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Costa Rica FactBook |
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Our Country! |
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Costa Rica is part
of a natural corridor between North and South America,
surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea,
characteristic that gives us a gift of great ecological
biodiversity and unique landscapes, offering you a unique
destination, where you will find a world of options,
places to visit and activities: volcanoes, beaches,
mountains, caves, rivers, waterfalls, oceans, lakes,
rain forest, wildlife, rich and exotic flora and fauna…,
all together with warm, friendly and hospitable people.
With a national territory of 51.100 square kilometers,
Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, Costa
Rica is a small country, blessed with twelve distinct
ecological zones, immense diversity of ecosystems from
sub alpine vegetation to amazing rainforest and tropical
beaches. You will always find a special place to discover
and an exotic destination to explore.
Approximately 25% of Costa Rican territory is protected
in a world renowned system of national parks, biological
reserves, wildlife refuges and other protected areas;
being the country with one of the largest percentage
of territory dedicated to the protection of the environment.
Costa Rica is divided geographically into seven provinces
which are: Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste (where Liberia
International Airport is located), Heredia, Limón,
Puntarenas, & San José (Capital City). Costa
Rica Facts and traveling tips
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General information about Costa Rica |
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Communications |
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Costa Rica has
a good communication system: direct-dial telephone service,
fax, radio and cable television are available all over
the country. Roads and electricity reach throughout
the countryside. Internet cafes are available in most
towns and hotels and an increasing number of businesses
online are operating.
To call or fax Costa Rica, dial the country code 506
before the number. There is also mail service, and a
wide selection of courier services in San Jose.
Local phone numbers for bilingual operator assistance:
for an international call is 116, local information
is 113 and long distance information is 124.
Newspapers and magazines from North America and several
European nations are sold in some shops and hotels in
and around downtown.
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Credit Cards |
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Major credit cards
are accepted in larger hotels, stores, restaurants and
car rental agencies. Outside of San Jose or at smaller
and remote businesses you should be prepared to pay
in local currency.
Visa and Master Card are widely accepted, also American
Express and on a few places the Diners Club.
Obtaining cash with your credit card is possible in
some banks or automatic cashiers in San Jose City.
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Currency |
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Costa Rica’s official currency
is the "colon", plural "colones"
(¢1,00).
The "colon" floats in relation to the US Dollar,
the exchange rate fluctuates in small increments daily. |
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US dollars are
widely accepted at many establishments in Costa Rica;
other currencies will rarely be accepted. However it
is recommended that you change some money into "colones",
since in small places or rural areas you should be able
to pay in local currency.
US dollars and traveler's checks can be changed into
"colones" in banks, hotel’s front desks
or at the airport money exchange desk. Euros can be exchanged in banks. There is a wide
selection of state owned and privately held banks in
San Jose, and throughout the country.
Costa
Rica Currency Converter - US dollar exchange rateCosta
Rica Currency Converter - Euro Exchange rate |
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Economy |
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Agriculture is the base of Costa
Rica economy; its principal exportations are coffee,
bananas, cocoa, sugar, lumber and wood products as well
as beef. Coffee has been the country's most important
crop, and Costa Rica continues producing some of the
finest coffees in the world. Recently there are other
products that are getting importance such as pineapples,
oranges, rice, hardwoods and ornamental plants.
Other industries such as cigarette production, textiles,
leather and rubber products, plastics, cosmetics, electronics
and biotech are also developing.
In the last years tourism has become the country’s
largest source of income.
The government is actively attracting foreign investments
that are beneficial to both the investor and the country.
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Electricity |
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Voltage is 110V, 60 Hz
Plugs are two-pronged not three, so if you are coming
from Europe you will need an adapter. |
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Entry requirements |
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Citizens of all the countries require
a valid passport to enter to Costa Rica. Visas are needed
by certain nationalities so check before traveling at
Costa Rican Consulates or Embassies. You are required
to carry your passport with you at all times and you
should always be prepared to present it to Costa Rican
authorities. Entry requirements
Costa Rica: visas and passport requirements.
Generally it is permitted to stay up to 90 days; to
stay legally beyond that period you will need to submit
an application for an extension to the Office of Temporary
Permits in the Costa Rican Directory of Immigration.
Tourist visas are usually not extended except under
special circumstances, such as academic, employment,
or medical grounds. Extension requests are evaluated
on a case-by-case basis.
Following please find some general information about
passport and visa requirements and the period it is
permitted to stay in Costa Rica. Visa requirements for
Costa Rica can change at any moment, we recommend you
to check with the consulate at your country before traveling.
* Citizens holding valid passports from the following
countries are permitted to stay in Costa Rica for 90
days without a visa:
Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brasil, Canada, Denmark,
Finland, France and dependences, Germany, Greece, Holland
and dependencies, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay Poland,
Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, South Korea, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom,
United States of America.
* Citizens holding valid passports from the following
countries are permitted to stay in Costa Rica for 30
days without a visa (once in the country, you can ask
for an extension from the Immigration Office, which
allows you to stay a total of 90 days:
Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados,
Belize, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Dominica, El Salvador,
Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland,
Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Principado
de Monaco, Russia, San Cristobal/Nevis, San Marino,
St. Lucia, St Vincent, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa,
Suriname, Taiwan, Turkey, Vatican, Venezuela.
* Citizens of all countries not listed above must obtain
a visa from a Costa Rican embassy or consulate before
traveling to Costa Rica and will be allowed to stay
in Costa Rica for 30 days.
Entry
requirements: Costa Rica Embassies and Consulates
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Government |
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Costa Rica is a free, democratic and
independent Republic.
The government is comprised of three branches: Executive
(President, two Vice Presidents and cabinet), Legislative
Assembly (with 57 individually elected deputies) and Judicial.
The President of the Republic is elected by free elections
for a four year term.
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Holidays |
January 1st: New
Year’s Day
March/April: Easter Week
April 11th: Juan Santamaría Day
May 1st: Labor Day
July 25th: Annexation of Guanacaste Day
August 2nd: Virgen of Los Angeles Day, Patron Saint
of CR
August 15th: Mother’s Day
September 15th: Independence Day
October 12th: Discovery of America, Columbus Day
December 25th: Christmas Day
On some of these days most businesses close and
there is little commercial activity. Also each province
and various towns celebrate their own special holidays. |
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Insurance |
| We strongly recommend you to purchase short-term traveler’s insurance, covering baggage, accidents and/or trip cancellations |
| Travel insurance quotes |
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Language |
The official language
is Spanish; however English is spoken, especially
in tourist areas throughout the country.
Also there are other native languages used mostly
within the indigenous reserves. |
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Medical Care |
Costa Rica health
care is very good and sanitary standards are high.
Top quality hospitals are found throughout San Jose
and some of the other areas with large populations.
Also private hospitals and clinics can be found
in San Jose.
Reliable medical services are available, but may
be limited outside urban areas.
Drugstores are common throughout the country, at
hospitals and major clinics are often open 24 hours
a day. |
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Population |
| In year 2000, Costa
Rica had a population of 3.8 million inhabitants.
Costa Ricans come predominately from the mixture
of European and indigenous. Indigenous people account
for less than 2% of the total population. |
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Religion |
Roman Catholicism is the
official religion of Costa Rica and most of
the population considers itself Roman Catholic.
The constitution guarantees freedom of religion,
churches of other denominations are found throughout
the country.
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Safety and Security |
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Even when Costa Rica is
a safe country that has a peaceful atmosphere
and is friendly to visitors you should use
the same level of caution that you would take
in major cities or tourist areas throughout
the world.
Costa Rica travel
safety: travel warnings to Costa Rica and
safety recommendations
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Please consider the following
travel warnings / recommendations during your
trip to Costa Rica:
- Do not leave your luggage or personal items
unattended or with a stranger. Do not carry
any stranger’s luggage through customs
or immigration.
- Change money in your hotel or at the bank,
and ask for small bills. Never change money
in the street and don't show large amounts
of cash.
- Always carry your money within an inside
pocket, a body pouch or money belt. Daily
spending money could be carried in your bag
or front pocket. Never carry a wallet in your
back pocket.
- Carry backpacks on your front.
- Don't wear expensive jewelry in large cities.
- If you are going out at night, take a taxi.
- Don't leave money or valuables lying around
your hotel room. Valuable items should be
left in a safe box.
- Leave your rented car at guarded parking
lots and never leave your luggage or personal
items visible in your car, even if you locked
the car.
- Carry a separate package with the following
information: a copy of the identifying pages
of your passport, the number of your credit
cards, traveler checks, bank accounts, airplane
tickets, and emergency phone numbers.
- Avoid crowds as well as dark and lonely
places, and deal with well
- known tourism agencies instead of unknown
persons. You should walk or exercise with
a companion.
