Costa Rica Information

Airlines and Travel Time:
Over 30 international airlines arrive daily at Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaría International Airport with several other major airlines flying into Costa Rica’s Liberia International Airport in the province of Guanacaste.

Flight times to Costa Rica are about 2 ½ hours from Miami, 7 hours from Los Angeles and approximately 11 hours from London with stopovers included.

You may visit our sister site, www.128trip.com, for flight availability and great fares.

Important Travelers Information:

Visa Requirements
A Visa is NOT required for citizens of U.S, Canada and Western Europe.

Citizens of some Latin American countries, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe do require a Visa which can be obtained at your nearest Costa Rican Consulate.

Tourists may stay up to 90 days provided they are traveling with a valid passport.

Money and Banking
The Costa Rican currency is the Colon. Please check this link for pertinent monetary information and current exchange rates:www.cocori.com/general-information/xchng.htm

US Dollars in small denominations ($1, $5, $10 & $20) are widely accepted throughout many businesses. If you prefer to exchange your US Dollars for Costa Rican Colones, we recommend you do so at your hotel.

DO NOT exchange money with local merchants or on the streets.  Typically you will not get the best exchange rate when doing so.

You may also exchange your money at the local banks, however this can be inconvenient due to long lines.  If you do choose a bank, be sure to have your passport with you to  present to the cashier.

Credit Cards are widely accepted in San Jose and major businesses in larger cities throughout the country.  Typically they are not accepted in small businesses or in the outlying rural areas. The most accepted credit card is Visa, followed by Master Card and American Express.

ATM’s are also available in San Jose, but again, not as readily in rural areas.

Phones
If you would need to make any international phone calls, the best place to do so would be at your hotel.  Collect Calls or credit card calls are usually acceptable. The numbers for making international calls are normally listed next to the phone; otherwise check at your hotel lobby for instructions.

Costa Rica has two types of public phones: payment by phone card and coin slot. The latter is less common. Phone Cards can be purchased at local pharmacies, convenience stores and supermarkets. The coin slot phone takes 10 or 20 colones coins.

Electrical Standards
Costa Rica typically uses 110 volt electricity. The most common type of electrical outlet is the European style two-hole EuroPlug, although the North American type grounded three-hole plug is also used widely. It is recommended that you bring an adapter just in case.

Pedestrian Safety
When in some of the larger cities of Costa Rica, please take extra care when walking through the streets as drivers typically do not give pedestrians the right of way. Walk with care and always double check before crossing at intersections, regardless of what the street light indicates.

Health
Costa Rica is among the top ranked countries in Central America when it comes to its health system. Tourists do not require any immunizations before entering the country; however it is always wise to take extra precautions when traveling to outlying rural areas or surrounding tropical counties.

The risk of contracting malaria is very rare, however, consult your physician should you have any doubts before traveling.

It is also wise to have an extra medication in case you lose or misplace them. Have your physician give you alternatives to your prescribed medications in case the brand you use is not available in Costa Rica.

Both private and public hospitals are capable of treating foreigners. Medical services should be paid to the doctor and hospital upon treatment. Private hospitals take credit cards while public ones do not. The majority of Costa Rican doctors speak English. Private hospitals such as the Clinica Biblica, Hospital Cima and Clinica Catolica are the best options should you require medical assistance while in Costa Rica.

Postal System
Costa Rica’s postal system is infamous for above average delay in sending and receiving letters. Unfortunately it is also well known for cash and other valuables to never reach its intended destination, so it would be wise not to send such things through the postal service.

The Costa Rican postal system is perfectly acceptable if you want to send postcards or letters that are not really time sensitive. Otherwise, it is best to use FedEx, DHL or UPS, which are also available.

What to Bring
Costa Rica has a wide range of temperatures and climates which fluctuate widely and can change within minutes. When traveling to Costa Rica, be prepared to visit volcanoes, rainforest and beaches. This means that you will be exposed to temperatures that range from 50’s to the high 80’s.

Costa Rica is a tropical country therefore that receives rain quite often. Heavy rainfall is always expected in the central region during the months of May through October and even into November.

It is recommended for tourists to bring light clothing along with lightweight and waterproof jackets. Quick dry clothing is also recommended when visiting the rainforest and mountainous areas.

