See the Beauty of the Butterflies of Costa Rica

Looking for things to do in Costa Rica?

FACT: Costa Rica is indeed a butterfly haven in itself.

                                        

About 90% of the total butterflies in Central America are found in Costa Rica. It is also interesting to note that almost 18% of the total butterfly species in the world is in Costa Rica. Think about that! Isn’t it right to call this country a butterfly garden? A wide range of butterflies is one of Costa Rica attractions you shouldn’t miss.

Another fact: On the average, butterflies do only live for three weeks. Despite this unfortunate fact, we can say that despite their short life span on earth, butterflies serve their purpose mightily even before they die. As pollinators, they serve a very important role for balancing the ecosystem; they are the ones to sip nectar from flowers and cross-pollinate them. They have noticeable antennas used for smelling and balance. Furthermore, their amazing life transformation really captures the interest of many. 

Some butterfly species in Costa Rica:

Blue Morpho Butterfly. Perhaps this specie well represents all the butterflies in the country. This one is the most common and recognizable specie of butterfly in Costa Rica. Easily identified by its bright blue and black wings, the Blue Morpho is also known for its random, casual flight that helps it in escaping predators. It is not poisonous and the underside of the wings is brown in color with eyespots and acts as a camouflage.

Hecale Longwing Butterfly. This butterfly is identifiable by its black wide, slender wings accented with white spots on the marginal part and reddish-orange ones nearer the body. The bright colors of this butterfly warn everyone that this specie is poisonous.

Florida White Butterfly. This butterfly is snowy white in appearance, also characterized by its bouncy movements when flying. It also has a small orange spot near the base of the wing.

Owl Butterfly. This type is well-known for its large yellow-ringed eyespots on the wings. It is one of the largest butterflies in Costa Rica and often sits with its wings closed. The wings closely resembles physical characteristic of owls.

Monarch Butterfly. This one is widely recognized specie. Monarch Butterflies are characterized by orange-hued wings with black edges and veins and white spots. They are poisonous, retaining this characteristic since their being a caterpillar. The reason for this is that as a caterpillar, they sip nectar from milkweed flowers that have toxins in them. 

Photo credits: 

buncee.com

learnaboutbutterflies.com

fotocommunity.com

delapuravida.com

1funny.com

Correcting Misconceptions about Costa Rica

Probably most of your questions about Costa Rica will be answered here. Just like any other country in the world, it also has a lot of ‘mistaken identities’ to correct. What’s important is not just to judge the place with what you hear, but with what you see. 

Now, take a look on some false ideas about Costa Rica:

First and foremost, Costa Rica is NOT an island. You might read several articles about the ‘island of Costa Rica’, well, that’s wrong. What’s hard is that writers and bloggers continue to use the term without even verifying it. There are lots of articles describing it to be an island in the Caribbean, but Costa Rica is a part of a landmass called Central America that serves as a bridge to the North and Central America. In fact, Costa Rica separates two countries—the Nicaragua on the north and Panama on the south. 

Costa Rica is commonly confused to be Costa Rico. Pertaining to another familiar country of Puerto Rico, the both have no connection. They might sound nearly the same, but the two are different. As a tip, never mention this ‘nickname’ to the Ticos, (natives of Costa Rica) for sure they’ll not like it.

Living in Costa Rica will require a higher budget. Among all other North American countries, the cost of living in Costa Rica is definitely cheaper, but among Central America, this counts one of the most expensive. On a brighter note, you will not be spending for nothing, because you’ll be assured of a higher standard of living—safety, stability of the government and social system improvements. Don’t worry; there are bargains that will make you able to save some part of your money. After all, your personal cost of living will be determined by how well you manage your finances.

Costa Rica is not a third world country. When we talk of third world countries, we mean the least developed ones, and those with widespread poverty. However, Costa Rica is a developing nation, and as a sign of a progressive country, the government is stable for 60 years now; not to mention, the healthcare system that is considered one of the world’s greatest. 

You will be safe in Costa Rica. No armies and guerillas will meet you as you go there. Violent crimes are rarely heard, and the people are definitely sweet and caring. Another thing is that, drinking water in Costa Rica is definitely safe except for some remote municipalities and parks. But when you approach those areas, surely there’s signage telling you not to drink the water. Last thing is the road, theirs may not be that overdeveloped but they are being maintained by the government. Where there are damages to roads, surely they’ll fix it ahead of time. 

Image credit: http://asktheduplex.blogspot.com/

Sunken City; The Atlantis of Costa Rica

Who will not get interested about the lost world of Atlantis? It is a legendary island first introduced by Plato in his writings. Atlantis was described to have great architectural works and amazing buildings. The city was described by Plato to be found just behind the “Pillars of Hercules” in the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, this magical city tragically sank into the ocean in just a day and a night. 

At present, historians and archeologists are still finding evidences about the real existence of Atlantis, or is it just a legend. But what remains true is that the story of the lost city of Atlantis has inspired and still inspiring the world’s literature from fiction novels to movies.

On a brighter note, if you’re looking for a real Atlantis in the present time without even searching the corners of the world to find it, there’s a better way. In Costa Rica there is a real and existing sunken city. Unlike Atlantis, this is believed to be sunken down not because of earthquake and flood, but because of an enlargement of a lake. 

Sunken Towns of Costa Rica

In 1978, the Costa Rican Electrical Company began constructed a hydroelectric plant in order to provide electricity of course to towns of Guanacaste, Limon and Puntarenas. This construction is to extend the area of Lake Arenal and doing this will require sinking of neighboring towns of Arenal, Pueblo Nuevo, La Tronadora, and La Argentina. These towns were flooded and soon became a part of the lake. The residents of the said town were relocated to near areas. The construction of the dam lasted for more than a year and then became the largest man-made lake in Central America. 

At present, the lake’s depth extends up to 200 feet during the wet season. When the season turns dry, the water level of the lake drops down and the remnants of the sunken towns are revealed. There you can see cemetery, a church and series of houses. 

The lake currently provides for the necessity of electricity for the majority of the country, aside from its energy and agricultural importance, the lake is also a great place for fishing and windsurfers. This place is also considered to be a great retiring area for some who wants to relax and enjoy the remaining years of their life. The Lake Arenal is located near the Arenal Volcano and Monteverde Cloud Forest wherein you can enjoy not just water activities but canopy tours and bird watching as well.