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Costa RicaCosta Rica is Central America's jewel. It's an oasis of calm among its turbulent neighbours and an ecotourism heaven, making it one of the best places to experience the tropics with minimal impact. It's also mostly coastline, which means great surfing, beaches galore and a climate built for laziness. Costa Rica's enlightened approach to conservation has ensured that lush jungles are home to playful monkeys, languid sloths, crocodiles, countless lizards, poison-dart frogs and a mind-boggling assortment of exotic birds, insects and butterflies. Meanwhile, endangered sea turtles nest on both coasts and cloud forests protect elusive birds and jungle cats. Thrill seekers can fly through forests on zip lines, peer into boiling volcanoes, surf oversized waves and dive with dolphins and whales – all in the course of a normal day. Then again, if you have some serious chilling to do, you can always lounge in a hammock and enjoy the pure life, or pura vida – a national expression that sums up the desire to live the best, most hassle-free existence. Full country name: Republic of Costa Rica GDP: US$32 billion Location, Geography, ClimateCosta Rica is the penultimate link in a chain of small nations that together comprise the isthmus of Central America. Along with the Caribbean and the Pacific, the country's borders are defined by Nicaragua to the North and Panama to the South. Located at the nexus of two continents and two oceans, this confluence of land and water makes the region one of mother nature's great bottlenecks. Here, geography constricts a breathtaking amount of plant and animal life within a modest 19,563 square miles (50,900 sq. km), an area comparable in size to Denmark or West Virginia. Within this diminutive nation is found an astonishing five percent of the world's biodiversity, including more than 800 species of ferns, 1,000 of orchids, 2,000 kinds of trees, and 200 species of mammals. Both coastlines of Costa Rica have an abundance of beaches, though the Pacific strands are generally both less developed and less spacious. Between the coasts, the interior of the country is shaped by four cordilleras, or mountain ranges, which run from North to South. The capital, San Jose, rests roughly in the nation's center, settled within a highland valley. Cascading down to the Caribbean from the central mountains are Costa Rica's many great rivers, including the Reventazon. The Pacific side is marked by two broad peninsulas that hook out into the Pacific, the Nicoya and the Osa. It is a geographic curiosity that their shapes are almost identical, the Osa being a smaller rendition of the Nicoya. Costa Rica's climate is renowned as an atmospheric treat. Mild subtropical conditions prevail year-round, and discomforting temperature extremes and prolonged periods of gray are practically nonexistent. Temperature varies mainly according to elevation, the higher the cooler. The brunt of the rainy season lasts from May through November, while a brief dry spell pays a visit from February to April. Costa Rica's rain falls mainly on the Caribbean coast, giving the Pacific a much more arid climate. Costa Rica's weather is influenced by many factors, as is weather everywhere, although perhaps two of the most important factors are the fairly even amount of solar radiation received throughout the year and the prevailing northeasterly winds, known as the trade winds. Situated at just ten degrees latitude north of the equator, this tropical nation receives sunlight from a nearly overhead angle year-round and day length does not vary more than an hour either way from 12-hours of daylight. This means that annual temperatures remain quite constant for any particular place in the country at a given hour. In other words, the temperature in San José, say, at noon averages 25.5º C in June and 23.5º C in December-hardly a significant difference. During any 24-hour period there is a somewhat greater range of temperatures experienced between the daily high and low, although this, too, at an average of about 8º C, is relatively small compared to many temperate zone areas. With more or less constant temperatures found at any given location, the most important variable in annual weather patterns becomes precipitation. Rainfall in Costa Rica results from the interaction of the trade winds with local topography. When moisture-laden air coming in off the Caribbean Sea encounters the coastline, the difference in surface temperature between the land and the water can often trigger showers. Moving further inland the air reaches the eastern foothills of the country's mountainous backbone. As the air mass rises to pass over the barrier, it cools, and because cool air can hold less moisture than warm air, it rains, causing the middle elevations of the Caribbean-facing slopes to be the wettest areas in the country with average annual precipitation of more than 4000 mm. Even though rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year on the eastern side of the cordilleras, there is a noticeably drier period from January through April and a peak in precipitation from June through August and again in November and December. It's best to be prepared for rain any day of the year