Costa Rica

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Quick Facts

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Capital

San Jose

Government

Democratic Republic

Nationality

Costa Rican

Population

3,770,000

Languages

Spanish, English

Religions

Christianity (Catholic, Protestant)

Currency

Costa Rican colón (CRC) ₡

Calling Code

+506

Time Zone

UTC-6

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Introduction

Flowers in La Paz Costa Rica

© All Rights Reserved Luis M

Over the decades, Costa Rica has succesfully and deservedly maintained an image as a haven of ecological beauty. Travellers have been attracted to its numerous national parks and biological reserves, where astonishing numbers of birds, reptiles and mammals flourish. Such diverse options as horseback riding, river rafting and hiking create a pallette of activities for travellers to choose from.

But the appeal of Costa Rica extends well beyond the eco-tourist attraction of its rainforests: bordered on both the east and the west by coast, in the heart of Central America, the nation affords visitors with excellent surfing conditions and gorgeous beaches.

Brief History

When Columbus first landed in Costa Rica in 1502, the region was inhabited by various indigenous groups, which were all but wiped out once European settlement began. Spain named the colony "Rich Coast", rather ironically: Costa Rica was barren in terms of gold and valuable minerals. Instead, the Spanish turned to agriculture and imported African slaves to work the land.

Along with the other Spanish colonies in Central America, Costa Rica declared itself independent from Spain in 1821. After a brief time under Mexican rule, Costa Rica joined the Federal Republic of Central America - an unhappy union, as Costa Rica clashed with other states in the FRCA. In 1838, Costa Rica became a sovereign nation, with its capital in San Jose.

Since independence, Costa Rica has been a relatively peaceful country, especially in comparison with other Central American nations. Agriculture remains a key industry, though eco-tourism and technology are now also significant sectors of the economy.

Geography

Costa Rica's popularity as an eco-tourism destination is underscored by the fact that over a quarter of the nation's territory is protected. Costa Rica has 26 national parks and over 160 other protected areas.

Costa Rica has a mountainous spine stretching through the centre of the country. It boasts 1,290 km of coastline, most of which is on the Pacific Ocean (a little over 200km is on the Caribbean Sea).

Regions

South Caribbean: This region is comprised of the popular town of Puerto Viejo, Cahuita and Manzanillo. This is where the Reggae music and lapping surf are perfect for relaxation. Cahuita National Park is also one of the best places to snorkel along the coral reefs.

San Jose (Central Valley): Central Valley region is a lot more than just San Jose. It is comprised of a lot of different towns such as: Heredia, Escazu, and Cartago. This is where the majority of the population lives and also the highest number of expats as well. Plus, it's a popular stop over for fun day trips: Volcano Poas and Irazu, coffee planation tours, nature parks and a lot more.

Central Pacific: This region is by far the most visited of all. The main towns are along the beaches: Jaco and Manuel Antonio. Plus, Manuel Antonio National Park is here, and it is the most popular national park in Costa Rica, yet one of the smallest. There is never a dull moment here: take a sunset, snorkel cruise, hike national parks full of macaws, monkeys, sloths and many more animals and enjoy the best nightlife and restaurants.

North Caribbean: With intricate canals and wetland system make the North Caribbean an amazing eco adventure. You'll see nesting sea turtles, an abundance of wildlife, and even world-class fishing. Tortuguero, the most popular attraction is nicknamed the 'Amazon of Costa Rica'.

Monteverde, Arenal and the Northern Region: Monteverde Cloud Forest sits high in the Tilaran Mountain Range. Without a doubt, one of the most unique places in all of Costa Rica for its history, heritage and pride in protecting their lands and forests through private endeavors.

The North Pacific: The Gold Coast, Costa Rica's most famed beach destinations sits at the northern end of the Guanacaste province. The most popular beaches of this area are Tamarindo, Playa Grande, Ocatol, Flamingo and Coco.

South Pacific: This region has the most amount of land preserved in national parks and other reserves. It is Costa Rica's prominent eco adventure stop. From pristine untouched beaches starting from Dominical to Carate, you'll cross the highest mountain in Central America - Mount Chirripo (12,530 feet) and the largest national park - Corcovado, also known as one of the most intense biological places on earth.

Cities

• San José is Costa Rica's capital and largest city, located in the centre of the country.
• Monteverde is a hard to get to town surrounded by rainforests and cloud forests.
• Liberia is the capital of Guanacaste and a common stop on the way to nearby beaches.
• Puntarenas is a major tourist destination on the Pacific coast, particularly for surfers.
• Limón
• Alajuela
• San Francisco

Sights and Activities

Costa Rica is home to one of the world's most beautiful landscapes, nature parks, volcanoes and beaches. There is a lot to keep you busy for weeks, after which you can relax on numerous of the beaches, both at the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

Manuel Antonio National Park

The Manuel Antonio National Park is located in the south of the country near the city of Quepos and is one of the most visited areas in the country. The park has a beautiful setting with lots of wildlife, including sloth, several species of
monkeys, iguanas, numerous birds including the toucan, bats, spiders and snakes. Activities include guided walks, wildlife watching and relaxing and one of many beaches inside or just outside the park.

