the same old, same old,” she said. Since the country is Spanish-speaking, Matschke says that it helps to speak a bit of the language, but that this is not a deal breaker. This snowbird from Port Stanley, Ontario says that she experiences no issues with safety and that health care is both efficient and affordable. “The cost of wintering there largely depends on the level of accommodations people choose,” she said. “Overall, it’s cheaper than living in Canada.” The same Costa Rica attributes that Matschke praises correspond with those developed by me during my inaugural trip there. This remarkable jewel of a country enjoys a brimming cornucopia of unique and outstanding features, both natural and man-made. Moreover, it’s those very features that have shaped the democratic republic of Costa Rica into a destination that attracts more than 2.5 million people a year for both short- and long-term stays. There’s an old saying, “build it and they will come” but, in the case of Costa Rica, little building was needed. The country already had its main attraction: a land so incredibly beautiful that it can sometimes take your breath away – the land that Christopher Columbus first laid eyes on in 1502. It was he who named the area “Costa Rica,” which translates to “Rich Coast” in Spanish. This compact land with its two stunning coastlines is as multi-faceted as it is beautiful. Just more than half of the country exists under a dense cover of tall, broad-leaved trees whose thick crowns form a continuous rainforest canopy. There are also steep mountain ranges together with long stretches of sand beaches, raging rivers, freshwater lakes and thunderous waterfalls. A tropical climate with generally mild temperatures, together with a bonanza of exotic wildlife puts Costa Rica in a sunshine class of distinction. Here are just a few of the highlights which this captivating country has to offer. Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Cartago, Costa Rica Church of La Fortuna de San Carlos CSANews | SPRING 2025 | 15 Travel
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