Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica

Located on the southern end of the remote and isolated Oso Peninsula, 164-square-mile Corcovado National Park is Costa Rica’s largest national park. From cloud forest to mangrove swamp, the park’s astounding biodiversity includes an estimated 500 species of trees, approximately 140 species of mammal, over 360 species of bird, nearly 120 species of reptiles and amphibians, and over 6,000 species of insects.

The park’s long stretches of pristine beach are backed by the lush, dense canopy of forests that teem with life. Four monkey species (spider, whiteface, squirrel, and howler) share this revered place with two- and three-toed sloths, anteaters, tapirs, jaguars, margays, and ocelots, along with winged brethren including scarlet macaws, tovi parakeets, king vultures, and Harpy eagles. The more slippery creatures include poison-dart frogs, speckled caimen, dolphins, killer whales, hammerhead sharks, and a few crocodiles. The gulf provides water-entry to the remote, isolated national park.

Cúru National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica

Over 3,600 acres in size, Curú National Wildlife Refuge and Hacienda was once a private home of Federico Schutt de la Croix and Doña Julietta Schutt de Valle. Raising their three children there, the two began to focus their efforts on preservation of habitat for threatened and endangered species in the 1970s. By 1983, their property was officially granted status as a “wildlife refuge.” Today, Curú is an example of successful and sustainable ecotourism not only providing protection for the local environment, but essential jobs for the local Ticos as well.

Doña Julietta still runs the Refuge with the help of her adult children. Of the 3,600 acres, most is protected forest. Within the forest and the 84-acre refuge live incredibly diverse animal, reptile, avian, and insect species. Among its wild residents are white-faced, howler, and spider monkeys, anteaters, armadillos, and coatis, margays and puma, yellow-naped parrots, trogons, caracara, frigate birds and hummingbirds, and army ants, giant toads, and butterflies. Hiking trails of varying degrees of challenge cross the reserve and offer opportunities to spot wildlife in the canopy above and along the forest floor.

Darien Jungle

A lush, mountainous rainforest, the Darien Jungle climbs from sea level to several hundred feet in lowland valleys to over 6,000’ at the top of the tallest peak. Rarely visited, the region is characterized by unspoiled sandy beaches, jagged rocky coasts, mangrove swamps, and tropical forests bursting with endemic and rare species of plants, birds, and wildlife. It is also at the northernmost range for many migratory South American species and the southern range of numerous Northern and Central American species. In an effort to save the Darien Jungle from being poached by loggers and developers, UNESCO declared the Darien National Park—the largest national park in Central America—one of its World Heritage Sites in 1981. The region is home to the Embera and Kuna native peoples who regularly travel through the jungle by dugout canoe. Darien offers a rich cultural history, from the migration of First Peoples between the Americas to its role as the main Spanish transportation route for gold and silver from Peru to Panama.

Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica

Tucked between the Osa Peninsula and the mainland of Costa Rica, Golfo Dulce—or “sweet gulf"—is a large, sheltered bay ringed by secluded beaches and tropical rainforest, including Piedres Blancas National Park at the north end and its amazing “sister park,” Corcovado National Park. The gulf harbors an important estuarine habitat from the drainage of the Llorona, Corcovado, and Sirena Rivers. In its protected waters, kayaking, snorkeling, and skiff rides provide a view into the rich marine world below the surface. Golfo Dulce also boasts one of the world’s longest left-hand breaks when the conditions are right, making this a popular destination for surfers.

Granito de Oro, Coiba National Park, Panamá

The features of this small islet within Coiba National Park have made it a natural “fishbowl” for marine life. Two rocky volcanic outcroppings on either end of the islet act a bit like a reef protecting its white-sand beaches and sheltering its surrounding water. A relaxing playground for adventure on the lighter side, a casual snorkel reveals a bounty of colorful marine life along the rocks. The picture-perfect beaches are ideal for a meandering stroll or for an afternoon snooze on warm sand. The cluster for trees and palms at the center of the island are very fitting with the lush jungle of the country, and offer a fascinating place for a nature walk beneath the shaded, dense canopy.

Granito de Oro is part of Coiba National Park which was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

Gulf of Panamá Islands

Discovered by Spanish explorers, the volcanic islands in the Gulf of Panamá are remnants of ancient activity along the Pacific Ocean’s ring of fire. One island in this cluster, Isla Tobago, or the flower island, was discovered by Vasco Balboa in the 1500s. The colonial church on the island is a reminder of a centuries-long history and is said to be Panama’s oldest.

Today, a quaint fishing village bustles on the eastern side, a number of hiking trails offer fantastic views across the gulf, and pretty white-sand beaches stretch along its shores. The tiny bulb of an island, El Murro, can be reached by a sand bar at low tide. Isla Urabá, just at the southern end of Tobago, is part of the Tobago Wildlife reserve and offers great birding on shore and snorkeling along coral-covered, volcanic rock. Each of the many islands in the Gulf of Panama are unique including rocky Isla Flamenco—also known as Dead Man’s Island, Isla Bona that buzzes with the activity of hundreds of birds, and little Isla Otoque that barely encompasses 2.6 square kilometers and is home to fewer than 150 people.

Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s largest peninsula, 75-mile long Nicoya Peninsula is divided into two provinces; Guanacaste in the north and Puntarenas in the south. Historically important, the peninsula includes one of the oldest native settlements in the country and was first explored by Davila in 1523. Today, the peninsula is known for its many reserves, refuges, and national parks including Curú National Wildlife Refuge, magnificent white-sand beaches, and lush tropical forests.

