Ecoturismo

In Costa Rica we have 12 areas clearly defined with the help of the L. R. Holdrige system. This system classifies the areas according to Temperature and Rain. These two factors are considered the most important ones to determine world vegetation.

Tropical forests are those which grow between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn and where the rain levels are higher than 2000 mm per year.
Some of the most representative areas of life in Costa Rica are:En Costa Rica existen 12 zonas de vida, las cuales se han definido utilizando el sistema desarrollado por L. R. Holdrige, que plantea su clasificación dando importancia primaria a la temperatura y a la precipitación pluvial, se consideran estos dos factores climáticos como los principales determinantes de la vegetación mundial.

Los bosques tropicales son aquellos que crecen entre el Trópico de Cáncer y el Trópico de Capricornio y la precipitación pluvial es más de 2000 mm por año.
Algunas de las zonas de vida más representativas que podemos encontrar en Costa Rica son:

Dry Tropical Forest:

• Temperatures between 24º and 27º degrees centigrade. 
  
• Two well defined seasons: rainy and dry.
  
• Rain is not heavy.
  
• Vegetation looses leaves during dry season.
  
• Abundant in Guanacaste and Puntarenas.Temperaturas entre 24˚ y 27˚ centígrados. 

Rainy Tropical forest:

• Temperatures between 9º and 21º centigrade.
  
• Abundant rain.
  
• Very tall trees.
  
• Area with greatest biodiversity.
  
• National Parks Braulio Carrillo and Tapantí are good examples of this area. 

Cloudy Tropical Forest:

• Very humid vegetation.
  
• Temperatures between 10º and 28º centigrade.
  
• Presence of large amount of clouds loaded with humidity throughout the year.
  
• Areas like San Ramón and Monteverde.                                                          
  

Paramo:

It is a mountainous system. In Central America you can only find this type of vegetation in the highlands of Costa Rica and Panama. It has a very cold climate but sunny during the day. The sun rays disappear quickly and nights are very cold. Examples of these areas are Cerro Chirripó and Cerro de la Muerte. (Two very high peaks).