Costa Rica's Seven Wonders

Following in the footsteps of the global recasting of the Seven Wonders of the World, Costa Rica has chosen its own, homegrown Siete Maravillas (Seven Wonders).
Organized by the leading Costa Rican daily newspaper, La Nación, nearly 30,000 ticos (as Costa Ricans call themselves) demonstrated their love for nature and elected seven wonders that are all natural formations.

The maravilla that received the most votes (23,331) was, surprisingly, a place that few ticos have actually seen in person: Isla del Coco (Coco's Island). The small, protected, and prehistoric-looking island sits about 600 kilometers (373 miles) off Costa Rica's Pacific coast. It has captured the attention of the likes of author Michael Crichton, who is said to have used it as inspiration for his blockbuster novel Jurassic Park, and Jacques Cousteau, who reportedly called it "the most beautiful island in the world."

Secondhand accounts like these are all most Costa Ricans have, as the expensive, 36-hour boat trip and rare camping permits have kept most from ever visiting Isla del Coco.

The second pick by ticos is a more accessible location and a famous vacation hot spot (literally), the Arenal Volcano. One of the only active volcanoes in Costa Rica that can regularly be seen spewing molten lava, Arenal destroyed a mountainside village in 1968, killing 87 people, but has since calmed down dramatically. Its beauty and power draw tourists from Costa Rica and around the world.

Costa Rica's tallest peak, at 3,820 meters (12,530 feet), is Cerro Chirripó-and it is the third pick on the Costa Rican Seven Wonders list. Rising from the Talamanca mountain range in the center of the country, it offers views of both the Pacific and the Caribbean oceans on a clear day.

Another mountain, the Tenorio Volcano, with a unique river that spills down its side, has also captured the nation's affection. The Rio Celeste (Baby-Blue River) gets its name from the unusual color of its water-a milky light blue created by a mix of volcano minerals and sulfur deposits.

On the northern Caribbean coast, the remote and wild Tortugero National Park-a maze of mangroves, canals, lush tropical jungle, birds, and wild animals-was the only maravilla from the east coast.

The Poás Volcano National Park-Costa Rica's most-visited national park-and the famous Monteverde Cloud Forest (a protected haven of high-elevation forest flora and fauna where the sought-after bird, the Quetzal, can be found) closed out the list.

Your Latin America Insider,

Suzan Haskins
for International Living

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