Costa Rica

Quick Facts

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Capital

San Jose

Population

3,770,000

Government

Democratic Republic

Religions

Christianity (Catholic, Protestant)

Languages

Spanish, English

Calling Code

+506

Nationality

Costa Rican

Local name

Costa Rica

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Introduction

Rincon Vieja 6

© All Rights Reserved Flav-Greg

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

Costa Rica has 7 provinces in 3 distinct regions:

• Pacific Coast: Guanacaste, Puntarenas
• Interior: Alajuela, Heredia, San José, Cartago
• Caribbean Coast: Limón

Cities

• San José - Costa Rica's capital and largest city, located in the centre of the country.
• Monteverde - A hard to get to town surrounded by rainforests and cloud forests.
• Liberia - The capital of Guanacaste and a common stop on the way to nearby beaches.
• Puntarenas - 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 Volcanoe

Volcano Arenal - Wind

© All Rights Reserved balegra

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

This UNESCO World Heritage sight is 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

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

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 airlines 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

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

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. This includes a mandatory insurance. If you're planning to visit more remote locations, you should certainly consider a 4WD because of the 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 or not. You will also have to put down a guarantee deposit of at least 750 USD 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 Jose. Don't expect any luxuries and due to the abysmal state of roads outside of San Jose, 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.

Red Tape

Money

Work

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

Safety

Robbery at knife point is still common in Costa Rica, especially in certain parts of San Jose. 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

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).