Camino de Costa Rica: Difference between revisions

By 2018, the rural population had declined from 40% inhabitants (2000) to 27% inhabitants, poverty at 25% was significantly higher than among the urban population, and income was more than 40% lower.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Costa Rica - Encuesta Nacional de Hogares 2018, Julio, 2018.|url=http://sistemas.inec.cr/pad4/index.php/catalog/203|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627133641/http://sistemas.inec.cr/pad4/index.php/catalog/203 |archive-date=2020-06-27 |access-date=27 June 2020|website=}}</ref> These sobering facts as well as other factors such as level of education, unemployment and underemployment in rural areas gave rise to the NGO, the Asociación Mar a Mar in year 2016. &nbsp;The aim of the Camino de Costa Rica is to establish a world class long-distance trail and through its success in bringing hikers from all over the world, to improve the economic situation in the rural areas of Costa Rica.

65% of foreign tourists in Costa Rica are interested in ecotourism,<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Anuario Estadístico de Turismo 2018|url=https://www.ict.go.cr/es/documentos-institucionales/estad%C3%ADsticas/informes-estad%C3%ADsticos/anuarios/2005-2015/1349-2018-1/file.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021221533/https://www.ict.go.cr/es/documentos-institucionales/estad%C3%ADsticas/informes-estad%C3%ADsticos/anuarios/2005-2015/1349-2018-1/file.html |archive-date=2019-10-21 |access-date=27 June 2020|website=}}</ref> which focuses on the elements of [[sustainable tourism]] - with the aim of promoting the exchange of services, the creation of jobs, the fight against poverty and socio-economic growth and at the same time reduce the social, cultural and environmental negative effects of tourism.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=EU Guidebook on Sustanable Tourism for Development|url=https://www.unwto.org/EU-guidebook-on-sustainable-tourism-for-development|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629084006/https://www.unwto.org/EU-guidebook-on-sustainable-tourism-for-development |archive-date=2020-06-29 |access-date=27 June 2020|website=}}</ref>

Hikers can begin the route<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Trail route|url=https://www.caminodecostarica.org/the-trail|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629011237/https://www.caminodecostarica.org/the-trail |archive-date=2020-06-29 |access-date=|website=}}</ref> of El Camino de Costa Rica from either the island village of [[Parismina|Barra de Parismina]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Parismina, Limón|url=https://www.govisitcostarica.com/region/city.asp?cID=161|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041129061436/http://www.govisitcostarica.com:80/region/city.asp?cID=161 |archive-date=2004-11-29 |access-date=|website=}}</ref> or islands in the municipality of Barra de Pacuare. The coast can be accessed during the day from these locations. A short boat ride along canals leading from the Atlantic Ocean delivers hikers to the dock at Goshen, from which the trail continues on the mainland. The route crosses the [[Nairi-Awari]] [[Indigenous territory (Costa Rica)|Indigenous Territory]], traverses the [[Pacuare River]], enters the valley of Angostura Lagoon, follows a rural road along the edge of [[Tapantí National Park]], descends into the [[Orosi, Cartago|Orosi]] Valley, and climbs up to its highest altitude of {{convert|7154|feet|m}} in the community of El Empalme. From there the trail weaves through the coffee fields of [[Tarrazu (canton)|Tarrazú]] and the [[Los Santos Zone]] down to the city of [[Quepos (canton)|Quepos]] on the Pacific coast. The northern volcanoes [[Turrialba Volcano|Turrialba]] and [[Irazú Volcano|Irazú]] can be seen from afar over long stretches of the trail.