on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, unlike the situation that occurs on the other side of the mountains. From mid-November through mid-May (on average) the Central Valley and the northwestern portion of the country are affected by an annual dry season. The warm moist air driven westward by the trade winds loses its moisture as it crosses the cordilleras (as described above) and the resulting dry air gusts down the Pacific slopes drying out everything in its path. With such low moisture content, few clouds form to block the sunshine and the prevailing winds keep Pacific breezes from bringing moisture onshore, thus, further promoting the dryness. The southern half of the Pacific slope is not normally as strongly influenced by these effects owing to the fact that the height of the Talamanca mountain range blocks the drying winds to some degree, which allows moisture to be brought in from the Pacific Ocean, causing occasional showers even in the dry season. As the trade wind belt moves northward in response to global climatic conditions (principally, the angle of the sun and area of greatest surface heating), Costa Rica enters its rainy season as moist air flows in from both oceans and convection currents cause showers to occur. Regional weather conditions, such as tropical waves, tropical depressions, and even hurricanes farther north and east in the Caribbean, can greatly affect precipitation levels here. The first two atmospheric phenomena usually bring increased rainfall to the eastern side of the country when they pass through the western portion of the Caribbean Sea. Distant hurricanes (fortunately these major storms almost never reach Costa Rica -- one hit south of Limón in 1910) can result in what are known here as temporales del Pacífico. These are rainy periods lasting two days or more when air from the Pacific, being drawn in continuously towards the extreme low pressure center out in the Caribbean, is backed up against the Pacific-facing slopes of the cordilleras and drops its moisture. The annual differences in rainfall from one part of the country to another, together with the change in average temperature from warm to cool as one moves from sea level up into the mountains, are the basis for the variety of life zones (tropical dry forest, tropical wet forest, premontane rain forest, etc.) that exist in Costa Rica, and also are intimately linked with such biological events as flowering and fruiting of plants and breeding and migration of animals. Back to top Visas: Visa requirements for Costa Rica change rapidly so check
with your consulate before leaving. Currently citizens of the USA,
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, Panama, South Korea,
Uruguay, the UK, France and most other western European countries
do not need a visa for a 90-day stay. Citizens of Australia, Iceland,
Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Vatican City
and most of Eastern Europe and Latin America can stay 30 days without
a visa. If you do need a visa, it will cost approximately 20.00
from a Costa Rican consulate. When to GoAs far as climate goes, the late-December to mid-April dry season
is the most pleasant. But of course, this is when everyone else
goes to Costa Rica, so prices are up and hotels are full. Although
some roads are impassable in the wet season, it's still worthwhile
to visit at this time, and things are much quieter. April, May
and mid-October to mid-December should give you the best of both
worlds. EventsThe country just about closes down during Semana Santa (Easter Week) and the week between Christmas and New Year's Day tends to be an unofficial holiday, especially in San José. Various towns celebrate their own saints' days and other significant dates. San José's Day (Saint Joseph's Day) is March 19, while Virgin of Los Angeles Day (the patron saint of Costa Rica) is August 2. Juan Santamaría's Day on April 11 celebrates the national hero who helped see off William Walker in 1856, and Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day) on October 12, as elsewhere in the Americas, is a national holiday. Public Holidays: Money & Costs:
Meals Budget: US$3-10 LodgingBudget: US$5-15 If you're coming from one of the poorer neighbourhoods such as Nicaragua or Honduras, Costa Rica can strike you as the rather well-to-do Central American cousin with a proportionately high-cost lifestyle. In reality, it's a fast-developing country with an unabashed interest in the tourist dollar that, nevertheless, still has hotels and nosheries for the shoestring traveler. If you're traveling with someone else and don't mind a bit of grunge living and a few low-rent meals, you should be able to scrape by on 35 a day. If you're planning to have your own bathroom, eat decently and catch an occasional plane, 40 to 60 should cover your needs. Travelers expecting to be very comfortable can easily spend 100 to 150 per day, depending on their definition of comfort. The best tours cost upwards of 200 per day, but these include flights and first-class accommodations and services. If you want to change cash, stick to US dollars (but make sure they're in decent condition and avoid 100 bills - due to a counterfeiting scam, most Costa Ricans won't touch them). US dollars are your best bet for traveler's checks as well, as other currencies will rarely be accepted - any of the major brands will do. If you buy colones with your credit card, expect to get hit with a huge interest bill. Banco Popular, ATH and Credomatic have the largest number of ATMs and their networks often extend as far as the smaller towns and cities. Some banks, though, such as branches of Banco Nacional, accept cards held by their customers only. Visa and MasterCard are the most widely-accepted credit cards; you may have some trouble with American Express. You don't usually need to bother with tipping at restaurants,
