Geography
Costa Rica is a small country that lies beneath Nicaragua and sits just above Panama in Central America. Compared to the US, Costa Rica is a little bit smaller than West Virginia. Because Costa Rica is so small, its geography doesn’t really vary that much. The country is full of beautiful beaches and even more rainforests with numerous different types of animals. There are also mountains, lakes, islands, and even volcanoes! This country is perfect for someone who loves nature and adventure.
Costa Rica in Google Maps
Costa Rica has many mountains, but it's tallest mountain is ​​Cerro Chirripó, and it has great trails for hikers. Cerro Chirripó is 3,821 meters (12,536 ft) tall, and it typically takes hikers about two to three days to hike the whole mountain. Chirripó in English actually means “land of eternal waters”.
Hand-Drawn Topographic Map of Costa Rica
Cerro Chirripó Mountain
The weather is usually pretty warm in Costa Rica, but there are dry seasons and rainy, wet seasons. December through April is the warmest and driest time of the year with April being the hottest month and also being the transitional month where the rainy season begins. May through November is the rainy season, also known as the green season, with September through October being the rainiest months and July through August the least rainy months. Temperatures can reach up to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) and as low as 16 degrees Fahrenheit (-8 degrees Celsius). It would be recommended to bring a rain jacket, even if it is the dry season, and also something good for hot weather, like shorts or short sleeves.
Picture of a Coati
Picture of a sloth
Costa Rica is full of interesting animals with a very large range. Some animals that you might find in Costa Rica are monkeys, scarlet macaws, toucans, jaguars, hummingbirds, crocodiles, coatis, frogs, turtles, many more, and the main animal that Costa Rica represents, the sloth. Sloths live in rainforests and can also be found in Brazil and Peru, but the main place to find them is in Costa Rica. Sloths move VERY slowly and mainly stay up in trees, only coming down about once a week to use the bathroom, mate, or find food. Sloths mainly eat leaves, twigs and buds and sleep up to 20 hours a day! There are many fun things to do and see in the beautiful country of Costa Rica, so I hope you get to see it one day!
Jaguar in a tree
Picture of a Capuchin Monkey
Hand-Drawn Topographic Map of Costa Rica
Costa Rica has many mountains, but it's tallest mountain is ​​Cerro Chirripó, and it has great trails for hikers. Cerro Chirripó is 3,821 meters (12,536 ft) tall, and it typically takes hikers about two to three days to hike the whole mountain. Chirripó in English actually means “land of eternal waters”.