Finding Colour in Costa Rica

I should probably preface this by saying, finding colour in Costa Rica is not at all difficult.  Costa Rica may be small but it is packed full of good things most of which are brimming with the most glorious technicolour.  As a self confessed, all out lover of colour, I was soon to discover, this was the place for me

Costa Rica, is a tiny country in Central America.  With a population of around 4.9 million it has less people than Scotland but more than Wales. And with 2.2 million visitors a year it is a popular travel destination.  Costa Rica is the sandwich filling between Nicaragua above it and Panama below it.  Except Costa Rican’s would never want to be thought of as the filling of anything.  They are an intensely proud nation, and will readily tell you how beautiful their country is.  Of course they are right.

One Quarter of the country is made up of protected jungle.  So, no matter where you are in Costa Rica you are sure to come into contact with it’s exotic wildlife and stunning array of tropical flora and fauna.  It is this and so many other things besides, which make finding Colour in Costa Rica joyously easy.

The Green Jungle

With so much jungle in the form of rain forest it would be easy to imagine that Costa Rica is just green. And of course with so much lush vegetation in the jungle of the rain forest, along side the cooler, higher cloud forest, it is indeed very green. However it is only when walking through the forests you realise how many different shades of green there are.  From the fronds of swaying palms to the floppy banana leaves to the dense vegetation and moss which carpets the floor of the jungle, there are a hundred shades of green. When the light shines through the branches or dances on the leaves it is magical place. And if any thing the rain makes the verdant green vegetation even more lush and rich in colour.

As an aside we travelled in the green (rainy) season when Costa Rica is very, very green!

Exotic Flowers

Oh my goodness, the abundance of beautiful bright tropical blooms in such variety and numbers is something I have rarely seen in any other place I have visited.  From road sides, to jungle to cafe, flowers are everywhere.  Vibrant oranges, bright reds, deep pinks, golden yellows, glowing purples, and even cornflower blue. All the colours are here.  We stayed in some places with beautiful gardens and wandering around taking photographs, particularly in the early morning light before the sun was bright was such a pleasure. The few images here are a mere taster of those I took. As a huge lover of flowers I hardly knew which way to turn, or rather which stunning flower to photograph next.

Tropical Birds and Animals

The birds and animals of Costa Rica are ablaze with colour, and you don’t have to look very far to find them . Most of the places we stayed we could watch birds darting across the sky and in front of us.  Hummingbirds seeking nectar, Toucans doing a lop sided shuffle from brach to branch, delicate butterflies seeking the sweet flowers and majestic Macaws soaring in pairs above us.

The sloth is perhaps the exception to the rule.  He is rather grey, but what he lacks in colour he more than makes up for in personality.  No post about Costa Rica is complete with out a Sloth picture, so do forgive me for including this less than colourful little chap here!

Natural Costa Rican Produce

Trees groan under the weight of oranges and limes. Breakfasts consist of platefuls of delicious juicy orange mangoes, coral papaya, ruby red watermelon, sharp yellow pineapple and butter cream coloured banana, all of which taste just as good as they look.  The abundance of fruits go into making up cocktails and milkshakes and juices, all of which I can confirm are delicious!

The Beach

As I said earlier we travelled in green season, so we saw a lots of rain clouds, but when the sun shone, and it often did, the colour of the sky and the sea on the pacific coast is aquamarine, a joy to behold. The paler blue water-colour skies after the rains cleared, or tinged with pink as the sun sank behind the clouds at the end of the day were equally delightful.

Everything Else

Colour is at the heart of Costa Rica.  Costa Ricans doesn’t do beige or grey or off white.  Colours are bold and bright and sometimes brash but always cheerful and welcoming. Just like the Costa Ricans themselves.

I hope you have enjoyed all this beautiful Costa Rican Colour.  You can find lots more travel stories  here