What catches the eye of the tourist is that in Costa Rica 's horizon there is always a mountain framing the picture. And there is a very good reason for that; mountains always show up in the picture in our geography. There is a mountain range that runs through the heart of the entire country, from northeast to southeast.

Volcanic mountain ranges (like Guanacaste and Central) are separated by deep valleys and other mountains. The Talamanca mountain range, which crosses over the southern region of the country, penetrates deep into the northern part of Panama ; this is where the tallest peak in the country is located.