Costa Rica

Even though spring break is well in the past and we all are moving on to the warmer months of summer, Costa Rica is still not far from my mind. Over spring break, I studied abroad in Costa Rica with the College of Agriculture. Our program focused on sustainability and ecotourism, two things that I was not sure that I would have a whole lot of interest in. I was mistaken and found both topics intriguing. Costa Rica is a country that makes most of its revenue from tourism. But the problem is these big resorts come in from other countries and build right on the beach. These all-inclusive resorts ensure that the tourists never have to leave the resort, therefore not allowing any of their money into Costa Rica’s economy. To solve this problem the government put some laws in place that did not allow the resorts to have private beaches and an incentive for any local who has an eco-friendly lodge/hotel. These lodges are based on leaves and are in the middle of the jungle giving the whole experience. Those are just some of the amazing new facts and opportunities I got to experience on this trip. I highly recommend traveling to Costa Rica if you ever get the chance and be sure to experience the culture not just the resort. Pura Vida!