Costa Rica is quickly becoming the must visit Gap Year and adventure travel destination. With two tempting coast lines, volcanoes, rainforests and abundant wildlife, it’s easy to see why. Here’s our pros and cons:
Pros:
Costa Rica has rich and varied wildlife from sloths to toucans and frogs to turtles.
There is a huge selection of environmental volunteer programmes to choose from – many of which feature jungle and marine conservation.
You will have the chance to learn or practice Spanish.
There’a a great selection of adventure activities from dramatic zip lines to white water rafting and from diving to surfing.
Cons:
By Latin American standards, Costa Rica is expensive – with some costs equalling those in the US.
You will need to be aware of natural hazards such as heavy rains, flooding and possible volcano eruptions.
The roads are often in bad condition and prone to mud slides and flooding.
Violence against tourists is rare but does happen including car jacking, rape and mugging at knifepoint.
Be aware of drink spiking with methanol.
The safety standards of some of the adventure activities isn’t always up to scratch.
There are also natural dangers on the beaches – with rip tides and crocodiles on the Pacific coast.