 A total of 721,244 foreign tourists entered Costa Rica using ground transportation in 2011, twice the number that was registered in 2001, according to the Costarican Tourism Bearau (ICT).
Tourists coming from North America are the ones who have chosen road travelling most frequently to get to Costa Rica, with the number multiplying by three in the same period.
Flying is still the main transportation method for tourists coming to Costa Rica, although it had a small decrease in ten years, going down from 71.8% of foreign tourist flying, against 66.8% in 2011. Tourists using the road accounted for 27.2% ten years ago, and in 2011 the number rose to 32,9%. 2.2 million Tourists visited Costa Rica in 2011, with ecotourism and business being the two main reasons to visit the country, which currently has an offer of 50.000 rooms. Medical tourism is on the rise, and it is projected to become a strong income source in the 2010-2019 decade.
The most popular tourist activities in Costa Rica are wildlife watching, Costa Rica birding tours, trekking, canopy, Costa Rica surfing, bungee jumping, snorkeling and rafting. Cultural activities like visiting museums and theater are also popular. Costa Rica Volcanoes are another attraction among tourists, and the preferred volcanoes are Poas, Arenal, Irazu and Rincon de la Vieja. Those volcanoes are located inside National Parks, providing visitors with a chance to see the wildlife of the rainforests. Other popular national parks are Braulio Carrillo, Monteverde, Santa Rosa and Corcovado, as well as the Chirripo National Park, with the highest peak in Costa Rica at 11,450 feet high.
Other popular destinations in Costa Rica are the beaches, like Flamingo, Tamarindo, Nosara, Malpais, Jaco and Herrardura in the Pacific Coast, and Manzanillo and Cahuita in the Caribbean.
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