Arenal Volcano

Volcano Arenal - Wind

© All Rights Reserved balegra

The Arenal Volcano in the north of the country is probably one of the best known volcanoes in the world and still a very active one as well, erupting many times (albeit small) a day. You can visit this volcano and the nearby rainforest from the town of Fortuna and activities including guided walks, including magnificent night walks (to see the eruptions), and wildlife watching in the forests on the way with many species of birds to see.

Tortuguero

Tortuguero is located on the Caribbean coast and i one of the most remote places in Costa Rica, only accessible by boat or plane. The Tortuguero National Park is what most visitors bring all the way up here and the main activity probably is seeing turtles laying their eggs on the beaches. Most of these tours last for several hours and leave when it's dark. It is not always season though and your best bet will be visiting during April to May for leatherback turtles and July to October for green turtles. Canoe tours, wildlife watching and jungle trips are other options with one of the many touroperators in this fantastic area.

Cocos Island National Park

The Cocos Island National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Pacific Ocean over 500 kilometers from the mainland of Costa Rica and is famous for its spectactular diving with chances to see sharks, big tunas, rays and dolphins. Apart from the marine ecosystem there is very dense rainforest on the island itself with a very rich biodiversity. It doesn't come cheap to visit this place but it is well worth the effort and money.

Corcovado National Park

Toucan

© All Rights Reserved Canoe23

Corcovado NP is located on the Osa peninsula in the south of Costa Rica and its main access point is Puerto Jimenez. It still is one of the more remote national parks though but with excellent wildlife watching. Species include the scarlett macaw, many other species of birds, frogs, spiders, reptiles, tapir and even large predators like jaguar and puma, although there are much harder to spot, especially during daytime. The waterfalls, beaches and rainforest make this park a real gem and not to miss when you are in Costa Rica.

Canopy Tours

There are more than 120 places in Costa Rica to do canopy tours, allowing you to experience the rainforests from a bird's eye view. Some of the canopy tours are set up as skywalks and visitors can walk amongst the treetops. Many others have zip-lines hooked up between trees and visitors are strapped in to a harness and sent flying past the canopies. Be aware that not all tour operators maintain high safety standards. It is worth researching the operator you plan to use in advance!

Other Sights and Activities

• Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserves
• Tenorio Volcano National Park
• La Amistad National Park
• Beaches near Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Jaco and Pochote
• White water raft the Pacuare river

Events and Festivals

Weather

As a tropical country, Costa Rica experiences only two seasons, the wet and dry. Typically the dry season is from December through April, whereas the wet season is from May to November, although there might be deviations to the norm in certain parts of Costa Rica, based on location and altitude primarily.

Temperature doesn't change much between the wet and dry seasons, but altitude is a big influence on the average temperature year round. The Caribbean and Pacific coasts are hot and humid, whereas San José and the Central Valley have a pleasant average temperature of 22 °C, partly based on a cool coastal wind. The highlands are quite cool, with an average temperature of 13 °C. To avoid the most humid and hot months, stay away from Costa Rica between March and May.

Getting There

By Plane

The national airline Lacsa is part of the Grupo TACA. Its hub is at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) near the capital San José. Services are with a number of Lacsa/TACA flights to destinations mainly in Central America and several cities in the United States and South America. Destinations further away include Madrid with Iberia, Amsterdam with Martinair and flights to and from Frankfurt. Toronto, Guadeloupe and Martinique are other destinations.

By Train

There are no international train connections to and from Costa Rica.

By Car

Costa Rica is a small country and renting a car is one of the best ways to discover the country and travelling at your own schedule. Taking the breakfast at the Caribbean side, get on time to San José for lunch and drive to the pacific to catch the sunset, all in just one day and without driving fast, just taking the necesary time to make it. Although technically you can cross borders to and from Costa Rica, there are quite a few rules you have to bear in mind and you need proper documentation regarding car, prove of ownership and many other rules apply to the state of the car. It's quite time consuming and expensive but unavoidable if you are travelling overland from North America to South America.

By Bus

International buses go from San José to Changuinola (for Bocas del Toro), David and Panama City in Panama. There are more buses to Guatemala, Managua in Nicaragua, San Salvador in El Salvador and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Check Ticabus for more routes.

By Boat

There are no international passenger services but cruiseships and yachts can harbor in Puerto Limon and Caldera (near Puntarenas).

Getting Around

By Plane

There is a small (twin propeller planes) internal airline that connects some of the major tourist locations. It's very expensive and considering the short distances in Costa Rica is not economical for most travellers. Luggage is very limited because of the plane type and you will be weighed before boarding. Paradise Air has flights to a few dozen of domestic destinations, including Barra de Tortuguero, Limón and Liberia.

