COSTA RICA

There’s a great line by surfer Ru Hill explaining how he first ended up in Costa Rica.

“I got a map of the world, put a line through the cold places and all the places where there was a war going on"

The Central American country with no standing army is by far the most established tourist destination in a part of the world where coups, civil war and government oppression were historically the rule, rather than the exception in the 20th century.

With coastlines on the Pacific and the Caribbean, Costa Rica is perennially popular with backpackers and an increasing number of vacationers - so much so that many have decided to relocate permanently. For those who are yet to visit, it remains a first-draft pick when asked ‘where would you most like to travel?’

It’s not our favourite place to be in Central America though, partially because of the popularity, the prices, and the ‘North Americanisation’ of some aspects of the culture and travel experience - and such a tale is not unusual amongst those doing a longer term trip in that part of the world.

However, that absolutely doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be really bloody excited to head over there for its world famous nature, whale-spotting, surf, beaches, cloud forests, and pura vida way of life.