The interior of the southern end of the peninsula, Puntarenas, is mountainous with lushly forested slopes that drop steeply down to the coast. Beautiful beaches backed by these mountains—many with waterfalls—create a dramatic scene with something to see everywhere the eye can look. Living in the verdant forests are a bountiful number of animal species including tapirs, howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, sloths, kinkajous, and coatis. The peninsula is also home to healthy populations of birds, reptiles, and insects, including frigate birds, hummingbirds, brightly colored macaws, tanagers, and trogons, army ants, leaf ants, and blue morpho butterflies, and leatherback and Olive Ridley turtles.

From beachcombing and beach napping, to hiking jungle trails and playing in crystal-clear water, the Nicoya Peninsula is a perfect playground for the active adventure seeker.

Panamá Canal

Panamá Canal is one of the most important waterways of the world. Connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, this engineering marvel provides passage to vessels through Central America, allowing them to avoid traveling several thousand extra miles around the dangerous southern tip of South America’s Cape Horn. The construction of the canal began in 1881 by the French, but the search for such a route of passage began long before. Early explorers to Central America believed the possibility of finding a passageway was high and, with both truly helpful information and misleading reports disguised as helpful from natives of the area, they searched for a way across.

After the successful construction of the Suez Canal, the French and in particular, the man behind the Suez Canal, Ferdinand de Lesseps, believed construction of a sea-level Panamá Canal would be swift and inexpensive. But due to challenging terrain that cut through the mountainous spine of Central America, dense forest, and across two large rivers, and the propensity for workers to die of malaria and yellow fever, the French project plagued with financial struggles and was sold to the United States in the early 1900s.

Then-president Theodore Roosevelt was a forceful advocate for the building of the canal. His belief in its importance was so strong that the US went so far as to support a rebel uprising that gave Panamanians their independence from Columbia.

Construction began again in earnest in 1905 after John Frank Stevens, the engineering mastermind behind the Great Northern Railway, was hired as Chief Engineer. Building better housing and sanitation for workers and hiring a massive labor force, he got the ball rolling and convinced Roosevelt and Congress that the canal should be a lock system, not sea level.

Major George Geothals, who succeeded Stevens, saw the project to completion. During the course of construction, over 268 million cubic yards of earth was dug and moved; two artificial lakes—Lake Gatun and Miraflores Lake—were constructed along with four dams; and the continental divide, which originally rose 360 feet above sea level was brought down to just 40 feet above sea level at the Culebra Cut. The canal has three sets of locks—the Miraflores, the Pedro Miguel, and the Gatun Locks—that raise vessels 85 feet above sea level during passage through. Over 56,000 people were employed and nearly 5,600 died during the US-phase of construction. The canal remained under US administration until 1999 when control was returned to Panamá and the Panamá Canal Authority took over.

The Panama Canal was opened on October 10, 1913 when the dike that separated Lake Gatun from the Calebra Cut was demolished. The first vessel to pass through was a French crane boat, Alexandre de Valley. The canal officially opened to traffic in the summer of 1914 and since its opening, over 1 million vessels have passed through.

Panamá City

The capital city of the Republic of Panamá, Panamá City is a thriving metropolitan center with a terrific blend of old and new. Home to over 800,000 people, it is an advanced center of communications, banking, commerce, and tourism, in part due to the wealth it has accrued since the country took control of the Panamá Canal at the end of 1999. Panamá City is located on a 6-mile stretch of the southern Pacific coast from the Panamá Canal to the ruins of Panamá Viejo in the east.

Founded in 1519 at the site of Panamá Viejo, it was the first European settlement on the American Pacific coast. Sacked and burned to the ground by pirates led by the infamous Henry Morgan in the late 1600s, the new city was built further down that small peninsula. Rich history can be discovered in the city’s many archeological sites and historic districts, including archeological ruins of Panama Viejo, a Spanish sea wall built 400 years ago, and the 17th-century Metropolitan Church.

Pearl Islands Archipelago

The 250+ islands and islets that make up this archipelago in the Gulf of Panama have a long history dating back several million years to the geologic creation of the isthmus. Inhabited by Native people for several thousand years, the Spanish encountered the islands in the early 1500s and took a strong interest in the archipelago for the abundance of the pearls found there. Within two years after the arrival of the conquistadors, the entire indigenous population was wiped out. The islands remained an important location to the Spanish and slaves from Africa were brought to the islands to harvest more of the valuable gems. With so many islands, most of which were not inhabited, the archipelago also became an important spot for pirates looking for safe hideouts.

Today, the minimally inhabited islands attract adventurers who are lured to this tropical playground by its crystal blue waters and pristine white sand beaches. While pearls can still be found, swimming and snorkeling among colorful fish, hiking, fishing, paddling, and observing unique flora and fauna are the bigger draw for visitors.

San Jose, Costa Rica

The capital of Costa Rica was originally founded in 1738 by the Cabildo de Leon—a Spanish Colonial council—that built a chapel. The chapel's patron saint was San José—Saint Joseph. But it wasn’t officially made a city until the early 1800s when the first local government was created. San José became Costa Rica’s capitol in the early 1820s.

Located in the geographic heart of the country, the city’s population is approximately 290,000 and it’s the most populous city in the country. The perfect launching arena and transportation hub for adventures into the more wild and natural wonders of Costa Rica, the city includes the country's major international airport, and also offers a variety of restaurants, markets, and museums. The climate is described as “eternal spring,” perfect for visiting public parks, markets, and squares.

The city’s architecture is an odd mixture of styles from different eras. San José’s famous landmark, the Teatro Nacional, was built by wealth generated from the coffee industry in the 1890s as an exact copy of a Paris opera house and hosts operas, ballets, plays, and performances by the National Symphony Orchestra. Museums offer much to see including pre-Columbian artifacts at the Museo del Oro, gold, religious art, and colonial and archeological artifacts at Museo Nacional, and one of the America’s largest jade collections at the Museo de Jade.