How do we love Costa Rica?

Let us count the ways. Twelve bioclimates. Ten percent of the world’s butterflies. Eight to 11 degrees north of the equator. Four species of calamine tree. Three-toed sloths. Two coasts. There's no partridge in a pear tree, but hundreds of other avian species abound, including parrots, cuckoos, herons, egrets, plovers, and hummingbirds.

Mankind is destroying an area of rainforest the size of Wisconsin each year, but this mountainous, tropical, and enlightened nation the size of West Virginia is doing its part to staunch the damage. From its northern (Caribbean) coast to its southern (Pacific) coast, eco-tourism is one of the ways. Seeing the exotic wildlife and medicinal plants up close helps visitors to develop a relationship with them, and maybe, just maybe, think more environmentally thereafter. From strolling a catwalk through the forest canopy, to swimming with the creatures of the sea or examining insect life on the ground, you're doing good while having fun.

Bon voyage!

Laura Lesnie
Editor —Your Travel Insider

A variety of resorts and tour operators offer Costa Rican rainforest stays, from budget-priced cabins to full-service luxury bungalows. There's an option for you whether you're seeking a holiday with your extended family or a getaway for you and your corazón.

We're just now entering the season with Costa Rica's most agreeable weather. November through April are the dry months (though rain is possible year-round), and locals speak of the rest of the year as "green" season; rains peak in May-June and September-October. The climate is reliably temperate, but temperatures cool with elevation; pack a fleece if you intend to explore the mountain microclimates.

This multi-award-winning resort in a private nature reserve takes its name from the lapa (scarlet macaw), a uniquely Costa Rican bird to match the uniquely Costa Rican experience. Perched 300 feet above the ocean, on the Osa Peninsula of the southern coast, Lapa Rios' 16 bungalows (sleeping up to four) are environmentally friendly luxury. Rates start at $195 per person double occupancy including meals (your dinner might include ginger-glazed fish or chicken mole), or choose from a variety of packages including excursions.

www.laparios.com

This 815-acre resort is its own eco-success story. Hacienda means ranch, but it was designated a wildlife refuge in 1995, and now monkeys, sloths and groves of sustainable teak populate the former cattle yards. Its six cabins go for $60 per night ($40 in low season); meals not included. Guides offer reasonably priced excursions (including the jungle by night and bird-watching by day), and there's an orchid garden, birding tower, and butterfly garden), or explore flora and fauna on your own through miles of trails traversing the rainforest and along Pacific beaches.

www.haciendabaru.com