COSTA RICA – “Traveling for Pura Vida”

When I hear the term “ecotourism,” chills run down my spine. I envision hoards of Northface-wrapped families bumbling down paved jungle pathways and posing for pictures in front of caged animals. Corporate-sponsored mountains, fast food picnic areas, animatronic wildlife, air-conditioned cabins, and manmade waterfalls; all at family-friendly prices! As much as tourism may benefit a beauty-rich and economically-poor country, it can destroy the essence of what made the country worth visiting. A slight apprehension haunted me before a recent trip with three friends to one of the first and most popular ecotourist countries in the world. Had the raw beauty and unique experiences that made Costa Rica worth visiting been incorporated, diluted, and packaged for the masses? Upon reflection of our trip, my conclusion is a conflicted “sort of…”