Retire in Paradise

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Every get so hyped for a trip that once you arrive at your destination, it can’t possibly live up to your expectations? You’ll never have this problem with Costa Rica. It is the ultimate “wow” travel destination.

Beaches. Costa Rica is known for them and it lives up to the hype. With coasts on both side of the country, it is hard not to. If you want waves, stick to the Pacific Coast. If you prefer diving, the East Coast is better.

There is much more to Costa Rica than just beaches. Rain forests that are legendary, volcanoes, epic windsurfing on Lake Arenal, health retreats and more. The country simply has pretty much anything you could possible dream of in a vacation location.

All and all, words are cheap. If you are considering a trip to the country, you need some hard information. Here are few tidbits to wet your appetite.

For nearly three centuries, Costa Rica was a province, not a country. It was run as part of the Captaincy General of Guatemala under a military governor instituted by Spain.

The Spanish discovered the country and had visions of huge amounts of gold. They never found it, but overcame the disappointment and settled down into agriculture.

In 1821, Costa Rica joined other Spanish provinces in a joint declaration of independence from Spain. It took 21 more years to gain independence as a country.

The country is a Republic in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south with the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean to the east.

Costa Rica is unique from all the countries around it in that it has remained a stable country for over a hundred years. There was one short civil war long ago, but peace has reigned the rest of the time..

Costa Rica is definitely the most visited nation in the Central America region with a $1.7 billion a year tourism industry

Travelers to Costa Rica have to be careful with the seasons. There is no winter or summer as such. Instead, there is a rainy season from May to November and a dry season from December to April.

When it comes to protecting its natural resources, the government Costa Rica doesn’t go for empty rhetoric. It has moved to protect over a quarter of the land from development and exploitation.

Instead of a military, the Constitution guarantees universal public education for all citizens. Primary education is obligatory, and both preschool and high school are free. The county has leading Universities in biological fields.

Many countries could learn a thing or two about education systems from Costa Rica. Elementary and high schools are everywhere. Since there is no funding needed for a military, education gets a lot of focus and the literacy rate in Costa Rica is of 96%.

At the end of the day, there are tons of different things you could know about Costa Rica. The most important way to find them out, however, is just to visit the country and take in one of the best travel destinations in the world.