- Adventure travel safety in Costa Rica
Adventure tourism is increasingly popular, and
many companies provide white-water rafting,
bungee jumping, jungle canopy tours and other
outdoor attractions. It is recommended to use
caution in selecting adventure tourism companies.
The government of Costa Rica has passed legislation
to regulate and monitor the safety of adventure
tourism companies.
- Demonstrations or strikes, related to labor
disputes or other local issues, occur occasionally
in Costa Rica. Past demonstrations have resulted
in port closures, roadblocks, and sporadic gasoline
shortages. These protests are typically non-violent.
Travelers are advised to avoid areas where demonstrations
are taking place and to keep informed by following
the local news and consulting hotel personnel
and tour guides.
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Taxes and Tips |
There
is an airport departure tax of approximately $26.00
US per person. You can pay for this tax in dollars
or colones. Tourists who stay longer than the
permitted days can expect to pay a higher departure
tax at the airport or land border.
Also there is a 13% sales tax at hotels, restaurants
and most industries and commerce, and an additional
3,39% tourist tax at hotels.
Restaurants and Bars (food and beverages) charge
the 13% sales tax and also add on a 10% service
charge, for a total of 23% on your bill.
Tipping is
not mandatory; if you believe the personal meet
or exceed your expectations and the service was
very good you can leave a little at your own discretion,
you can follow the same guidelines you use in
your country.
The only “tip” that is mandatory is
the service charge that is charged to your bill
at restaurants and bars.
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Taxis |
| In San Jose and
in different cities you will find good taxi service.
Travelers should be careful to use licensed taxis,
which are red and have an official number painted
inside a yellow triangle on the front doors and
has an identification tag with a photo of the driver
attached and clearly visible inside the taxi. Licensed
taxis at the airport are painted orange, rather
than red. The prices are controlled so they have
to operate using a taximeter called “Maria”,
they use a basic fare to start the run. If the taxi
meter is not working, a price should be agreed upon
before the trip begins. |
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Time |
Costa Rica is
in the Central Time Zone and does not observe
Daylight Savings
Time: GMT minus 6 hours.
Costa
Rica time zone, date and current time |
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Water |
The public water system provides
pure, suitable and good quality water to 98
percent of the country. The drinking water is
generally considered very safe in San Jose,
larger cities and modern resorts, but bottled
beverages are recommended in rural areas. Many
people prefer bottled water which you can find
in every hotel or restaurant or supermarket.
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Weather |
Like many
tropical countries, Costa Rica experiences two
seasons rather than the normal four seasons:
the dry season that is called verano (or summer);
and the rainy or green season called invierno
(or winter), usually with quite sunny mornings
and rains during the afternoon. Costa
Rica weather patterns, Costa Rica average weather
and facts
Because it’s geographic location, its
mountain range system and its varied topography,
the country has five different climatic zones:
Northern Pacific, Southern Pacific, Central
Valley, Northern subdivide and Caribbean. In
the first three zones the dry season is from
December to April and the rainy season from
May to November, the dry season in the Southern
Pacific zone is shorter, since April and December
are transitions months. The Northern subdivide
and the Caribbean zones do not have a true dry
season; however in the coastal zone there are
relatively dry periods, one in March and April
and the other in September and October.
During July and August there are short dry periods
called "veranillos" ("little
summers"). From November to January, cold
breezes from the north cause a descent in temperature.
Usually the warmest months are March, April
and May, and the wettest months are September
and October.
The main influence
on temperature is altitude and location. In
the highlands such as the Central Valley and
San Jose the average is 22ºC (72 ºF
aprox), the low average is15°C (60°F
aprox) and the high average is 26°C (79°F
aprox). In the lowlands and coastal areas temperatures
range from as low as 21°C to the high 34ºC
(70's to 90's ºF). Costa Rica's beaches
are hot and humid, the Caribbean averaging is
21°C (70°F) at night and over 30°C
(86°F) during the day; on the Pacific, the
northwestern province of Guanacaste is a few
degrees warmer, tends to be dry and breezy and
the dry season lasts several weeks longer than
in other places. Mountainous regions have cooler
temperatures, at altitudes over 10,000 feet
the weather is usually humid, with occasional
fog or even frost: sometimes it reaches the
freezing point.
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If you have any question, need information
or want to plan your itinerary, please feel
free to Contact
Us.
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Traveling
tips for vacations in Costa Rica: Costa
Rica facts, information about weather, currency
exchange rate, entry requirements, visa
and passport requirements, travel safety,
travel warnings and other facts about Costa
Rica |
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