What Makes Costa Rica Unique?

The perfect combination and mix of nature, technology and medical infrastructure makes Costa Rica a top destination for medical travels. More than 30.000 patients with their companions and some of the most renowned multinational corporations have chosen Costa Rica as their first choice for medical and dental treatments.

In terms of land mass, Costa Rica´s territory is so small that it encompasses only 0.03% of the planet Earth’s surface, but it ranks amongst the top 20 richest countries in biodiversity on Earth in terms of species density. Simply put, it is possible to find more species within 1,000 km2 in Costa Rica than in the same geographical area in countries like Brazil or Colombia.

Are you ready to discover the wonders here?

Costa Rica´s Little Amazons

There is a place in Costa Rica where the natural wildlife wonders and visitors become one and where the water is like a giant mirror reflecting the lush foliage all around. Surrounded by a system of natural canals and lagoons running southeast to northeast, Tortuguero National Park, located in the Northern Caribbean side, is without any doubt our little Amazon. It is also one of the most important places in the world in the protection of the green turtle. It is also home to other incredible species such as the manatee, the American crocodile and the Gaspar fish, which is considered a living fossil.
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Majestic birds such as the Great Blue Heron, the biggest heron in the country, and the Northern Jacana, which is infamous because the female protects the territory while the male nests the eggs, populate and thrive in this rich environment. The bird populations found in Costa Rica are so diverse that they account for approximately half of the species in total and surpass the number of species found in all of Europe. Herbal swamps, marshlands and ‘flooded’ forests are part of this array of diverse habitats for the wide range of birds in Costa Rica.
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However, Tortuguero is not only about nature. Located on the Caribbean side, it is one of the larger regions of Afro- Caribbean culture in the country. The majority of its population are of Jamaican origin and they maintain their food, dances and traditions. Their dishes are largely spicy and many recipes include coconut, reinforcing the fact that Tortuguero is an interesting location to experience both natural wildlife and cultural attractions.
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Costa Rica´s Rings of Fire

As part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, Costa Rica´s volcanoes are among the most mesmerizing in the world. In fact, the present-day landmass known as Costa Rica is the result of complex volcanic activity that took place some 75 million years ago and still continues today. Taking into consideration every location or crater where eruptions have occurred within its borders, Costa Rica volcanoes boast a stunning 112 sites throughout the country. Most Costa Rica volcanoes and their surrounding areas have been formed into national parks and offered protection as such.
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One of these is Arenal Volcano, listed among the 10 most active volcanoes in the world; for good reason: It is regularly a spectacle, resplendent with strong rumbling sounds and occasional rock avalanches, along with smoke, ash and lava eruptions that descend down its slope at speeds reaching 70 kilometers per hour and temperatures topping 1,000o Celsius.
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Arenal Volcano´s last great eruption took place in 1968. Until then, the volcano had been assumed to be just another peak of the mountain range. The mountain and surrounding area were declared a national park in 1994. Today, thermal hot springs are now the area’s main attraction, most of which include a host of nearby trails and numerous lookout points.
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The Biggest Rainforest in Costa Rica

La Amistad International Park (PILA) is not only the biggest natural park in Costa Rica at near 200,000 hectares, but also the only bi-national park, created by the governments of Costa Rica and Panama in 1982. The name La Amistad, symbolically means friendship in Spanish. The total extension of this amazing portion of protected land in both countries approximates nearly 400,000 hectares, which covers a bandwidth of humid, rain and cloud forests on both the Pacific and Atlantic sides, as well as indigenous reserves.
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The Talamanca region, a big portion of the park, was a refuge in colonial times for indigenous people who were resistant and resilient to the Spanish colonizers’ repression. The isolation of the region, characterized by difficult geographical conditions, allowed its inhabitants to safeguard most of their traditional ways of life and costumes. This enormous cultural richness and extraordinary natural habitats, are the result of different altitudes, soil bases and microclimates.

Subsequently, this composite was the reason behind designating the park as a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site. Species that are in great danger of extinction such as the jaguar, the largest feline in the Americas and third largest world-wide, live in the park alongside other wildlife, inclusive of 400 species of birds, 263 species of amphibians and reptiles and 213 of mammals. Many other unique known species are found only in this giant rainforest.
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A Whale´s Tail

The Uvita tombolo or sandy bridge that connects the mainland with a rocky islet, near Dominical Beach, in the Southern Pacific of Costa Rica, resembles a perfect whale´s tail in low tide. Additionally, it is also interesting that this place and surroundings are one of the best spots to watch humpback whales traveling from North and South America.

These warm waters are inviting, and lure whales during the winter months as they migrate back to their places of origin. Northern humpbacks can normally be seen from December to April and southern humpbacks, from July to October.
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It is an amazing spectacle; taking into account that these migrating whales typically measure up to 16 meters in length and weigh up to 40 tons. Their name is reflective of a small hump in front of their dorsal fin that is distinctly noticeable when they double over to dive into the water. On many an occasion, you will catch glimpses of a female humpback whale traveling with her new born or young calf.
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Nature on the Skin

Imagine if the delicious cup of coffee, the freshly made piña colada, the aromatic essences that give flavor to your salad or even the fragrance of the wild flowers which you smell, could be part of your skin tone. Mixing these ingredients in with various health, relaxation and beauty treatments is possible and typical in Costa Rica.

