IF, AS IT'S OFTEN SAID, we are each the star of our own movie, isn't the same true for every creature searching for food, a mate, or a home? They're at the center of their existences, just as we are at ours. There are countless overlapping films, streaming at all times.
Costa Rica, which is rightly renowned for its biodiversity, is a good place to watch some of them. The country packs 12 ecosystems and half a million species into its 20,000 square miles. Over half its landmass is forest - a celebrated reversal from the 1990s, when deforestation had eliminated more than three-quarters of the original forest cover. Which makes it the perfect setting to explore the lives of other species, and decenter your own.
When my husband, Alex, and I visited in early June, we got our first taste of this sensation on the nearly three-hour drive north from Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José to our destination, Arenal Volcano National Park. Along the winding route, it was human dominion all the way - city and slum, highways and trucks, fields for crops or livestock until we hit the rainforest. Walls of green, designed for neither our comfort nor our sustenance, pressed in from both sides. It was as if we had turned the page of a script to find we were extras, not stars.
The park is named for the volcano at its heart, itself a humbling spectacle. Arenal is some 7,000 years old and about 5,300 feet high. Its last major eruption was in 1968; lava flows continued for decades after that. It no longer spews molten rock, but it still vents steam. While Arenal is often obscured by clouds, we got lucky: for five days it was our constant companion.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2023 - January 2024-Ausgabe von Travel+Leisure US.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2023 - January 2024-Ausgabe von Travel+Leisure US.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
EARTHLY DELIGHTS
Come fall, the Italian region of Umbria is a lush, fertile inland oasis. Peter Terzian reaps a bounty of culinary and cultural pleasures.
RUNNER'S HIGH
Some travelers like to move at a faster clip. Alexandra Kleeman crosses the peaks and pastures of Ireland with a group of women who take life in stride.
THE WILDEST ISLE
Compared with its neighbors, the island of Hawaii is bigger, more untamed-and, at times, unpredictable. With her family in tow, Flora Stubbs finds the perfect balance between relaxation and rugged adventure.
A ticket to the top of the world
On a luxurious train tour of Peru, Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu are the headline acts. But, as Monisha Rajesh discovers, witnessing everyday life from the rails can be every bit as memorable.
Bonjour la France
When an American writer retires in Brittany, she learns how to belong again.
Chills and Thrills
On an Alaskan wilderness adventure, Sarah Manguso and her son learn the elements of survival.
Wheels on Fire
With its blazing fall colors and picturesque villages, the Japanese island of Kyushu was made for cycling.
Down to Earth
Pottery runs deep in Santa Fe, from hallowed Pueblo collections to clay-throwing pubs.
Steel City Shining
A tech boom; a thriving cultural scene; destination dining. Can this be... Pittsburgh?
HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL
This cute Pennsylvania town is brimming with artistic and cultural energy.