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Costa Rica Information

Overview

Costa Rica’s national parks are its greatest glory. The Costa Rican authorities have set aside one-third of the country as protected areas, and dozens of private wilderness reserves have helped elevate Costa Rica to star status for ecotourism. The country has a stunning variety of landscapes, microclimates, and flora and fauna, and nature lovers will not be disappointed by the superb wildlife viewing. Visitors looking for an active holiday are spoilt for choice, with options from whitewater rafting to surfing. In urban areas, the country’s Spanish heritage provides the main features of interest, although sites are relatively few.

Columbus landed in what is now Costa Rica in 1501. Under the rule of General Tomas Guardia between 1870 and 1882, Costa Rica developed many of its principal modern characteristics, notably the minimal role of the Catholic Church in secular matters and an adherence to the principles of democracy. Throughout the 20th century, Costa Rica has enjoyed peace and a steady growth in prosperity, with the notable exception of a civil war in 1948, which followed a disputed presidential election. Significantly, Costa Rica is the only country in the region to have abolished the national army.

In recent times, one of the most prominent political figures has been current President Oscar Arias Sanchez, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for successfully bringing warring parties elsewhere in Central America to the negotiating table.

Top Things To See

 Discover a mixture of traditional and modern Spanish architecture in the capital San José. Places of interest include the Teatro Nacional (website: www.teatronacional.go.cr), the Legislative Assembly building and the Catedral Metropolitana. The National Museum (website: www.museocostarica.go.cr) and the Museum of Pre-Columbian Gold (website: www.museosdelbancocentral.org) are also worth a visit.

 Explore the cities around San José. The nearby town of Cartago was founded in 1563 as the first capital; although earthquakes destroyed most historic buildings, the Basilica is an astonishing architectural gem. Excursions can be made from here to the beautiful valley of Orosi, with its colonial church - the oldest in Costa Rica.

 Admire Arenal volcano as it erupts in a spectacular show of pyrotechnics. It has been particularly active over the past few years. Although the lava is difficult to see by day, at night on cloudless nights it can be seen running and tumbling down the flanks.

 Wander the historic centre of Liberia, which is home to the most typical colonial-era architecture in the nation. Most important buildings are concentrated along and around Calle Real, one block east of the main plaza.

 Learn something about Costa Rica’s neglected contemporary indigenous cultures at the Centro Neotrópico Sapapiquí (website: www.sarapiquis.org), in the Northern Lowlands. This superb museums honours the various tribes and exhibits examples of their pottery, bows and arrows, clothing and other artefacts, and shows a fascinating video.

 Witness marine turtles laying their eggs in soft sands along both Caribbean and Pacific shores. Strict rules are enforced when viewing hawksbill, green, loggerhead, Ridley and leatherback turtles, which lay at predictable times of year. Tortuguero National Park is one of the best places.

 View wildlife at Zoo Ave (website: www.zooave.org) before seeking the creatures in the wild. This superb site exhibits most of the critters and birds you’re likely to find, plus most of those that you’re not likely to see, such as jaguars, tapirs and snakes.

 Explore Tortuguero National Park by boat to admire the rainforest. The various levels of soaring forest ecosystem are easily identified from the canals, and a guide can explain the ecology of each level and the various common species, including sloths and monkeys.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Top Things To Do

 Relax in San José’s numerous parks (website: www.sinaccr.net), including Parque Nacional, Parque Central and Parque Morazán. Avoid them at night, however. Tree-shaded Parque Nacional is the most interesting for its national monument, various busts and statues.

 Seek out a quetzal, the Holy Grail of Costa Rica’s tropical birds, and considered the most beautiful bird in the Neotropics. Most people head to Monteverde Biological Cloud Preserve, one of the best places in the country to see them.

 Be thrilled by a white-water raft trip. Two of the country’s best rivers for rafting are the Reventazón (class III) and Pacuare (class IV). The best times to go are from May to November.

 Whizz across the waters of Lake Arenal, one of the world’s top windsurfing spots. Situated at 5,580ft (1,700m) above sea level, the lake offers its best windsurfing between April and December.