Here are some recommendations on what to pack:
Bathing suit
Sunscreen
Sun hat
Hiking shoes or boots, sneakers and flip flops
Long pants and shorts
Short sleeved shirts and T shirts
Lightweight Jacket
Waterproof jacket or rain poncho
Sweater

Costa Ricans normally do not dress formal when going out for dinner or night events. Casual wear is appropriate for dining, movies and theatre.

Please note that when taking domestic flights or water taxis, companies have a maximum luggage weight of 25 pounds.

Weather
Costa Rica’s terrain is quite varied and so is its weather. Due to the country’s topography, a number of microclimates are found throughout the territory. Tourists will find that they can go from cloudforest to rainforest to tropical forest in a matter of hours and sometimes even minutes.

This means that tourists can expect sun, rain, cool breeze and humid jungle weather all in the same day.

High Altitudes:
When visiting Costa Rica’s higher terrains such as the Poas Volcano, Irazu Volcano, Chirripo National Park, Monteverde and others, expect temperatures to be in the 50-60 degree range accompanied by fog and wind.

Central Valley:
The central valley area is the region normally has a temperature between the 70’s to low 80’s degree during the day and drops to around 50-60 degrees at night. During the rainy season, May through November, clear mornings are typically followed by rainy afternoons.

Beaches
The majority of Costa Rica’s beaches are hot and humid. Temperatures can reach the high 80’s and low 90’s. The beaches in the Northern Pacific Coast tend to be more breezy and dry than the rest of the coastal areas. It is important to apply sunscreen with your appropriate SPF number.

Rainy Season
The rainy season, or the green season as the tourism industry calls it, lasts from around May to November. Don’t let a bright sunny morning fool you! During this time of year it’s typical to have bright sunshine in the mornings and heavy rainfall in the afternoons. Closed or waterproof shoes are appropriate for this season.

In the rainforest and cloudforest regions it normally rains everyday.

Dry Season
Dry season lasts from December to April. The months of December and January are characterized by having warm days with a very cool breeze in the evenings due to the northern tradewinds. So if you are planning to spend the whole day exploring the country, make sure you dress light during the day and carry a nice warm sweater or jacket for the evening.

Safety
When traveling abroad, tourists are usually not familiar with the areas they should take extra care. Downtown areas in San Jose, Alajuela and Heredia are areas that you would want to pay particular attention to safety.  Traveling on the main thoroughfares is good practice,  and try not to carry around expensive video cameras and photo cameras that might cause an attraction.

In rural areas take extra care when leaving belongings in your car. Put belongings that must be left behind in the trunk or glove compartment and out of sight.

Here are a few pointers to observe in order to avoid theft:

Do not carry around your original passport and airline ticket. Make a copy of these to carry with you and leave the originals at your hotel’s safety box.

Try using fanny packs for carrying your keys and money or use your pockets. Ladies should always hold their purse snugly with the strap crossing over your shoulder, never walk around with your purse dangling loosely. Men should avoid using wallets in their back pockets. If you are carrying backpacks, switch them to the front when walking around downtown.  Avoid wearing expensive jewelry or watches.

Change money either at your hotel or at the bank, never on the streets

Take a cab when going out at night.

Leave valuables, passports, airline tickets and money at your hotel’s safety box and never lying around your room.

Costa Rica Quick Facts

Name: Republic of Costa Rica.

Location: Central America. To the north Costa Rica borders with Nicaragua and to the south with Panama.

Capital: San Jose.

Area: 51,100 sq km.

Population: 4,133,884 (July 2007 est.).

Life Expectancy Rate: 76.53 years for men, 81.03 for women (2005 Ministry of Health).

Infant Mortality Rate: 9.2 for every 1,000 born alive.

Ethnicity: White (includes mestizos) 96%, Black 2%, Indian 1%, Chinese 1%.

Religion: Official State Religion is Roman Catholic of which 95% of Costa Ricans practice. Protestant faith follows as well as a small Jewish community.

Language: Spanish (Official Language), English is widely spoken by the majority of younger professionals.

Administrative Division: Costa Rica is divided into 7 provinces: San Jose – Alajuela – Heredia – Cartago – Puntarenas – Guanacaste – Limon.

Legal System: Spanish Civil Law System – Judicial Review of Legislative Acts in the Supreme Court.

Direct Election: Democratic Republic, elections are carried out every 4 years. The president is chosen directly by the people.

Education: Free and obligatory up to the 9th grade.

Main Industries: Tourism, agriculture and electronics.