In 1503 Columbus landed in what is now Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, on his fourth voyage to the New World. He named the area Costa Rica (rich coast). Some say because of the beauty he found there. Some say because he'd heard rumors of gold. Be that as is may, he was right in the first instance and wrong in the second. It was quickly discovered that there was comparatively little gold, but the natural beauty of Costa Rica has been attracting settlers ever since initial colonization.

Costa Rica, known as pura vida – the good life, is a peaceful democracy located in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south-southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. It is known as the jewel of Central America, and is the longest functional democracy in Central America since 1949. The country boasts more school teachers than police and its literacy rate, at 93 percent, is one of the highest in the world. Costa Ricans are very happy, laid-back souls->they have never been at war and they have never been hungry. They genuinely like and respect Americans, and will gladly trade two or three words of English for two or three words of Spanish. For sun worshippers, the weather is especially spectacular. Between December and late May, there is very little or no rain. Even June through November, the constant sunshine is only interrupted by occasional refreshing late afternoon showers. The weather is always warm (80 degrees plus) on the northwest Pacific coast where the villas are located. In San Jose and the Central highlands, temperatures are much cooler with high around 78 degrees and lows in the 60's.

The amazing biological diversity that exists in Costa Rica, within such a small geographical area (about the size of West Virginia), is one of the largest in the world. Although the country is small and it covers only 0.03 % of the surface of the globe, it proudly shelters a 6% of the existing biodiversity in the entire world. 25.58 % of the country is composed of conservation and natural protected territory. The flora and fauna are not only precious, but also spectacular. Costa Rica has over 237 species of mammals, more varieties of butterflies than the entire continent of Africa, and more than 150 species of reptiles and amphibians. There are also more than 1,800 species of orchids native to the country and more than 850 species of birds (more than all the species in the entire North American continent).

Since the rugged mountainous land was not suitable for large plantations, Costa Rica developed into a country of independent family farmers. A quaint Costa Rican trait is that on any given day, you will see a farmer and his ox cart walking alongside the street - a true touch that Westernization has not invaded this untouched beauty.