At the end of a large scale civil war in 1948 Costa Rica abolished its army, the first country in the world to do so. It is a democratic republic with over 50 years of uninterrupted democracy, making it one of the most stable countries in Central and South America and thus has subsequently avoided the wide spread violence that most other countries in the region are plagued by.
The government of Costa Rica has been devoted to protecting areas of interest and creating national parks for many years. Costa Rica has become a popular destination for tourists visiting these areas and is considered a pioneer in this type of tourism, it is recognised as one of the few countries in the world with real ecotourism.
This, unfortunately, has it’s downsides. With approximately 1.9 million foreign visitors each year, on average spending $1000 per person, earning the country more foreign exchange than bananas and coffee combined, most of the towns and cities are littered with tour operators and adventure guides. Being here, I get the impression that the country is being treated as a huge adventure park; cable ride canopy tour of the rain forest, white water rafting, canyoning the waterfalls… you name it, it’s advertised on almost every block and can be done for a low price. It’s great for the country, less than 5% of the population are unemployed, but not so good for people who like to relax in the tranquilo culture that is seen everywhere else in Latin America.
Places I visited:
