Costa Rica is located in Central America between 8 and 12 degrees north of the equator with Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south and borders the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.

Costa Rica is a democratic republic with no national army and is the most economically and politically stable nation in the region. It is known to be the most peaceful country in all of Latin America which is evident with the everyday easy-going, good-hearted demeanor of the Costa Ricans.

Costa Rica has a population of about 4.3 million and has a literacy rate and life expectancy rate comparable to that of the most educated industrialized countries in the world. The capital city is San José located in the Central Valley. If you find you have an extra day in San José before or after joining a retreat with us, click here for some tour ideas.

Costa Rica has more protected land than any other country in the world with approximately 25% of the country being national park or other conservation areas such as wildlife reserves and refuges. To learn more about the National Parks click here.

Despite being a small country, Costa Rica has the most species of plants and animals per acre than anywhere else in the world. It is home to about 5% of all known species on Earth, including 850 species of birds, more than 1,400 species of orchids, 10% of the world’s butterfly species, six endangered species of the cat family, six of the world’s eight species of turtles, and about 160 species of amphibians.

The country has more than 60 volcanoes which are part of the Andean-Sierra Madre range. Seven of those volcanoes are still active. Costa Rica’s climate is characterized as tropical and has 12 different climatic zones.

With its abundant natural resources and beauty Costa Rica is a naturalist’s and an outdoor person’s paradise. The diversity of the landscape offers innumerable itineraries to explore, from birding to mountain biking, volcano viewing to zip-lining, white water rafting to surfing. If you plan to extend your trip pre or post Vajra Sol’s retreat, here are some samples of Sights and Top Tourist Attractions in Costa Rica.