as most add a 10% tip (plus 15% tax) to the bill. You should tip
bellboys and room cleaners about 0.50, tour guides 1 to 5 a day
per person. Of course, if the service is excellent or lousy you
should use your own discretion. Attractions The best of the museums are the Museo Nacional, which has displays of Costa Rican archaeology, colonial furniture, costumes and religious art; the Museo de Oro Precolombino, which houses a dazzling collection of pre-Columbian gold pieces; and the Museo de Jade, with the world's largest collection of American jade sculptures. The most impressive city building is the Teatro Nacional, built in the 1890s. It hosts plays, operas, ballets and performances by the National Symphony Orchestra. The best market is Mercado Central, which bustles rather than buzzes, but has a range of goods from live turkeys to leatherwork, and some of the cheapest meals in town. Most of the cheaper hotels and eateries are west of Calle Central,
between Avenidas 1 and 2. Barrio Amón, northeast of the
centre, caters to a wider range of travellers. Monteverde Interesting though these attractions are, they are merely the warm-up acts for the main event. The Monteverde Cloud-Forest Reserve has a number of walking trails (details of which can be found at the office of the Monteverde Conservation League at the mouth of the reserve) that vary in length and degree of difficulty. Tickets to the reserve cost US$13.0 (adults) and US$6.50 (children) and last all day. But why restrict yourself to the ground? The Sky Walk, a series of suspension bridges that criss-cross the top of the jungle, leaves you walking on clouds, while the juiced-up Canopy Tour whizzes you across the canopy of the jungle in a series of flying foxes. The more sedate Aerial Adventure offers a view of the tree tops via a ski-lift arrangement. Pacific Beaches If you've seen one too many macaws, you can swim or relax on one of Costa Rica's beaches. The Pacific coast has a pleasing mixture of luxury resorts and deserted beaches. Golfito is on the southern Pacific coast, tucked in a small bay off Golfo Dulce and is an important port and jumping-off point for the region's fantastic beaches. Heading northeast from the town, the coast features numerous remote coves, with jungle-lodge accommodations and virgin rain forest backdrop. The coastal Parque Nacional Corcovado, on the Península de Osa, has a huge colony of scarlet macaws. Beaches worth pausing at include Playa Cativo, Playa Zancudo (claimed by the locals to be the best swimming beach) and Pavones (which has some of the best Pacific surf). The central Pacific coast starts at Uvita and heads north to the
Golfo de Nicoya and the city of Puntarenas. The beach-resort town
of Jacó attracts package-holiday tourists and those keen
to party hard. While Puntarenas itself is too polluted, swimmers
should head for the dozens of isolated islands that lie just off
the coast, such as Isla Tortuga. Good surf close to Puntarenas
can be found at Boca Barranca and Doña Ana. Parks The Costa Rican government has been concentrating on its parks and wildlife for well over 40 years now, and the dedication has payed off in the quality and quantity of biological reserves and well-preserved ecosystems. The national park northwest of Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal, has at its center the perfectly conical (and iconical) 1633m (5356ft) Volcán Arenal. The volcano has been exceptionally active since 1968, when huge explosions triggered lava flows that killed several dozen people. The degree of activity varies from week to week; sometimes there is a spectacular display of flowing red-hot lava and incandescent rocks flying through the air; at other times, the volcano is more placid and gently glows in the dark. Parque Nacional Santa Rosa is the oldest and one of the best developed national parks in Costa Rica. It covers most of the Península Santa Elena, which juts out into the Pacific in the far northwestern corner of the country. It protects the largest remaining stand of tropical dry forest in Central America and is an important nesting site for endangered species of sea turtles. Two other environmental highlights include Rincón de la
Vieja, northeast of Liberia in northwestern Costa Rica, and Parque
Nacional Corcovado. The former is a volcanic wonderland of cones,
craters, lagoons, boiling mud pools, sulphur springs, hot springs
that visitors can bathe in, and a park that can be explored on
foot or horse. Parque Nacional Corcovado, in the southwestern corner
of the Península de Osa in the south of the country, has
long-distance hiking trails, which offer visitors the chance to
spend several days walking through lowland tropical rain forest.
