Costa Rica, a small Central American country which lies to the North of Panama and South of Nicaragua, has a Caribbean and Pacific coastline and in between, volcanic peaks and lush rain forests. The latter were cut down rapidly in response to needs for land and cattle ranching but now the destruction has slowed and Costa Rica has designated a large number of forested areas in different eco-zones as National Parks. A great deal of income now comes from sustainable tourism and the eco-lodge is almost ubiquitous. There is a lot to see for such a small country. There are lots of primates, exotic frogs (the red eyed tree frog), more elusive cats, sloths, iguanas, snakes and a very large diversity of birds. The country is friendly and safe and the beaches fulfil all the pre-conceptions of what a tropical beach should be like. The waves roll in from both sides and surfing is part of the lifestyle of the littoral zones. There are still areas which are threatened by habitat loss but Costa Rica seems, at least to be facing the issue and trying to encourage a sustainable industry which is something that future generations can enjoy.