Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [36]
The diversity of habitats created when this many species mix is a wonder to behold – one day you may find yourself canoeing in a muggy mangrove swamp, and the next day squinting through bone-chilling fog to see orchids in a montane cloud forest. If at all possible, it is worth planning your trip with the goal of seeing some of Costa Rica’s most distinctive plant communities, including rainforests, mangrove swamps, cloud forests and dry forests.
Few organizations are as involved in building sustainable rainforest-based economies as the Rainforest Alliance. See the website for special initiatives in Costa Rica: www.rainforest-alliance.org.
Classic rainforest habitats are well represented in parks of the southwest corner of Costa Rica or in mid-elevation portions of the central mountains. Here you will find towering trees that block out the sky, long looping vines and many overlapping layers of vegetation. Large trees often show buttresses, winglike ribs that extend out from their trunks for added structural support.
Along brackish stretches of both coasts, mangrove swamps are a world unto themselves. Growing stiltlike out of muddy tidal flats, five species of trees crowd together so densely that no boats and few animals can penetrate. Striking in their adaptations for dealing with salt, mangrove trees thrive where no other land plant dares tread. Though often thought of as mosquito-filled backwaters, mangrove swamps play extremely important roles. Not only do they buffer coastlines from the erosive power of waves, they also have high levels of productivity because they trap nutrient-rich sediment and serve as spawning and nursery areas for innumerable species of fish and invertebrates.
COSTA RICA’S EASTER BLOSSOM
Among Costa Rica’s 1400 species of orchids, the guaria morada (Cattleya skinneri) is celebrated with special reverence. Blooming around the time of Lent and Easter, this gorgeous orchid with dense clusters of lavender-rose flowers is prominently displayed on altars, homes and churches everywhere in Central America. In the old days these flowers grew liberally on the walls and roofs of old houses and courtyards, where they added a special charm. However, this ancient custom fell by the wayside and they are no longer a common sight.
In honor of its links to history and tradition, the orchid was chosen as Costa Rica’s national flower in 1937. Unfortunately, the plant’s amazing popularity has resulted in wild populations being harvested without restraint, and an alarm was raised in 2004 that it could become extinct in the wild without immediate action. Hopefully, the orchid’s numbers will begin to increase again, because although they are easy to grow commercially, no quantity of orchids in a greenhouse can replace the flowers found in the wild forests of Costa Rica.
Most famous of all, and a highlight for many visitors, are the fabulous cloud forests of Monteverde (Click here), with fog-drenched trees so thickly coated in mosses, ferns, bromeliads and orchids that you can hardly discern their true shapes. Cloud forests are widespread at high elevations throughout Costa Rica (such as the Parque Nacional Chirripó area, Click here) and any of them would be worth visiting. Be forewarned, however, that in these habitats the term ‘rainy season’ has little meaning because it’s always dripping wet from the fog.
For a complete change of pace try exploring the unique drier forests along the northwest coast. During the dry season many trees drop their foliage, creating carpets of crackling, sun-drenched leaves and a sense of openness that is largely absent in other Costa Rican habitats. The large trees here, such as Costa Rica’s national tree, the guanacaste, have broad, umbrella-like canopies, while spiny shrubs and vines or cacti dominate the understory. At times, large numbers of trees erupt into