Ecotourism is extremely popular with the many tourists visiting the extensive national parks and protected areas around Costa Rica.  Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism and the country is recognized as one of the few with real ecotourism.  This Central American hotspot travel destination contains an amazing 5% of the world's biodiversity.

Situated between North and South America, the country is home to abundant plant and animal life from both continents. The country also boasts diverse climatic and ecological zones, including tropical coastal areas and rain forests, saltwater marshes, fertile farming areas, sub-alpine regions, mountains up to 12,000 feet and active volcanoes. To preserve its rich natural legacy, Costa Rica has set aside significant territory for national parks, biological and forest reserves, and wildlife refuges.

The ecosystems of the tropics are among the most diverse and complex in the world. Research topics in tropical biology and ecology range from regeneration of subalpine vegetation in mountain regions to habitats of wildlife species.  Costa Rica's Caribbean coast is the fourth most important nesting beach in the world for Leatherback sea turtles, a critically endangered species.