At Nayara Resorts, the natural world is at the heart of everything we do. It nourishes us with fresh, organic ingredients, enhances our well-being, and invites us to explore its depths—offering challenges to conquer, landscapes to roam, and moments of unexpected wonder.
There’s something profound about encountering unspoiled nature. Whether gazing across the rolling valleys of a rainforest or the hidden coves of a half-submerged archipelago, the sheer beauty stirs something deep within us.
Yet, while that first impression may fade, a lifetime of discovery awaits. The intricate relationships and hidden marvels of these ecosystems continue to reveal themselves, offering endless fascination.
In this article, we’ll explore the diverse ecosystems surrounding our properties, uncovering the remarkable intricacies that make them so extraordinary.
Costa Rica is in the top 20-30 countries on Earth when measured by the number of species (both plants and animals) that are found there.
But when you adjust for the size of each country, using a measure called biodensity (number of unique species per square mile) that tracks how many species can be found in a small area, Costa Rica is ranked second on earth, only short of Brunei on the island of Borneo.
In previous articles, we’ve explored the factors that lead to this incredible biodiversity in such a small landmass, and the result is apparent in many of Costa Rica’s biological hotspots. For example, the Arenal Rainforest is home to 131 species of mammals, 135 species of reptiles, more than 850 species of birds, a variety of amphibians, and thousands of species of insects.
Add in almost 3000 species of plants, and within the roughly 47 sq/mi area of Arenal rainforest, you have a biodensity of almost 88 unique species per square mile!
Even with this astonishing abundance of life, it still falls short of the incredible biodensity found in Costa Rica’s most remote seaside rainforests, where coastal and marine ecosystems add yet another layer of diversity within a compact space. Yet, when it comes to experiencing nature’s wonders in a concentrated area, few places rival the Arenal Rainforest.st!
Gazing across the vast Atacama Desert—Earth’s closest equivalent to the surface of Mars—it’s natural to wonder how life manages to survive here.
With temperatures swinging dramatically within a single day and virtually no rainfall, water, the foundation of nearly all life, is a rare commodity. Yet, despite the extreme aridity, water is present throughout the Atacama—it’s just stored within the plants and animals that call this harsh landscape home.
Most Atacama creatures are small and require minimal water. Take the viscacha, a chinchilla relative that hydrates through the plants and fruits it consumes, or the Giant Hummingbird, which extracts moisture from nectar and sap.
Others, like the cunning Culpeo Fox, take a different approach—hunting lizards, small birds, and even viscachas, letting their prey do the work of collecting water first.
Not every animal in the Atacama Desert follows the same strategy for survival. Take the region’s iconic flamingos—one of its most extraordinary wildlife spectacles. Like the Culpeo Fox, they extract water from their diet, absorbing moisture from the krill they feed on in the Atacama’s salt flats.
But flamingos don’t rely solely on their food for hydration. If freshwater is scarce, they can drink saltwater and expel excess salt through specialized glands in their noses.
Meanwhile, the Atacama’s largest animal family—llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicuñas—boast their own remarkable adaptations, allowing them to thrive in the extreme dryness and high-altitude conditions of this otherworldly desert.
Their blood carries significantly more hemoglobin than similar-sized creatures, enabling them to extract maximum oxygen and energy from the thin, high-altitude air. Their dense coats shield them from extreme temperatures and harsh sunlight, while their uniquely adapted feet provide stability and agility on rugged terrain.
But perhaps their most remarkable trait is their ability to conserve water. Their highly efficient digestive system recaptures moisture, while fat stores—like those of camels—serve as internal reservoirs, releasing water when external sources run dry. Even more impressively, they possess an uncanny ability to recall the locations of remote springs and hidden watering holes, navigating to them year after year.
Bocas del Toro is a relatively young region in Earth’s timeline, having been submerged by rising sea levels just 8,000 years ago. While that’s enough time for plant and animal life to begin adapting, true species divergence typically takes at least 10,000 years, meaning the region is still in the early stages of evolutionary change.
One of the most famous adaptations is that of the critically endangered three-toed pygmy sloth, a subspecies that has become an adept swimmer and the focus of ongoing conservation efforts.
Across Bocas del Toro, new behaviors and adaptations continue to emerge. Unlike older coastal ecosystems, where hierarchies and ecological systems are well established, Bocas remains a dynamic frontier—where the interplay between land and sea life is still shaping the region’s unique biodiversity.
Experts divide Bocas del Toro into 14 distinct habitats, where the boundaries between land and sea blur in extraordinary ways. Monkeys, birds, and insects foraging along riverbanks must stay vigilant, as ocean predators venture inland, while reef fish straying into estuaries and rivers may find themselves hunted by jaguars and other big cats.
The number of endemic species that existed in Bocas del Toro before it was submerged remains unknown, but today, the region is home to three bird species found nowhere else on Earth, along with up to 25 rare or range-restricted birds whose territories barely extend beyond these shores.
With the richness of the Caribbean Sea and the Panamanian rainforest converging in one place—and with land and water always within reach—Bocas del Toro is a true amphibian ecosystem, where life is in constant flux, and new adaptations and interactions are still unfolding.
The three volcanic peaks that formed Rapa Nui create a breathtaking sight, rising dramatically from the ocean as you approach Hanga Roa and providing a striking backdrop from every vantage point on the island.
Yet, the most fascinating aspect of these volcanoes is their true scale. Maunga Terevaka, the island’s highest point, stands at 511 meters (1,664 feet) above sea level—but that’s only a fraction of their full height.
In reality, Easter Island rises more than 2,000 meters from the ocean floor, making it the tallest peak in the Salas y Gómez Ridge—an underwater mountain range stretching 2,900 kilometers across the South Pacific.
Image Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute
For humans, it’s hard to think of sea level as the “top” of anything. But ecologically, Easter Island is just the visible peak of a much larger underwater world. Beneath the waves, its submerged slopes form a thriving habitat, home to countless species—including some found nowhere else on Earth.
In total, Rapa Nui’s mountains encompass five vastly different ecosystems. The terrestrial zone stretches from the high tide mark to the summit of Maunga Terevaka, supporting life on land—including humans.
Between the high and low tide marks lies the intertidal zone, a dynamic space where land and sea constantly collide. Below that, the vast ocean unfolds, divided into five distinct levels, each with its own unique conditions and inhabitants.
Above, you can find the scientific names of each zone of life in the ocean, which are more commonly referred to as the Sunlight Zone (0 -> 200m), Twilight Zone (200m -> 1000m), Midnight Zone (1000m -> 4000m), Abyssal Zone (4000m -> 6500m), and the Hadal Zone (6500m and deeper).
The nearest Abyssal and Hadal Zones to Easter Island are a few hundred miles away, but Easter Island has robust Sunlight, Twilight, and Midnight Zone habitats down along the mountain, whose biodiversity dwarfs that of the national parks above the surface.
It’s fascinating how when you shift your perspective, Easter Island can go from being an isolated habitat, hundreds of miles from the nearest terrestrial life, to a vibrant, multi-leveled ecosystem rising from the ocean floor.
The awe you feel when stepping into a new habitat is just the beginning. True appreciation comes from uncovering its stories, mysteries, and intricate connections—seeing the natural world through fresh perspectives.
That’s where our guides come in. Their deep knowledge and passion are yours to explore, turning curiosity into a lifetime of discoveries and revealing wonders you never imagined.
If you’d like to learn more, reach out to our team to begin your journey. From Arenal to Atacama, Bocas del Toro to Rapa Nui, extraordinary experiences await.