Costa Rica is one of the world's most biodiverse countries, and its avifauna is among its primary draws for visitors. The Central American nation is slightly smaller than West Virginia, but it hosts more than 900 species of birds, including eight endemics (and nearly 50 endemic to Costa Rica and Panama). Costa Rica's location in the neotropics between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, along with unique geographic features like volcanic highlands, mid-elevation temperate forests and lowland rainforests, make it a birders' paradise. The county's infrastructure is good, its people are exceptionally friendly, its cuisine is delicious, and San José lies less than three hours from Miami by plane.