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General
Information
 For years, Costa
Rica was the well-kept secret
of a few biologists, backpackers,
and beachcombers, but that's all
changed. Today, the country is
a major international vacation
destination. Despite this newfound
popularity, Costa Rica remains
a place rich in natural wonders
and biodiversity but relatively
young in infrastructure and luxurious
beach resorts and hotels. Costa
Rica is a great gateway to Central
America and a good choice, when
the Caribbean and Mexico have
become old hat. Here, you can
still find uncrowded and unpoiled
beaches that stretch on for miles,
small lodgings that haven't attracted
hordes of tourists, jungle rivers
for rafting and kayaking, spectacular
scuba diving , and cloud and rain
forests with ample opportunities
for bird watching and hiking.
Costa Rica extends majestically
from the Pacific Ocean to the
Caribbean Sea, and its distance
is barely 200 miles. Its land
portion ocuppies only 20 thousand
square miles.
Costa Rica’s territorial division
includes 7 provinces which are:
San José, Alajuela, Cartago,
Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas
and Limón. Together they
offer an many exciting tourist
destinations, with nearly unlimited
possibilities, including extense
rainforests, volcanoes, rivers
travelling through the mountains,
beaches and natural resources
safeguarded by an important organization
of national parks and forest reserves.
If you travel throughout these
provinces of Costa Rica, it’s
easy to notice that in no other
place will you find fields with
so many variations in their landscape
and climate as here.
The Caribbean Province is Limón.
This a region where you will find
vast differences from the rest
of the country. Just 212 km long,
its caribbean coastline offers
a wide variety of attractions,
and consists of two very different
regions. The first stretches from
north of Moín to the mouth
of the Río San Juan, with
a regular and open coastline,
extensive beaches, dark sand and
strong surf. Extending southward
from Moín to the mouth
of the Río Sixaola, the
second region has a much more
irregular coastline characterized
by inlets and coral reefs in several
areas. Along this stretch of coast
are the region’s most popular
beaches.
 This province’s
geographic and climatic characteristics
provide extraordinary scenic and
ecological wealth. In addition
to its coastal riches, the region
offers alluvial plains, marshlands,
rivers, waterfalls, lagoons, canals,
lush, always green forests, hills,
mountains, valleys and more, all
sheltering thousands of plants
and animals belonging to various
life zones distinctive and unique
to the Caribbean.
Guanacaste is the province where
most diving takes place on the
Pacific Coast. Guanacaste is towered
with volcanoes, has beautiful
beaches, abundant wildlife, and
friendly people! Whether your
interest is eco-tourism, bird
watching, adventure sports, fishing
or just relaxing on an isolated
beach, you will find it here.
The hotel industry in Guanacaste
has undergone a major boost in
growth during the last several
years and now compete with many
other tourist destinations. There
is now easier access through the
Daniel Oduber international Airport
located in Liberia just 45 min
from Tamarindo / Flamingo or Conchal
beach areas. And with so much
to do, it’s easy to understand
why so many people come to visit
this amazing province.
Costa Rica´s year round
climate is pleasant with naturally
occurring breezes cooling down
most of the coastal areas. Temperatures
in the highlands and the mountains
are warm by day and brisk at night
giving an "eternal spring"
feeling. The average annual temperatures
range from 31.7°C (89°F)
on the coast to 16.7°C (62°F)
inland. The rainy, or green, season
lasts from May to December with
noticeably drier days during the
rest of the year.
Getting
There
By Air
Located in the middle of Central
America, Costa Rica is easy to reach.
Most major international carriers
conveniently serve San Jose, the
capital city. You can also fly directly
to the Guanacaste Region.
From the US
The largest gateways for flights
to Costa Rica are Miami and Houston,
with other flights originating from
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, L.A.,
New York, Newark, and Washington,
D.C. Basic round-trip fares to San
José, Costa Rica range from
US$500-1200. Standard commercial
carriers like American, Continental,
and United offer the most convenient
flights, but might not be the cheapest,
unless you grab a special promotion
or airfare war ticket. Charter flights
sometimes run from Canada, but scheduled
flights are routed through the US.
You might find cheaper fares by
flying on a Latin American airline
like Lacsa, Taca, Copa, or MartinAir.
