There are over 900 species of tree to be found in Costa Rica, many of which are amidst the country's dense rainforests and tropical dry forests. Costa Rica is also home to six different mangrove species and many far reaching savannahs. In addition to trees, there are endless beautiful orchids, vines and other types of vegetation to gawp at with awe. In fact, Costa Rica contains the majority of the world's orchid species, with over 1500 types, most of which are epiphytes and are found living high up on trees to reach the sunlight. This is particularly common in the cloud forests like that of Monteverde nature reserve. Whilst the dry forests are less biologically diverse and tend to be full of deciduous trees and vegetation able to deal with the dry season, the cloud and rainforests of Costa Rica are examples of the world's most complex ecosystems.
The northwestern region of Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula is the best place to experience Cost Rica's tropical dry forests. National Parks including Guanacaste and Santa Rosa are good examples to name but a few, whilst rainforests can be found throughout the country. In the central and eastern regions you can enjoy the Arenal Volcano National Park, Cahuitá National Park and the famous Tortuguero. Braulio Carillo National Park combines rain and cloud forests and is found in the central province of Heredia. Other cloud forests include Poás Volcano and Juan Castro Blanco National Parks, both found in Costa Rica's central region.
