Don’t count Ignacio Ocampo among those whose dream vacation involves staying in a large resort that’s flanked by other large properties fronting a crowded beach.

And, says Ocampo, who’s with Costa Rica tourism promotion group Grupo Pro Imagen Costa Rica, that’s what makes Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast so appealing for him.

“They’re all small hotels,” he said of the accommodation options in that part of the country, adding visitors will find them comfortable.

Ocampo adds that tourists will also find untouched beaches and bordering thick, green rain forest that draws comparisons from some with the Amazon.

“There’s a lot of nature, there’s a lot of adventure,” he said, citing the likes of bird-watching, rafting and viewing turtles in September, October and November, months when the reptiles are particularly easy to spot.

Among available water sports is scuba diving, although Ocampo said Caribbean coast water tends to be murkier than that off the Pacific shore.

Some Caribbean coast hotels are only accessible by boat, which Ocampo said underscores how undeveloped parts of the region are.

The Caribbean coast gets far less attention than the Pacific coast from the tourism industry because the Pacific coast – which has many large resorts -- has seen much more development Ocampo said recently, pointing out that the Caribbean coast’s Puerto Limon has become a popular cruise ship port and reiterated that that coast is suited for those who prefer less-developed regions.

“I don’t want to go to a beach where they have 30 hotels next to each other.”

He told his audience that Costa Rica’s eco-tourism trade is seeing continued growth in a country that was a pioneer in the eco-tourism trade and is home to more than 860 bird species, more than found in both the United States and Canada combined.

As well, Costa Rica’s has five per cent of the world’s flora in only .03 of its land mass. “In this tiny country, you will see a lot of diversity,” Ocampo noted.

He added that not all of the country’s attractions are related to nature, pointing to the likes of the world’s second-largest gold museum.

Meanwhile, the Pacific coast destination of Jaco Beach – popular with Canadians – will see a five-star Sonesta open in March.

More information on Costa Rica can be found at www.visitcostarica.com.