Seven Wonders to Visit in Costa Rica
Coco Island is definitely on many people’s list of places to visit… Nominated for the Seven Wonders of the World, Coco Island sadly was not chosen for the final seven, but never the less it is still a place you must visit to fully appreciate.
Not having been satisfied with the voter’s decision to eliminate Coco Island, Costa Rica has chosen its own, local Siete Maravillas (Seven Wonders).
Organized by Costa Rica’s largest and most prestigious newspaper, La Nacion, nearly 30,000 Costa Ricans demonstrated their love for nature and voted for the seven wonders in Costa Rica.
The natural wonder that received the most votes (23,331) happened to be a place that few Costa Ricans have actually been to in person: Isla del Coco (Coco’s Island). The tiny, protected, and prehistoric-looking island sits about 600 kilometers (373 miles) off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. It has captured the attention of the likes of author Michael Crichton, who is said to have been inspired by this place for his novel Jurassic Park, and Jacques Cousteau, who reportedly called it “the most beautiful island in the world.”
It is not that Costa Ricans don’t want to go firsthand to see the island, but it is because it is an expensive, 36-hour boat trip and rare camping permits have kept most from ever visiting Isla del Coco. Scuba Dive Costa Rica offers live aboard tours to Coco Island, but there is a large waiting list.
Second place is a more accessible location and a famous vacation hot spot (literally), Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano National Park. Perhaps the only active volcano in Costa Rica that can constantly be seen spewing molten lava, Arenal Volcano destroyed a mountainside village in 1968, killing 87 people, but has since kept erupting constantly, but at a less lethal degree. Its beauty and power draw tourists from Costa Rica and around the world. Be sure to visit the hot springs in the area and spend the day. Plan ahead, since the word got out, the last time I check they we’re already booked for weeks, and we couldn’t get a reservation.
Costa Rica’s tallest peak, at 3,820 meters (12,530 feet), is Cerro Chirripo—and it is the third pick on the Costa Rican Seven Wonders list. Rising from the Talamanca mountain range in the middle of the country, it offers views of both the Pacific and the Caribbean oceans on a clear day. It is a quite the hike so you better be in shape!
Another high peak, the Tenorio Volcano, with a unique river that pours down its side, has also captured the nation’s affection. The Rio Celeste (Baby-Blue River) gets its name from the unusual color of its water—a milky light blue created by a mix of volcano minerals and sulfur deposits.
On the northern Caribbean coast, the remote and wild Tortugero National Park—a maze of mangroves, canals, lush tropical jungle, birds, and wild animals—was the only wonder from the Caribbean coast.
Close to Costa Rica’s Central Valley is the Poas Volcano National Park—Costa Rica’s most-visited national park. The famous Monteverde Cloud Forest, a protected haven of high-elevation forest flora and fauna where the sought-after Costa Rica bird, the Quetzal, can be found. These two Costa Rica National Parks closed out the list.
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