New interactive map of Costa Rica showcases its cultural, natural and ocean heritage

• "Discover Costa Rica" is a free platform developed by essential COSTA RICA in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, CIMAR-UCR, and the UCR School of Geography

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Costa Rica now has a new free digital platform that allows users to explore and learn more about the country and its territory. "Discover Costa Rica" is an interactive map developed by the Country Brand essential COSTA RICA, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, the University of Costa Rica's Center for Research in Marine Sciences and Limnology (CIMAR-UCR), and the UCR School of Geography.

The platform brings together geographic, oceanographic, cultural, historical, and scientific information about the country, making knowledge about Costa Rica more accessible to students, teachers, researchers, domestic and international tourists, media outlets, and the general public. The information is available in both Spanish and English.

The new interactive map allows users to explore iconic locations such as national parks, islands, waterfalls, and volcanoes, as well as ecosystems and protected areas, sites of cultural interest, biodiversity data, and other features. It also includes information about Costa Rica's maritime dimension — which accounts for 92% of its territory — and historical milestones, such as San José becoming the third city in the world and the first in Latin America to have electric public lighting, or Costa Rica becoming one of the first countries in the world to ban sport hunting.

"Discover Costa Rica is part of essential COSTA RICA's efforts to educate people about what makes our country unique. This platform provides an interactive way to learn about our diversity, culture, and historical facts that we, as Costa Ricans, should know and that help shape our collective identity, particularly that of younger generations," stated Adriana Acosta, Director of the Country Brand essential COSTA RICA.

All information and content available on the platform is supported by academic and scientific research, thanks to the collaboration of CIMAR-UCR and the UCR School of Geography. This also makes it a valuable research and reference tool for educational, tourism, and research purposes. Its design enables users to navigate dynamically and intuitively through different layers of information, offering a new way to discover Costa Rica from anywhere in the world.

"This platform provides information about marine biodiversity grounded in scientific evidence. Its images spark the curiosity of those who visit the site and invite them to learn more about the marine environment and the organisms that inhabit it — an entire world to discover and conserve," noted Dr. Eddy Gómez Ramírez, Director of CIMAR-UCR.

"Discover Costa Rica" is available on the essential COSTA RICA website and is part of the Country Brand's efforts to promote national pride, education, and greater awareness of Costa Rica's natural, cultural, and territorial heritage. The platform is also complemented by "Costa Rica Blue," another digital initiative by the Country Brand essential COSTA RICA designed to bring Costa Ricans closer to the ocean and increase awareness of its importance.