Costa Rica:
Save the Americans


One of Costa Rica’s most stunning assets is its biodiversity. This Central American country, smaller than most US states, harbors an incredible 5% of all plant and animal species on the planet. Many are endangered and endemic, meaning you’ll see them in Costa Rica and nowhere else.

But Matador’s partner Visit Costa Rica is turning the tables and asking: What about us humans? Another staggering figure is that Americans leave 500 million vacation days unused every year. This comes with its own dangers, and has prompted the campaign to #SaveTheAmericans. Scroll down to read how Costa Rica is coming to the aid of the overworked and under-vacationed.

This series is proudly produced in partnership with Visit Costa Rica.

Original Videos by Matador Media House

Finding Hope in Costa Rica

Follow professional big mountain skier Lynsey Dyer as she explores the geography of her dreams, and what the people who inhabit it are doing to preserve it. This is Costa Rica as few know it.

Nuanced Notes with Michelle Johnson

Follow coffee expert and award-winning barista Michelle Johnson as she searches for coffee direct from the source—farm to cup—in the Northern Plains of Costa Rica.

Pura Vida

Essential Costa Rica Costa Rica has it all: jungle, beaches, mountains, adventure, relaxation. It’s all good in the land of pura vida. In fact, Costa Rica feels like it’s hiding a slice of paradise around every corner, just waiting for travelers to explore it.

Costa Rica From the Air

Costa Rica’s epic beauty is difficult to comprehend from ground level.

Costa Rica: Enter Adventure

If you’re watching this video in your cubicle at work, throwing frantic glances over your shoulder to make sure no one finds out how you REALLY spend your workday, take note: Costa Rica is waiting for you. Put in a vacation request, book a flight, and get down here.

Costa Rica: Into Nature

Cruising the wildlife-packed mangroves of the Sierpe River, traversing rainforest roads to extraordinary waterfalls and swimming holes, pacing yourself with the ebb and flow of the tide on two coasts, communing with iconic creatures of the tropical forest — toucans, capuchin monkeys, sloths…these are just a few ways to experience nature in Costa Rica.

Series Articles

9 ways a trip to Costa Rica will surprise you

Beaches like this practically everywhere your look...and you've got them all to yourself. #SaveTheAmericans

6 awesome places in Costa Rica you've never heard of

From abandoned sanitariums to secret waterfalls, indigenous reserves to hidden sea caves, this is the Costa Rica your guidebook hasn't heard of.

10 experiences you can only have in Costa Rica

Home to more than half a million species, Costa Rica is one of the best places on the planet to explore nature. #SaveTheAmericans

10 things only someone who’s been to Costa Rica will understand

Pura vida isn’t just an expression; it’s a philosophy. #SaveTheAmericans

15 New Year's resolutions for every overworked, under-vacationed American

"I will plan one crazy, adventure-inspired vacation this year." #SaveTheAmericans

Photo guide to Costa Rica’s most epic adventures

What does your daily routine look like? Wake up. Commute. Work. Commute. Eat. Go to sleep. Wake up and do it again. You need some of this.

13 foods you have to try in Costa Rica

Some of the world's best cuisines: French, Italian, Japanese... Costa Rican. You read that right.

Travel guide to Costa Rica's top 5 national parks

Costa Rica's smaller than West Virginia, and yet it has 28 national parks. 28! Here are 5 of the best.

7 reasons Costa Rica is the ultimate vacation spot

For those of us on a quest to restore work-life balance, Costa Rica is the ultimate destination. Here’s why.

23 essential Spanish expressions to learn before visiting Costa Rica

Perhaps the best thing about Costa Rica is its people, their culture, and what they can teach us northerners about how to live. It’s in their very language.

7 ultimate Costa Rican adventures for any budget

Hiking and biking and whitewater rafting, surfing and spelunking and incredible kayaking—Costa Rica's got it all.

19 signs it's been WAY too long since your last vacation

If you're suffering from any of these symptoms, the only treatment is IMMEDIATE travel.

9 things Canadians could learn from Costa Rica

Repeat to self: "Thou shalt practice yoga on a palm-tree-lined beach, not in a strip mall."

11 reasons the US would be a better place if Americans traveled more

In 2014, a poll found that 42% of Americans didn’t take a single vacation day. That can't be good. We owe it to ourselves, to our personal happiness, to take the time off we deserve.

5 incredible under-the-radar vacation spots in Costa Rica

Haven't heard of San Gerardo de Dota? You're missing out.

13 photos that will make you wish you were in Costa Rica right now

You should be using your vacation time more wisely. Here's some inspiration.