A popular tourist attraction for adventure enthusiasts and nature lovers alike, it is surprising that just since a short decade ago this small Central American nation has grown to become one of the world's top places to travel.

Popular and breath-taking beaches abound, such as the Manuel Antonio, Playa Dominical and Montezuma to name but a few. Pristine white beaches, crystal clear blue water and peaceful nature scenes beckon many to escape from the daily pressures and rejuvenate both the body and mind. Perhaps you are considering a vacation or holiday and would like to see something magnificently beautiful and unique?

In efforts to maintain much of Costa Rica's beautiful surroundings, much of this country's land has been turned into protected parks and reserves to prohibit the breath-taking and lush environment from deforestation and logging. Costa Rica today prides itself on having 58 wildlife refuges, 27 national parks, 15 wetland areas, 11 forest reserves and 8 biological reserves as well as another 12 conservation regions that protect the very diverse natural habitats found in this country.

Popular national parks abound in Costa Rica and include, but are not limited to the Chirripo National Park, which houses Costa Rica's tallest mountain, the Arenal Volcano National Park, which has Costa Rica's most active volcano, the Barra Honda National Park with its limestone caves, the Las Baulas National Marine Park which is home to an enormous amount of leatherback turtles and the Corcovado National Park, which is thought by some people to be the most biologically intense place on the entire earth.

Costa Rica is known for having well over 8,000 different species of plants and trees, approximately 1,000 or more different types of saltwater and fresh fish species, over 800 indigenous and migrant birds and over 200 different types of reptiles. This broadly ranged abundance of wildlife and nature helps to make Costa Rica a truly unique and very natural paradise on earth. Costa Rica also has many endangered animals such as the Leatherback turtles, Oliver Ridley turtles, Tapir, Golden Toad, and the West Indian manatee to name but a few.

The unique variety of both archeological and historical places in Costa Rica offers an extremely interesting view into this country's cultural heritage. While visiting and truly experiencing the vast assortment of historical museums and monuments in this amazing country, one might actually be able to feel the past come to life for him as if he were actually living back in those times, if only but for a few days or a week.

The capital city of San Jose is by far the best place to begin to discover the rich history of Costa Rica, since many of the best museums are located in this city. A few of the most notable historic places of Costa Rica include Museo Nacional De Costa Rica, Museo de Arte Costarricense and, last but certainly not least, Cartago City.

In closing, there is so much to write about such a truly beautiful and peaceful country, that one article simply cannot do it justice. My suggestion? You may want to dust off that passport, start booking flights, packing your family's bags and jet off for the trip of a lifetime to Costa Rica.