Mr. Costa Rica, Christopher Howard, tells us all about life in the land of the Ticos and Ticas in our Destination of the Month for July. He should know. A celebrated author and blogger who has lived in the country for over 35 years, Christopher definitely has a deep understanding of what makes Costa Rica one of the top travel and expat destinations in the world.
In fact, Costa Rica just came out on top in the Global Tourism Monitor Survey of 23,000 people in 26 countries. Asked which destination globetrotters would recommend based on their experience in the country, Costa Rica ranks #1, ahead of 64 other countries.
It’s pretty easy to see why. Costa Rica has been a paradise for nature lovers and environmentalists for years and shelters the greatest density of species in the world. The country represents only one-fourth of 1 percent of the world’s land, but is home to 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity. Over 25 percent of the country is protected by the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), which oversees the protected areas.
People are very happy in Costa Rica. How happy? The World Database of Happiness, compiled by a Dutch sociologist from surveys by Gallup and others, lists Costa Rica #1 out of 148 countries. But wait, there’s more. The Happy Planet Index, created by the New Economics Foundation, ranks Costa Rica number one for achieving contentment and longevity in an environmentally sustainable way.
Here are a few fun facts about Costa Rica:
- Less than 1 percent of Costa Ricans are of indigenous ancestry; 94 percent are of either European or mestizo ethnicity
- Costa Rica’s coastline is over 800 miles long
- There are 121 volcanic formations in the country and seven are active, including Arenal, one of the 10 most active volcanoes in the world
- There are about 52 species of hummingbirds in Costa Rica
- Monkeys are the most common mammals in the country
- Over 750,000 species of insects live in Costa Rica, including 20,000 different types of spiders
- Costa Rica has no army
You can find out why so many expats find a home in Costa Rica in our Countries section.