 Be Tarzan for a day. Harness up and swing through the rainforest on a canopying ecotour, enjoying the up-close view of tree-dwelling wildlife including monkeys and birds. Tours are available in several locations, including Rincón de la Vieja national park.

 Wrestle a marlin in the Pacific coast, which offers excellent sport fishing from Gulf of Papagayo to Golfito. Sailfish, marlin, tuna and wahoo are among the catches. The Tortuguero Canals and the area around Barra del Colorado offer world-class battles with tarpon.

 Trek to the summit of Cerro Chirripó. It is easily done with advance reservations through the national park office. All you need is stamina and the proper hiking gear. After a night in a lodge near the summit, trekkers are up before dawn to reach the summit before the clouds.

 Drive to the summit of smouldering Poás volcano, which has the country’s only dwarf cloud-forest. You can also drive to the top of Irazú volcano, offering fantastic views over the Caribbean and Pacific on clear days. Both national parks have hiking trails, although be sure to stick to official trails and keep away from the crater edge.

 Cruise aboard the Calypso catamaran to Isla Tortuga (website: www.calypsocruises.com). This day-long excursion makes for a relaxing and enjoyable day from Puntarenas. This gorgeous island is rimmed with palm-shaded white sands shelving into turquoise waters, good for snorkelling. Watersports are offered, and a traditional beach barbecue rounds out the day.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Going Out

Food and Drink

Restaurants in towns and cities serve a variety of foods including Chinese, French, Italian, Mexican and North American. Food usually ranges from satisfactory to sublime. In San José, options range from expensive and exemplary gourmet restaurants to cheap sodas (small, simple restaurants) serving local food, including set lunches called casados at bargain prices.

National specialities:
• Casado (a fixed daily lunch, usually featuring rice, beans, stewed chicken or beef, fried plantain, salad and cabbage).
• Olla de carne (soup of beef, plantain, corn, yuca and chayote).
• Sopa negra (black beans with a poached egg).
• Picadillo (meat and vegetable stew).
• Bocas (savoury snacks served at bars or before main meals in restaurants).

National drinks:
There are many types of cold drinks made from fresh fruit, milk or cereal flour, for example:
• Cebada (fermented barley; an indigenous beverage).
• Pinolillo (corn and cocoa).
• Horchata (liquid corn meal or ground rice with cinnamon). 
•Batidos (fresh fruit shakes made with either milk or water blended with ice).
•Pipas (fresh coconut water served in the husk).
•Local lager-style beers such as Imperial are a perfect cure for hot days.
•Coffee is good, but many local restaurants serve lesser-quality domestic brand coffee.

Tipping: Tipping is not necessary but is acceptable if the service was particularly outstanding. Restaurants add a 13% sales tax plus a 10% service charge to the bill.

Nightlife

San José especially has many nightclubs, venues with folk music and dance, theatres and cinemas. Elsewhere nightlife is mostly restricted to tourist resorts by the beach.

Shopping

Special purchases include wood and leather rocking chairs (which dismantle for export), as well as a range of local crafts available in major cities and towns. Local markets are also well worth visiting. Prices are slightly higher than in other Latin American countries. Best buys are wooden items, carved masks, ceramics, gold pre-Columbian replica jewellery and leather handicrafts.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1800/1900. There may be variations between areas.

Climate

In the Central Valley, where the main centres of population are located, the average temperature is 22°C (72°F) and the region enjoys a spring-like climate year round. In the coastal areas, the temperature is much hotter and humid, while the Pacific Northwest can be extremely hot and dry. The rainy season starts in May and finishes in November, although there are distinct regional variations. The ‘warm’ dry season is December to May, though temperature differences between summer and winter are slight.

