Seeing new and exotic things has always been the appeal of traveling. Yet traveling itself, although grown more convenient and reliable, has grown to become more costly. It would be prudent to settle into a locale where one still enjoys the joy of discovery without the burden of costly travel.

New cities and cultures will always be intriguing, but none can strike as much awe as the pure beauty of natural wonders. When it comes to natural wonders, nothing compares to a city nature itself has created.

When you mention rainforest, images of tall canopies above misty green expanses come to mind. Often, one of the first things you'll think of the mighty Amazon River that traverses through South America. Indeed the rainforest is host to a large number of flora and fauna. Yet the Amazon isn't the only place you can go to for a taste of natural beauty.

Home to a rich variety of plants and animals is Costa Rica. It may contain only 0.1% of the world's landmass, but in the 0.1% thrive 5% of the world's biodiversity - that's the greatest density of species in the world. That's quite a lot of wildlife for a country so small. This is because 25% of the nation is composed of protected forests and reserves. Even though Costa Rica is a small country, Costa Rica is famous for year-round adventure tourism and outdoor activities. And if you're a frequent visitor of the country, having your own Costa Rica real estate will allow you to lengthen your stay and enjoy these activities more.

Costa Rica has an area of 51,100 square kilometers (slightly larger than Switzerland), making it relatively quick to travel from point to point, not taking more than a couple of hours' travel. A visit to a couple of the country's national parks gives visitors unique wildlife experiences that can easily rival anything the Amazon can offer.

The Corcovado National Park is internationally-renowned among ecologists for its biodiversity. Visitors can expect to see an abundance of wildlife like big cats and tapirs, aside from engaging in eco-tourism activities like zip lines through the canopy, or even just an elevated walkway for the faint of heart.

With a name meaning "full of turtles," Tortuguero National Park also boasts of a wide variety of animals. Spider, howler and white-throated Capuchin monkeys, the three-toed sloth, 320 species of birds (including eight species of parrots) and a variety of reptiles all reside here. Of course, Tortuguero is more popularly known for its turtles. The endangered green turtle makes this park its annual nesting grounds, making this the most important nesting site for this species. Rare species like the giant leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles also nest here.

For those with a green thumb, there is the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. This park hosts two thousand plant species, including numerous orchids. Over four hundred types of birds can be found here, and over one hundred species of mammals. As a whole, around eight hundred species of birds have been identified in Costa Rica.

Because of the area's sheer biological diversity, several pharmaceutical companies conduct extensive experiments on its plant life in hopes of finding new cures and remedies for modern ailments and diseases. Some scientists even speculate that a number of new species of plants and animals have yet to be discovered here. Who knows, you just might discover one yourself.

By: Jedd Sullivan
Costa Rica real estate