Otherwise, check online or consult
a travel agent about discount airfares.
From Canada
Air Canada has a direct flight once
per week from Toronto.
From Europe
British Airways flies from London
to San José. Iberia flies
from Spain with direct connections
to San José. Alitalia flies
from Italy to Miami, Caracas, and
Santo Domingo, and Taca provides
passengers with a connecting flight.
LTU provides services from Germany.
Domestic Airlines
SANSA at www.flysansa.com
(506)221-9414
Nature Air at www.natureair.net
(506) 220-3054
Ocean Travel
Numerous cruise lines call at
Costa Rican ports, including Holland
America, Costa, Royal Caribbean,
Princess, Celebrity, Carnival, Radisson
and more.
Entry Requirements
Citizens holding valid passports
from the following countries are
permitted to stay in Costa Rica
for 90 days without a visa:
Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil,
Canada, Denmark, Finland, France
and Germany dependencies, Greece,
Holland and dependencies, Hungary,
Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Norway, Panama, Paraguay,
Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania,
South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom,
United States of America, Czech
Republic and Uruguay.
Citizens holding valid passports
from the following countries are
exempt from all visa requirements
for stays of 30 days in Costa Rica,
though once inside the country,
they can apply for extension from
the Immigration office, for an authorized
period of stay 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,
Russia, Saint Kitts/Nevis, San Marino,
St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Singapore,
Slovakia, South Africa, Suriname,
Taiwan, Turkey, The Vatican, Venezuela,
Estonia and Monaco.
Citizens of all countries not listed
above are required a visa from a
Costa Rican embassy or consulate
before traveling.
Custom regulations
No customs duties are charged
on personal luggage, which includes
a series of items for personal,
professional, non-commercial use.
Costa Rican laws require checked
luggage to be screened and travelers
to fill out customs declarations
declaring the value of any item
in their possession, including fruits,
vegetables, meat and by- products,
biological products such as vaccinations,
serums, etc. The head of a family
may make a joint declaration for
all members residing in the same
household and traveling together
to Costa Rica.
Travel
Tips
Getting Around
The majority of Costa Ricans do
not own cars, so public transportation
is quite well developed, although
transport to towns other than San
José is limited. Most multi-destination
trips will require backtracking
into San José and then catching
another bus outward again.
The buses are not that comfortable
and to the uninitiated and faint-of-heart
the system can seem incredibly chaotic,
but ask any Costa Rican for advice
and they'll point you in the right
direction. The good news is that
the fares are generally cheap -
no destination is more than 9.00
away. There are three major bus
terminals in San José: the
Coca-Cola terminal is about a 20-minute
walk east from the city centre,
down Avenida 1; there's the understated
Atlántico Norte terminal;
and the Caribe, terminal north of
Avenida 13 on Calle Central.
Taxis are considered a viable form
of public transportation for long
journeys, and can be hired by the
day, half-day or hour. Cars and
motorcycles can also be rented in
San José.
Rental Cars
Daily rates range from US$25 to
around US$100, depending on class
of vehicle. Most agencies have weekly
rates, as well.
Agencies in Costa Rica generally
do not recognize credit card insurance
and will require you to buy theirs
at a cost of US$12 to US$20 per
day.
Driving
Your regular license, along with
your passport or Tourist Card, are
all that you need to drive in the
country.
Water
The water is potable in most of
the country. We recommend using
bottled water, specially in areas
around the coast.
Credit Cards
Almost all hotels and tourist establishments
take at least one type of credit
card. The most widely accepted are
Visa and Mastercard. American Express
is nearly as widely accepted. Most
tourist oriented businesses will
also cash travelers checks. You
will also find ATM machines distributed
throughout the country.
Electricity
Outlets are 110 V, with standard
US two prong plugs. Electricity
is available in all but the most
remote areas. Many remote places
not serviced by the utility company
have local generators.
Health
No immunizations are required for
visitors. Costa Rica is well known
for providing world-class healthcare
and beauty services.
Communications
Costa Rica has satellite connections
with all the Central American countries,
the United States, Europe, Canada,
Mexico, South America, Asia and
Africa. Apart from direct dialing,
fax and telex communications to
most of the countries in the world,
it has an efficient mailing system
and offers several courier services.
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