Having developed many Butterfly Farms in the past ten years, Costa Rica attracts tourists from all over the world to this new phenomenon. There exists about 20,000 butterfly species worldwide. Of these, about 1,000 or 5% can be found in Costa Rica, pretty good for a country the size of West Virginia.
The screened gardens are wonderful chances to learn about butterfly ecology and observe the winged creatures up close. One large butterfly farm is located about an hour from San Jose and makes a good day trip. Others are located in Monteverde, La Paz Waterfall Gardens and other destinations on longer itineraries.