Costa Rica draws well over a million visitors every year. The country has a wide and varied geography. You can cruise thorugh a cloud forest one day, climb a volcano the next, and finally relax on a beautiful beach.
Tourism in Costa Rica is one of the fastest growing economic sectors of the country. Since 2004, tourism earns more foreign exchange than bananas and coffee combined. The tourism boom began in 1987, with the number of visitors up from 329,000 in 1988, through 1 million in 1999, to 1.9 million foreign visitors in 2007, allowing the country to earn $1.9-billion in that year. In 2005, tourism contributed with 8,1% of the country's GDP and represented 13,3% of direct and indirect employment.
The Medical Tourism and the Health Travel Industry is booming, and
now there's a medical travel directory that gives medical tourists the information they need to get the care they deserve. In addition to information and articles to educate you about healthcare travel, PhysiciansCostaRica.com online medical directory gives you access to information about hospitals, medical tourism, medical services, medical specialties, doctors in Costa Rica, medical doctors, medical tourism physicians and medical travel planners so you can make the best decision for you.
now there's a medical travel directory that gives medical tourists the information they need to get the care they deserve. In addition to information and articles to educate you about healthcare travel, PhysiciansCostaRica.com online medical directory gives you access to information about hospitals, medical tourism, medical services, medical specialties, doctors in Costa Rica, medical doctors, medical tourism physicians and medical travel planners so you can make the best decision for you.
In Costa Rica the visitor can enjoy lovely tropical beaches, the grandest adventures, the wonders of nature, scintillating culture, all the necessary components of an ideal vacation. No wonder, then, that thousands of tourists have made Costa Rica their top travel choice.
Costa Rica occupies a privileged spot in the heart of Central America. While its territory of 19,652 square miles touches both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the country is surprisingly accessible - one can travel from coast to coast in just three hours by car (or 45 minutes by plane).
The Caribbean region of Costa Rica stands out for its variety of aquatic ecosystems and its beautiful white and black sand beaches, providing an ideal setting for activities such as sport fishing, snorkeling, and sun bathing. The Pacific coast concentrates big tourist centers and its beaches are very popular for surfing, for example Esterillos, Jaco, Hermosa, Boca Barranca. In the Golfito region, near the Marino Ballena National Park, surfing fans can find the famous "long lefthander wave."
San José  | |
San José is the country’s most highly populated province. Located in the Central Plateau, it extends to the northeast, crossing the impressive mountains of the Central Mountain Range, which includes national parks, forest reserves, and fertile lands, with an abundance of coffee plantations. Costa Rica’s capital, San José, is in the Central Valley. It’s an extensive plain, guarded by majestic volcanoes and green hills, honoring the natural richness that exists throughout the national territory. Founded in the first half of the eighteenth century, San José is nowadays a city where visitors of the entire world converge; metropolis full of interesting places, faces, and colors reflecting the history of a population. Its architecture is diverse, as may be the people walking its streets. In the north sector of the city you can find the most refined samples of urban development of the early last century. There are many houses and buildings of European inspiration, built with a profound Costa Rican sense of style. Among the most representative places of the city, we can mention the National Theater, Costa Rica’s pride, and historically, house to some of the best artists, national as well as foreign. Inaugurated in 1897, fruit of the determination of merchants, intellectuals and politicians, who were able to identify the importance an opera house could have, to present the best artistic productions in the world. Nonetheless, a list of world class museums, parks, hotels, theaters, and historic buildings, are some other options to be discovered by the thousands of tourists visiting San José yearly. Once in the city, visitors may choose among dozens of one-day tours to the most outstanding natural places, inside and out of the Central Valley, as well as having access to a great variety of sports adventures and activities for exploring. | |
Heredia  | |
With a territory of 2.656 km2 and a population of 75 000 inhabitants, Heredia is Costa Rica’s smallest province, town appreciated for its colonial heritage and traditional architecture. A great number of adobe houses may be appreciated along the communities of Barva and Santo Domingo. The city of Heredia, best known as 'City of the Flowers', was founded in 1706, pursuant to an initiative of some 150 families dwelling there. In Heredia you still find an important number of coffee plantations, many of which have been adapted to perform guided visits with tourists. It can be delightful to enjoy the captivating process of harvesting, drying, and roasting of coffee beans. Among the natural wonders of the province of Heredia, we find Barva volcano, a formidable colossus located at the west part of Braulio Carrillo National Park, which rises 2.906 meters over sea level. The vegetation surrounding this sleeping giant is