The natural world really puts on a show when we leave the environment untouched – and if there’s a country which knows this more than most, it’s Costa Rica. Monkeys swing excitedly through its dense trees, and jaguars slink sensuously through its misty cloud forests. Excitable frogs and toads sing in the thickets and wetlands, and plucky sea turtles choose to lay their eggs in the sands here every year. In fact, over half a million species of plants and animals make their home here, as well as 900 species of birds. That’s an incredible number of flora and fauna; in fact, for a country which only covers 0.03 per cent of the world’s land mass, Costa Rica harbours 6.5 per cent of its global biodiversity. Bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica has a rich and diverse topography which includes rainforest, jungle, coastal plains and 120 volcanoes – five of which are still active.…