Make sure you visit in the dry season, and keep your eyes peeled
for wildlife. There are shorter walks around Monteverde Reserve
and in the coastal Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, south of Quepos. Off the Beaten Track The Caribbean has more cultural diversity than the Pacific coast.
Half of this coastal area is protected by national parks and wildlife
refuges, which has slowed development and the building of access
roads, making it an especially verdant place to get away from it
all. The main city is Puerto Limón, which has a tropical
park teeming with flowers and sloths. Parque Nacional Tortuguero
is the most important Caribbean breeding ground of the green sea
turtle and has plenty of birds, monkeys and lizards. The Creole
beach paradise of Cahuita has a nearby national park with attractive
beaches, coral reef and coastal rain forest. Bribrí culture
can be experienced in the surfing mecca of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.
Handicrafts, reggae, homestays and cultural tours make Puerto Viejo
an especially interesting destination. Península de Nicoya This area on the northwestern Pacific coast is difficult to traverse
because of the lack of paved roads; however, it's well worth the
effort because it contains some of the country's best and most
remote beaches. There are also some small and rarely visited wildlife
reserves and parks. Parque Nacional Marino las Baulas de Guanacaste,
just north of Tamarindo, includes Playa Grande, an important nesting
site for the baula (leatherback turtle) - the world's largest turtle,
which can weigh over 300kg (675lb). Playa del Coco is the most
accessible beach on the peninsula, in an attractive setting and
with a small village, which has some nightlife. Good surfing and
windsurfing can be found at Playa Tamarindo. Caving fans head for
Parque Nacional Barra Honda, northeast of Nicoya, which protects
some of Costa Rica's most interesting caves. Wildlife teems in
the coastal Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional, midway
between Sámara and Paraíso. The main attraction is
the annual nesting of the olive ridley sea turtle, but you'll also
find iguanas, howler monkeys, coatimundis and flocks of numerous
birds. One of the safest and prettiest beaches in the country is
Playa Sámara, and Montezuma, near the tip of the peninsula,
is a lovely, laid-back paradise for tired, young gringos. Activities Turtle-watchers should visit Parque Nacional Tortuguero, where they can visit nesting sites and watch the turtles lay their eggs. Pavones on the Pacific Coast reportedly has some of the best surfing in Central America while windsurfers should check out the artificial Laguna de Arenal, near the spectacular volcano. There are snorkeling and diving possibilities at the Reserva Biologica Isla del Caño, 20km (12mi) west of Bahía Drake, off the northern part of the Península de and in the Parque Nacional Isla del Coco - an isolated island 500km (310mi) southwest of Costa Rica in the eastern Pacific. Golfito is a center for deep-sea fishing, and there are plenty
of opportunities to charter boats for several days or more. Parsimina,
a small village at the mouth of the Río Parsimina, 50km
(31mi) northwest of Puerta Limón, has several excellent
fishing lodges and good offshore reef fishing. Río Reventazon,
in central Costa Rica, is one of the most exciting and scenic rivers
in Costa Rica and a favorite with river rafters and kayakers. Río
Pacure, the next major river valley east, is perhaps even more
scenic and offers the best white-water rafting in the country through
spectacular canyons clothed in virgin rain forest. HistoryMystery shrouds pre-Columbian Costa Rica: few archaeological monuments and no proof of a written language have ever been discovered. Recorded history tends to begin with Christopher Columbus, who stayed for 17 days in 1502, and was so impressed by the gold decorations worn by the friendly locals he promptly dubbed the country Costa Rica, 'the rich coast'. Despite the lure of untold wealth, colonisation was slow to take hold and it took nearly 60 years for the Spanish settlers to make a dent in the tangled jungle. Once the process had started, however, Costa Rica, like its similarly colonised neighbours, suffered the effects of European invasion. The indigenous population did not have the necessary numbers to resist the Spanish, and their populations dwindled quickly because of susceptibility to European diseases. The hoped-for hoards of gold never materialised and Costa Rica remained a forgotten backwater for many years. The 18th century saw the establishment of settlements such as Heredia, San José and Alajuela but it was not until the introduction of coffee in 1808 that the country registered on the radars of the 19th-century white-shoe brigade and frontier entrepreneurs looking to make a killing. Coffee brought wealth, a class structure, a more outward-looking perspective, and most importantly independence. A bizarre turn of events in 1856 provided one of the first important landmarks in the nation's history and served to unify the people. During the term of coffee-grower-turned-president Juan Rafael Mora, a period remembered for the country's economic and cultural growth, Costa Rica was invaded by US military adventurer