of the

(the cowboys of Costa Rica), in the heart of the Rincón de la Vieja park.

Jardín del Edén, to end its journey gently, on the beaches of Tamarindo.

Restore

Costa Rican cuisine is rudimentary, but of excellent quality thanks to fresh produce.

Hearty and inexpensive, the

 be found on all menus, at all meals.

This true national dish is composed of rice, black beans, plantain and vegetables assorted with meat or fish, all accompanied by corn cakes.

On the other hand, the list of fresh fruit juices is very varied: soursop, mango, guava, papaya, strawberry, banana and especially pineapple, of which the country is the world's leading producer.

To have

No zoo in Costa Rica!

Keeping wild animals in captivity is strictly prohibited there.

But meeting them in their natural environment is never guaranteed.

The only way to be able to approach them for sure is to visit a refuge, like Las Pumas, which takes in injured or poached individuals.

In Monteverde, the Bat Jungle center specializes in the care of bats.

The visits led here by the Belgian biologist Vino de Backer strive to fight against the received ideas that weigh on these bats.

Much closer to primates than to mice, these winged mammals without any danger to humans have, in fact, a crucial role in the regulation of insects and the fertilization of the forest.

Visits by appointment: vino.monteverde@gmail.com

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