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.
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.