MOST DESIRABLE COUNTRY (REST OF THE WORLD)
COSTA RICA
We didn't have to look too far to see why you were so excited by Costa Rica. This green nation points the way for a lot of countries, not just in making use of its natural gifts but in how they are being preserved. It wasn't always the case. In the late 1980s the country had lost nearly half of its forests to logging and farming; however, by 2021, when it was awarded the Earthshot Prize for its conservation work, it had become the first tropical nation to successfully rewild its land. Some 60% of Costa Rica is once again covered in forests, creating an environment for half a million plant and animal species. In doing so, the door was opened to some truly remarkable travel experiences.
By virtue of its conservation efforts, over a quarter of Costa Rica's land is now protected, transformed into lush parks, reserves and refuges stretching from coastal mangrove to volcanic lowlands. The chance to wander in cloud forests and scan the trees for moss-covered sloths; walk the beaches of Tortuguero National Park (NP) in search of nesting loggerhead turtles; or to explore the remote Osa Peninsula, where mysterious pre-Columbian stone spheres still baffle historians and jaguars prowl the dense rainforest, is possible only because of the efforts to preserve this environment.
What's more, the number of green stays in Costa Rica's wilder corners have boomed in recent years. Only last winter, Habitas Santa Teresa, a completely sustainable resort, began inviting guests to the Nicoya Peninsula, where you can snorkel a submerged volcano. It joins a host of remote luxury hotels, from the jungleset Pacuare Lodge, where visitors raft in, to Origins, whose setting on the cusp of Lake Nicaragua opens up the wild volcano trails of Tenorio NP.
There is so much to see here, from the perfect cone of Arenal volcano to the cloud forest of Monteverde. Tiny Costa Rica, home to 5% of the world's biodiversity, is making the most of its gifts and setting an example for everyone else. And while neighbouring South America loses an average of 2.6 million hectares of forest per year, it shows travellers that it doesn't always have to be that way. With British Columbia and Montreal having placed highly elsewhere in these awards, it is no surprise to see Canada take silver. The North Amer ican giant ticks every box adventur ers could wish for, from skating the Rideau Canal to riding the train through miles of aurora-lit tundra to Churchill, where polar bears roam en masse. It is packed with thrills. Special mention goes to its growing number of Indigenous tours, with trips to the far-flung communities of Nanavut among many opportunities to understand more about the histo ries of First Nations peoples.
YOUR TOP TEN FAVOURITES
The same can be said for bronze award-winner Australia, which is undergoing its own quiet revolution as more land is returned to Aborigi nal Australians. The chance for trav ellers to experience these sights with Indigenous guides, learning a history far removed from the European one most are familiar with, has opened up a new way of seeing the country. And with more non-stop flights from the UK on the horizon (Sydney is mooted for 2025), Australia is only likely to rise in our estimation as it becomes easier
