Nature in Costa Rica is everywhere. I visited primarily to see the nature of this Central American country and was not disappointed. Pleasantly, because the wildlife leads to so much ecotourism in Costa Rica, the local people are generally very supportive of the nature there and work fiercely to protect it.

Currently, scientists calculate that around 25% of Costa Rica is now protected in the form of National Parks or privately-owned nature reserves. Conservationists from around the world flock to Costa Rica and have been of great help to the Costa Rican people in protecting the habitats and animals of Costa Rica.

There are currently 35 National Parks covering every habitat in Costa Rica and animals and plants can be seen almost countrywide. Without exception you have to pay a small fee to enter any of the parks - $10 seems like an average sum though some can be considerably higher or lower and of course taking a guide for the day will likely add an additional $20-30 onto the cost of your day out.

However, this money is spent in the right places and helps to support the environment and local communities.

Due to differences in altitudes and rainfall (plus having two coasts - the wetter Caribbean coast plus the drier Pacific coast) there are huge differences in the habitats present for nature in Costa Rica which not surprisingly affects the animals and plants you may see there.

Whilst wildlife can be seen anywhere there will always be certain areas that are better than others. So the first question really to consider when it comes to nature in Costa Rica is what it is that you'd actually like to see in particular? Or would you like to just generally see some animals?

If you make a "hotlist" of the animals you'd like to see, the next aspect is grabbing some of the wildlife guide books available (Field Guide To The Wildlife Of Costa Rica by C. Henderson is my personal favourite) so you can work out the best places to actually see the animals you're after.

To give you some ideas of what you may see, here is just a sampling of what I saw in Costa Rica last time: mexican spiny porcupine, anteater, monkeys, macaws, iguana, caimen, tarantulas, quetzals, coatis and agoutis. As I say, this is just a tiny sampling of all the amazing creatures there.

Top wildlife spotting areas if you are in need of some inspiration are Monte Verde, Manual Antonio and Corcovado, though be aware this last option is to remote that it can be difficult and expensive to get to, and facilities once you get there are likely to be basic at best. Even an Internet connection or reliable electricity may be too much to ask for in the far south of Costa Rica where jaguar and tapirs roam free.

Monte Verde and Manuel Antonio make a far more civilized start to seeing Costa Rican natural history where you can spend your daytime sweating in the rainforest, and your evenings relaxing in a bar, restaurant or, if you're lucky, by a resfreshing pool.