Costa Rica contains twenty-six national parks for the enjoyment of visitors on Costa Rica tours and residents alike. Eight are located along the country’s two picturesque coasts, six on its 631-mile Pacific coast and two on its 132-mile Caribbean coast, protecting endangered species from humpback whales to leatherback turtles. The eighteen interior national parks represent a variety of ecosystems. The rainforest parks are a mecca for birders on Costa Rica tours, and hikers love the six national parks that contain one or more volcanoes.

May Through November On The Pacific Coast Provides The Biggest Swells
Some of Panama's surfing areas are year-round while others are desirable only during certain months due to wind conditions. Pacific waves tend to be biggest during the wet season from May to November. Dependability varies by location.

Casapueblo

Before the French invaders arrived, Portugal’s Royal Family cleaned out the national treasury of its gold and silver, packed up the Royal Library, and escaped, accompanied by a court of between 10,000 and 15,000 members. Led by the Prince Regent, soon-to-be King John VI, they set sail for Brazil under escort of the British Royal Navy to rule the Empire from Portugal’s most profitable colony until it was safe to return home. Two months later, they reached Salvador.

Tourism in the Galapagos Islands, including cruises and land tours, began in the mid-sixties, grew steadily in the seventies and exploded in the eighties. The advent of ecotourism was part of a larger phenomenon explained by a values and lifestyle typology developed by SRI International in 1978. Its "VALS" study of consumer types demonstrated how Americans' values influence their spending patterns.