Required Clothing

Lightweight cottons and linens most of the year, warmer clothes for cooler evenings. Waterproofing is necessary during the rainy season. Loose-fitting clothing is best. Wear neutral browns and greens for birding and wildlife viewing.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2008-December 2009 period.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day. 
21-24 Mar Easter.
14 Apr Juan Santamaría’s Day.
1 May Labour Day.
25 Jul Guanacaste Annexation.
2 Aug Virgin of Los Angeles, Feast of Patroness of Costa Rica*.
15 Aug Mothers’ Day and Assumption.
15 Sep Independence Day.
12 Oct Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day)*.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

2009
1 Jan New Year’s Day. 
10-13 Apr Easter.
11 Apr Juan Santamaría’s Day.
1 May Labour Day.
25 Jul Guanacaste Annexation.
2 Aug Virgin of Los Angeles, Feast of Patroness of Costa Rica*.
15 Aug Mothers’ Day and Assumption.
15 Sep Independence Day.
12 Oct Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day)*.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

* Not legally binding.

Note

Most businesses close for the whole of Holy Week and between Christmas and New Year.

Health

Diphtheria

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Hepatitis A

Special Precaution: Yes

Malaria

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Rabies

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Tetanus

Special Precaution: Yes

Typhoid

Special Precaution: Yes

Yellow Fever

Special Precaution: No

Health Care

Health insurance is recommended. Reliable medical services are available. Standards of health and hygiene are among the best in Latin America, although public facilities may not come up to par with developed countries.

Further Health Information

We advise you to check health requirements for the country you are traveling to with your GP, practice nurse or travel health clinic as health requirements and vaccinations can change at short notice.

Money

Currency

Costa Rican Colón (CRC; symbol ₡) = 100 céntimos. Notes are in denominations of ₡10,000, 5,000, 2,000 and 1,000. Coins are in denominations of ₡100, 50, 25, 20, 10 and 5. US Dollars are also widely accepted.

Currency Exchange

Available at banks and bureaux de change. Some hotels may also change money.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are all accepted; American Express slightly less so. Many banks will only process MasterCard for cash credits. Cash may be the only form of payment in smaller towns and rural areas. ATMs usually accept foreign cards.

Traveller's Cheques

Although travellers can avoid additional exchange rate charges by taking traveller’s cheques in US Dollars, fewer and fewer businesses in Costa Rica are willing to accept them.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 0800/0900-1500/1800.

Passport/Visa

British

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No/1
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Australian

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No/2
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Canadian

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No/1
Return Ticket Required: Yes

USA

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No/1
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Other EU

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No/1/2
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Passport Note

(a) Nationals listed above must obtain an exit visa from the Immigration Department in San José at least three weeks before leaving Costa Rica. Those who stay for less than 30 days are exempt if in possession of a disembarkation card.

Passports

Passport valid for at least 30 days after arrival or for the length of stay, whichever is greater.

Visas

Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:
(a) 1. nationals of Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA for stays over 90 days;
(b) 2. nationals of Australia, Bulgaria and Ireland for stays over 30 days.

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Visa Note

The immigration authorities are strict about detaining foreigners who are undocumented or tourists who have overstayed.

Contact Addresses

Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT)

Costado Este del Puente Juan Pablo II, Sobre Autopista General Cañas, San José, Costa Rica
Tel: 299 5800/11 or 1 866 343 6332 (in the USA).
Website: www.visitcostarica.com

Embassy and Consulate of the Republic of Costa Rica in the UK

Flat 1, 14 Lancaster Gate, London W2 3LH, UK
Tel: (020) 7706 8844.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1500 (embassy); 1000-1300 (consulate).
Website: http://costarica.embassyhomepage.com

Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica in the USA

2114 S Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 234 2945 or 328 6628 (consular enquiries).
Website: www.costarica-embassy.org

Travel Advice

Warning

Most visits to Costa Rica are trouble-free but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate international terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

Incidents of violent crime, some targeted at tourists, are on the increase.

The rainy season in Costa Rica normally runs from May to November, coinciding with the hurricane season in the Caribbean.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organisations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel

• Costa Rica Overview
• Costa Rica Things to See
• Costa Rica Things to Do
• Costa Rica Events
• Costa Rica Climate
• Costa Rica Public Holidays
• Costa Rica Health
• Costa Rica Currency
• Costa Rica Passport & Visas
• Costa Rica Contact Addresses
• Costa Rica Travel Advice