Climate and location

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At 51,100 km2, subtropical Costa Rica is slightly larger than Switzerland. It is part of the Central American land bridge. A chain of mountains ranging above 3,000 m separates the Atlantic/Caribbean coast from the Pacific coast. Local climatic conditions and vegetation are mainly determined by the altitude and amount of rainfall.

Finca La Amistad lies 500 to 600 meters above sea level in the north of Costa Rica, in the Bijagua de Upala district in the Alajuela province. Located in the buffer zone of the Tenorio National Park, the farm enjoys extraordinary biodiversity. The farm is located on the 11th parallel in the Tenorio National Park's buffer zone in the north of Costa Rica. The region has a subtropical transitional climate between tropical rainforest and mountain rainforest. The rainfall is relatively high and averages between 3,500 and 4,000 mm per year – three times more than the average annual rainfall for the Swiss Mittelland. In other words, conditions are ideal for the sensitive cacao plant. The dry season runs from December to April, with the subsequent rainy season typically being interrupted by a short dry period in June. The average annual temperature is 24°C, with the temperature ranging from a maximum of 29°C during the day and 12°C during the night.

Costa Rica and nature conservation

Costa Rica is the global leader when it comes to regional conservation. Although Costa Rica only covers 0.1 percent of the world's land mass, this natural paradise is home to 5 percent of the biodiversity known to man. The first national park was founded in 1955. Today, this small country has 25 national parks, 5 biological reservations and numerous other nature conservation areas covering a total area of around 740,000 hectares. If we add the other protected forest reserves and many small private conservation areas, around one-quarter of the country and all important natural areas are protected.