Costa Rica

On a narrow sliver of Central America between the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, Costa Rica is a small but remarkable country with magnificent coastlines, pristine rainforests and lush volcanic interior harbouring diversity unlike anywhere else.

The Osa Peninsula, a modest 1800 square kilometers (half of Long Island), contains an astonishing 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity. Across Costa Rica, an area smaller than West Virginia, you can find one in 20 of all known species on earth.

Costa Rica takes sustainability seriously. Over a quarter of its land and half its coastline are protected, and it is working towards carbon neutrality this decade. Sustainable tourism is a big part of protecting nature here, so it’s no surprise that some of the most pioneering ecolodges anywhere can be found hidden among its forests.

Ride horses along the beach to the sound of howler monkey calls before an afternoon spotting humpback whales breach the waves. Or raft rapids to a lodge in the jungle then trek trails to meet an indigenous Cabécar community, keeping an eye out for sloths and jaguars as you go. Luxury holidays in Costa Rica introduce travellers to a nature lover's paradise.