International visitors to Costa Rica are often looking for more than a little sand and sun.

While many visitors hit Costa Rica's waters for some superb charter fishing, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute says that more than half of the country's travellers from abroad participate in some form of ecotourism.

That means wanderlusting foreigners are hitting the mountains for hiking through the rainforest, the country's scenic waters for some kayaking, or taking advantage of Costa Rica's tropical climate for some year-round snorkeling.

In addition to exploring charming beach villages such as Jaco or Los Suenos, families and fishing enthusiasts alike can enjoy Costa Rica's unique position of possessing the highest density of plant and animal species in the world. Hailed as a haven for unique biodiversity, lovers of the outdoors can play a massive game of animal "I Spy" with more than 850 species of birds, 237 mammal species and a whopping 1,260 tree species.

The incredible biodiversity is often densest in many of Costa Rica's nationally protected parks scattered around the country. With more than 3.2 million acres of conserved lands, the Costa Rican government has ensured that travellers will be able to enjoy this nation's natural beauty for decades to come.