By Car

For those brave enough to drive on Costa Rican roads, renting a car will cost somewhere between 400 and 700 USD a week, depending on quality and wether you rent a 4wd or not. This includes a mandatory insurance. If you're planning to visit more remote locations, you should certainly consider a 4WD because of the rough road conditions. At certain times of year, entire roads are flooded as well, so be sure to gather information before you set off on whether or not your destination will be accessible. You will also have to put down a guarantee deposit of at least 750 USD (a credit card print will be enough) to cover tire and rim damage which is common because of the state of the roads. This is not covered by the regular car insurance.

By Bus

Bus is probably the easiest way to get around Costa Rica. The bus service is fairly punctual and it's very cheap. You can get anywhere in the country, but you'll usually find yourself travelling back through San José. Don't expect any luxuries and due to the abysmal state of roads outside of San José, bumpy rides are pretty much guaranteed. Be sure to keep a close eye on your luggage as bus stops are where most backpacks tend to go missing.

By Boat

If you're heading up to Tortuguero, a great way to travel is by small boat up the rivers/canals from Moin, near Puerto Limon. Tortuguero has 3 main docks:

• La Pavona is located about 45 minutes from Guapiles town, on the way to Cariari de Guapiles. From La Pavona to Tortuguero is a 35 minute boat trip.
• Caño Blanco, located about 1 hour from Siquirres town. From Caño Blanco to Tortuguero is a 1,5 hour boat trip.
• Moin, 3 kilometres before Puerto Limon town. From Moin it's 2,5 hours by boat.

Many of the hotels offer a full package that includes ground transportation from and to San José, boat transfer, lodging and 3 meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). The suggested package is based on 2 days/ one night, which is enough time to discover this natural destination.
If you rented a car and want to get to Tortuguero you can find secure parking lots at the La Pavona and Caño Blanco docks. It costs $10 a day. Or if you are coming out from Tortuguero and want to keep travelling by your own, you have a couple of choices. Either rent a car right straight at the docks or get a shared van.
Car rentals are very easy to arrange and they can deliver the car to you. Just make sure to inform where exactly you want the car to be delivered.

By Train

Daily trains are running between several locations in the San José area.

By Foot

Walking around cities and towns in Costa Rica is a bit of an adventure. Pedestrians do not get the right of way and cars often will not even stop at a red light for you to cross. The sidewalks can be in poor repair and it is often a big step to the road. There are very few street signs so most navigation is done by landmark, keep this in mind if you decide to try to hire a cab or get directions from a local.

Red Tape

Nationals of the following countries are allowed 90 days’ stay with no visa when showing their pasport upon arrival: most western European countries, Argentina, Canada, Israel, Japan, Panama and the USA.
Citizens of Australia, Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa and Venezuela are allowed to stay for 30 days with no visa. Others require a visa from a Costa Rican embassy or consulate.
Extending your stay beyond the authorized 30 or 90 days is a time-consuming hassle. It is far easier to leave the country for 72 hours and then re-enter.

Money

See also Money Matters

The Costa Rican currency is the Colón (CRC), named after Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón in Spanish). Notes are available for 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10,000 colones. Coins are in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100, 500 colones.

Most banks have money exchange, but it is advisable to use state banks like Banco Nacional, since they generally have lower rates.

US Dollars are also commonly used in Costa Rica and in tourist settings a lot of things are priced in US Dollars.

Work

To do paid work in Costa Rica you will need to be a resident or be sponsored by a local company. The newspaper La Nación, has job listings on Sundays and Mondays.

There are opportunities to do volunteering work, from teaching English to turtle conservation.

Study

Language

Related article: Spanish: Grammar, pronunciation and useful phrases

Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica. Costa Ricans near the border with Nicaragua have a distinctive accent, the Nicoyan, which is very similar to the Nicaraguan accent.

Mekatelyu is a creole dialect that grew out of the English spoken by Jamaican immigrants in the 19th century.

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

It is worth visiting your doctor before heading to Costa Rica to check that you have all necessary vaccinations. Malaria is a problem in some parts of the country.

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Robbery at knife point is still common in Costa Rica, especially in certain parts of San José. You should exercise caution when going out late at night alone and visiting certain neighbourhoods.

Keep Connected

Staying connected in Costa Rica is easy and you'll find ample phone booths and internet cafe's, especially in the more frequented destinations.

Internet

It's easy to find internet access, although generally it is of the paid variety in internet cafe's and hostels. The further away you get from San Jose, the slower and more expensive it becomes. Some internet cafe's also offer international calls via either phone or ip using services like skype.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

• The country calling code to Costa Rica is 506.
• To make an international call from Costa Rica, the code is 00.

There are plenty of phone booths around and you will get the best rate using a pre-paid international card (can often be purchased in internet cafe's and other small stores). There is usually a connection fee making short calls extra expensive. Those travelling with a mobile phone and willing to pay the roaming costs should ensure it is a tri-band as Costa Rica has an 1800 Mhz GSM network, which is for example not compatible with some European phones and generally no US phones. You cannot get a prepaid sim card for Costa Rica.

Post

A stamp for postage to Europe is 125 Colones (around 15 EUR cents).