astonishing; an ideal place for bird watching, especially for those who dream with the magnificent quetzal. On the other hand, Braulio Carrillo National Park represents the greatest natural richness near the Central Valley. A tropical rainforest, home to hundreds of plant and animal species. The dense vegetation of the park safeguards many cascades and rivers, some of which are used in sports adventures. Sarapiquí River is another of the attractions of the province. This imposing river travels through dense vegetation, where birds are abundant. It has an ideal current for those who enjoy the rapids, with a moderate degree of difficulty. The mountainous areas of Heredia, just before crossing the Central Mountain Range, are characterized by vast extensions of forest and fair climate. Many people choose these green and fresh sites to establish themselves, to live far away from the city crowds. | |
Guanacaste  | |
Generous and warm province, Guanacaste is known for its cattle ranching production and spectacular beaches. It is the driest region of Costa Rica, specially the coastal areas. Guanacaste became part of Costa Rica in 1824; until then, it had remained an independent province. This territory certainly has a very important natural and cultural richness for Costa Rica’s economy. Some of the best beach hotels in the world are found on the beaches of Guanacaste. Guanacaste is well known for its beaches and the sun, which is exactly what visitors find along its coastline, with an abundance of hotels, cabins, and restaurants. Some are luxury ones, others more modest, but they all guarantee that guests have the perfect option for each budget. Panamá Beach, in the north area of the province, is one of the good options for tourism. A quiet place with white sand and easy waters, invite you to enjoy a care-free weekend. Coco’s Beach features as one of the most popular spots, due to its night life and great number of visitors; and without having to travel much you can reach Flamingo Beach, an ideal place for those preferring a mix of good hotels and a quiet atmosphere. There are also Ocotal and Hermosa beaches, among the favorite of Guanacaste’s coast. Grande Beach is located further south, and along with Las Baulas National Park, is a sanctuary for thousands of leatherback turtles (baula) arriving to spawn in its coasts each year. Tamarindo offers a blend of white-sand beaches and mangroves, sea birds and iguanas, making it a paradisiacal and perfect spot for those wishing to live in harmony with nature. Many other beaches along the coast of Guanacaste will complete a matchless natural offer. Carrillo Beach, Ostional Beach, Manzanillo, and Coyote, are some of those destinations giving the greatest province of Costa Rica its reputation. In Guanacaste you may enjoy delicious food, so characteristic of its people and that with the passage of time, became authentic traditional Costa Rican dishes. Santa Rosa National Park is located to the north of the province. It is a jewel of the tropical dry forest, counting with a remarkable biological inventory. Likewise, embedded in the Guanacaste Mountain Range, are the Tenorio, Orosi, Miravalles, and Rincón de La Vieja volcanoes, the latter surrounded by the national park of the same name. Guanacaste is undoubtedly a privileged land. Possessing a mixture of forests dry and rainy, warm beaches, extensive plains and an impressive volcanic range; a natural world expecting to be explored. | |
Puntarenas  | |||||||||
Known as the “Pearl of the Pacific”, Puntarenas is the largest province of Costa Rica, with an area of 11.276 Km2. Its main attraction is its Pacific coastline, extending over more than 500 miles down to the Panamanian boarder. This vast province offers a variety of beaches, national parks, and natural reserves of an extraordinary ecological importance, since it is a transition area between the dry tropical lands of Guanacaste and the green forests of the Central Pacific. The Port of Caldera and the City of Puntarenas, receive hundreds of tourists daily, from countless cruise ships making shore on its coasts. Some of these ships are traveling with the Panama Canal as destination, which allows passengers to explore Costa Rica’s inland, only to meet their cruise ship some days later at the port of Limón, in the Caribbean. Carara’s Biological Reserve constitutes one of the best showcases to the natural heritage of Puntarenas. This reserve includes an extension of 11.600 acres of forests and mangroves. Today, only some portions of the reserve are available to tourists, but professional guides, who are allowed to explore some restricted areas, may be hired. Manuel Antonio National Park is another destination of the province of Puntarenas. With its impressive white-sand beaches, blue waters of the Pacific and hundreds of hectares of rainforest, this park is one of the smallest in Costa Rica, but at the same time, one of the most highly visited. Manuel Antonio is one of the few places in Costa Rica where the spider monkey (tití) still lives. Within the park you may also find over 100 species of mammals and an equal number of bird types. Also belonging to Puntarenas, another feature is the Corcovado National Park -located south and constituting the habitat of important endemic species such as the gold frog as well as the Tárcoles River, whose margins are guarded by hundreds of American crocodiles. Good food –especially seafood- as well as the well-known carnivals held each summer, and the warmth of its people, are some of the nice surprises expecting tourists visiting this province.
www.physicianscostarica.com | |||||||||
