Curu and Tortuga Island, Costa Rica
One of the most remarkable aspects of Costa Rica is its enormous biodiversity. Located in the Central American isthmus it has served as a biological bridge for plant and animal species coming from the two great landmasses of North and South America. However, Costa Rica is also a biological filter. The three volcanic mountain ranges that cover its territory have created the conditions for numerous microclimates throughout this small country which is barely the size of West Virginia. Visitors from all over the world come to see the rainforest and are surprised to find that this is just one of many different habitats. Here tropical rainforests coexist side by side with cloud and dry forests among others creating a wonderful mosaic of life zones. And that is the reason for which in Costa Rica we find about 5% of the world’s biodiversity.
Our expedition through Costa Rica and Nicaragua started this morning with a visit to Curu Wildlife refuge. A working ranch committed to the conservation of the tropical dry forest and the protection scarlet macaws and spider monkeys. As we hiked through the forest mango groves and mangroves we encountered howler and capuchin monkeys, coatis, spiny tail iguanas, bats, trogons and wrens in the midst of this fantastic semi deciduous forest where trees are lush and green during the rainy season and loose all their leaves during the dry months.
After lunch we sailed off to Tortuga Island where we enjoyed an afternoon on the beach playing soccer, swimming or simply relaxing on the sand and thus started our journey through this marvelous corner of our planet.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Costa Rica is its enormous biodiversity. Located in the Central American isthmus it has served as a biological bridge for plant and animal species coming from the two great landmasses of North and South America. However, Costa Rica is also a biological filter. The three volcanic mountain ranges that cover its territory have created the conditions for numerous microclimates throughout this small country which is barely the size of West Virginia. Visitors from all over the world come to see the rainforest and are surprised to find that this is just one of many different habitats. Here tropical rainforests coexist side by side with cloud and dry forests among others creating a wonderful mosaic of life zones. And that is the reason for which in Costa Rica we find about 5% of the world’s biodiversity.
Our expedition through Costa Rica and Nicaragua started this morning with a visit to Curu Wildlife refuge. A working ranch committed to the conservation of the tropical dry forest and the protection scarlet macaws and spider monkeys. As we hiked through the forest mango groves and mangroves we encountered howler and capuchin monkeys, coatis, spiny tail iguanas, bats, trogons and wrens in the midst of this fantastic semi deciduous forest where trees are lush and green during the rainy season and loose all their leaves during the dry months.
After lunch we sailed off to Tortuga Island where we enjoyed an afternoon on the beach playing soccer, swimming or simply relaxing on the sand and thus started our journey through this marvelous corner of our planet.