Situated throughout our Costa Rica territory are locations that are also home to many diverse spas. These spas strive to offer holistic services of international quality standards and they do so with warmth and personalized attention.
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Add to this a never-ending source of certified natural produce, creativity and knowledge, and you will end up with an array of benefits to replenish your skin. These products can and do improve health, calm emotions and truly work their magic when used for massages by the capable, local therapists. These healing ingredients include coffee, brown sugar and coconut.

They may be used to exfoliate your skin and assist in eliminating dead cells and toxins, or they may be used to improve blood circulation and allow positive energy to flow throughout your body. One method is the ever-popular body wraps, in which volcanic mud, jasmine, mint or tropical fruits are used to hydrate and replenish the skin while also nurturing it with vitamins and minerals.
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In many of these spas, specially designed healing rooms provide a soothing, relaxing climate – one enriched by stimulating decorations, gentle music and ambient sounds from nature, sea or forest animals – one can choose to enjoy a therapeutic experience as an individual, shared as couples, with friends and/or family members.
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A Remarkable Bird

Its plumage is mostly scarlet but its tail-covered feathers are light blue, making the Scarlet Macaw one of the most beautiful birds of the American tropics. In fact, at almost 1 meter in length, more than half of this size constituted by its pointed striking tail, this bird cannot go unnoticed, and they are often found in pairs. Side by side, these pairs of birds may even congregate with other pairs to form a flock of several hundred: a spectacle that is impossible to forget when one sees them flying above the forest canopy.

This is possible because the Scarlet Macaws live in lowland rainforests, open woodlands, river edges and savannas of Central and South America. Its range extends from Mexico to the start of the Amazon basin.
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An interesting fact about the Scarlet Macaws is that they are not only monogamous but also only form and identify as one pair during their entire life span. If any of the two birds in a pair dies, the other remains alone, which could be for a long time, taking into account that these birds can live up to 50 years thereabouts. Another curious trait is the use of their beaks as an aid in both eating and as a “third foot” when climbing.

The beak is strong enough to crush seeds and nuts, while the thick fleshy tongue is used to move the food around. Breeding takes place during the first half of the year and the nest is usually built in a hole at the top of a tall dead tree previously used by woodpeckers. Despite the fact that the young Scarlet Macaws are born featherless, at six months it is hard to distinguish the young from the parents in terms of their plumes.
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An Old Survival Ritual

Marine turtles have inhabited the Earth for more than 100 million years surviving extreme climatic changes. Costa Rica has some of the most important nesting beaches in the world where it is still possible to witness this longstanding survival ritual amongst marine turtles.
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On the Pacific as well as the Atlantic coast, hundreds of female sea turtles representing five different species of the world´s seven species arrive on Costa Rican beaches to carry on a tireless mission guaranteeing their survival. For example, Ostional Beach, on the Northern Pacific coast, is considered the main nesting site for the olive ridley turtle, which is famous for its large mass arrivals.

This giant leatherback turtle does not go unnoticed, even though it is in great danger of extinction in the world due to man-made causes. Not only is it the largest sea turtle on planet Earth measuring up to 1.8 m and weighing up to 400 kg, but it also holds the record as the furthest traveling reptile.

Their journey takes them from their feeding sites back to the beach where they hatched in order to lay their eggs. In some cases, we are talking about a trip between continents. Other sea turtles that can be seen in the country of Costa Rica are the green, hawksbill and loggerhead species.
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Guayabo: A Glance at Costa Rica’s Indigenous Past

The most important archeological site in Costa Rica, the Guayabo National Monument, is located in the skirts of Turrialba Volcano. In 2009, this site was declared a World Engineering Heritage Site by the American Association of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Guayabo is the third archaeological site in Latin America to receive this distinction following Machu Picchu and Tipón in Perú.
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One of the reasons for this distinction is the over 700-year-old aqueduct, which is still functional today, along with its calzada, a stone walkway used as a transit route and part of the drainage system. The calzada leads towards a ceremonial center, where it is possible to observe several mounds which at one time served as support for the famous conical roofed straw and reed structures of South American influence.

Stone was commonly used in Guayabo to build a system of sidewalks and walls that helped prevent erosion and landslides. There are also stone tombs decorated with pebbles, flagstones, engravings and petroglyphs.
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Guayabo was constructed between 300 B.C. and 1.400 A.D. It was populated by indigenous groups of the Intermediate Cultural Area, which extended from Alajuela, in Costa Rica, all the way to Colombia, Venezuela and part of Ecuador. Despite the fact that Guayabo was no longer populated when the Spaniards arrived and the causes of its depopulation are still a mystery, the site was undoubtedly a highly-developed cultural and political-religious center for centuries, whose importance was heightened precisely because of its rich resources and the presence of the Turrialba Volcano.
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Quality Healthcare and Nature Within your Reach

This perfect combination and mix of nature, technology and medical infrastructure makes Costa Rica a top destination for medical travels. More than 30.000 patients with their companions and some of the most renowned multinational corporations have chosen Costa Rica as their first choice for medical and dental treatments.

Come and visit Costa Rica!