Costa Rica

Costa Rica occupies barely a minimal fraction of the planet's land surface and holds around five per cent of its known biodiversity, a concentration explained by its position as a bridge between two continents, by its two ocean slopes and by a volcanic cordillera that creates dozens of microclimates. Within a few hours you go from Pacific mangroves to cloud forests such as Monteverde, wrapped in permanent mist, and from there to the rainforests of the Caribbean. The Osa peninsula, with Corcovado park, keeps the last great lowland tropical rainforest on the Central American Pacific coast. The country protects around a quarter of its territory.