You cannot explore Central America without getting flights to Costa Rica. This varied country, hemmed in on both sides by the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, has a plethora of natural attractions to recommend it, from cloud forests and smoking volcanoes, to beautiful beaches and exotic wildlife.
It also has distinct local cultures which you can find out about when you have disembarked from your flights to Costa Rica. On the eastern side is Limon where the Afro-Caribbean culture thrives with its Creole food and Caribbean English. Then there is Guanacaste bordering with Nicaragua with its roots deep in cowboy territory and folklore.
Costa Rica is the spiritual home of eco-tourism, but you can expect more than palm roofs and a bowl of organic mung beans because this is luxury vacationing, just with a conscience. The mist that lingers in the forests peels back in places to reveal hundreds of toucans and rare wildlife like quetzals to leatherback turtles can be seen regularly. Arenal Volcano puts on mighty shows almost daily, and nearby hot springs soothe away any aches sustained whilst surfing and white-water rafting on gorgeous beaches and rambunctious rivers.
If you are a wildlife enthusiast then you simply must buy some flights to Costa Rica so you can visit Tortuguero. It is one of the main areas where three types of turtles lay their eggs, August being the peak month to see the most hawksbills and green turtles.
For more marine life, head for Parque Nacional Cahuita with its coral reef and colourful inhabitants, plus howler monkeys, kingfishers, and sloths in the coastal rainforest. The cloud forests of Monteverde alone make the Costa Rica flights worth it, with nearly 500 species of butterflies, 100 mammal species, and more than 400 different types of birds.
For a lively entertainment scene, head to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca for dancing to reggae by night and surfing the Salsa Brava by day.
Many travellers and backpackers choose flights to Costa Rica because of the country’s biodiversity and ecotourism roots. The rainy season runs from May to November so flights to Costa Rica are generally better value at this time. So do not get left behind – book some bargain flights Costa Rica bound through Vayama.ie to experience some of the 161 parks and reserves.