William Walker and his army of recently captured Nicaraguan slaves. Mora organized an army of 9000 civilians that, against all odds, succeeded in forcing Walker & Co to flee. The ensuing years of the 19th century saw power struggles among members of the coffee-growing elite and the institution of the first democratic elections, which have since been a hallmark of Costa Rican politics. Civil war, however, did raise its ugly head in the 1940s when ex-president Calderón and his successor, Picado, lined up against the recent ballot-winner Ulate (whose election win was not recognised by Picado's government) and José Figueres. After several weeks of warfare Figueres emerged victorious, formed an interim government and handed the presidency to Ulate. The constitution of 1949 finally gave women and blacks the vote and, controversially, dismantled the country's armed forces - giving Costa Rica the sobriquet of 'the only country which doesn't have an army'. President Oscar Arias received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his attempts to spread Costa Rica's example of peace to the rest of Central America. The peace has, in recent years, been disturbed by upheavals of a different kind. In July 1996, Hurricane César resulted in several dozen deaths and the cutting off of much of southern Costa Rica from the rest of the country. The Interamericana highway was closed for about two months and the overall damage was estimated at about 100000000.00. The ill-famed Hurricane Mitch of November 1998 caused substantial damage to Costa Rica, but the most catastrophic events occurred in the countries to the north, especially Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador. In February 1998 the Social Christian Unity Party's Miguel Angel Rodríguez won the presidency with almost exactly 50% of the vote. A conservative businessman who made the economy his priority, he went on to privatise state companies and encourage foreign investments in an effort to create jobs. By the time the February 2002 elections rolled around, however, Ticos (a term locals use to refer to themselves) were mumbling about a lack of government transparency and shady deals between political mates. These grass-roots misgivings resulted in a 'no win' election, and pollsters returned to the ballot box in April 2002. Rodríguez's successor, Abel Pacheco of the conservative Social Christian Unity Party, was elected to step up to the president's ring. Pacheco began his term promising to eliminate the public debt
within four years. He launched a conservationist platform banning
new oil drilling and mining and proposed legislation guaranteeing
citizens the right to a healthy environment. It didn't take long
before the sheen paled. A campaign finance scandal clouded his
presidency, leading some opponents to demand his resignation, and
it became unclear if he could weather this storm through to the
end of his term in 2006. CultureCosta Rica is noted more for its natural beauty and friendly people than for its culture. The overwhelming European influence erased almost all indigenous culture, and because Costa Rica was a country of subsistence agriculturalists until the middle of the 19th century, cultural activity has only begun to blossom in the last 100 years. By some estimates, more than 75% of Costa Ricans are Roman Catholics and 14% are evangelical Christians. In practice, most church attendance takes place at christenings, funerals and marriages. Blacks on the Caribbean coast tend to be Protestant, and there is a sprinkling of other denominations in San José, including a small Jewish community. Spanish is the official language, though English is understood in touristed areas. Many Caribbean blacks speak a lively dialect of English, known as Creole. Indigenous languages are spoken in isolated areas, primarily Bribrí, which is estimated to be understood by about 10,000 people. No one goes to Costa Rica for the cuisine. Although traditional
dishes run to the South American staples of beef, chicken and fish
dishes, with rice, corn or beans and fresh fruit as supplements,
most of this fare has given way to the ubiquitous pizza and burger
option. And even these can only be included in 'cuisine' by stretching
the definition to its breaking point. Also be warned that Ticos
love to spice up European dishes with salt - lots of it. We're
talking lip-puckering, instant-dehydrating, body-shuddering proportions.
On the positive side, their coffee is sublime. Even the coffee
that accompanies the limp burger from the fast-food joint is a
cut above your average North American cup of coffee. EnvironmentCosta Rica is bordered to the north by Nicaragua and to the southeast by Panama. It has both a Caribbean and a Pacific coast. A series of volcanic mountain chains runs from the Nicaraguan border to the Panamanian border, splitting the country in two. In the centre of these ranges is a high-altitude plain, with coastal lowlands on either side. Over half the population lives on this plain, which has fertile volcanic soils. The Caribbean coast is 212km (131mi) long and is characterised by mangroves, swamps and sandy beaches. The Pacific coast is much more rugged and rocky, and, thanks to a number of gulfs and peninsulas, is a tortuous 1016km (630mi) long. The country's biodiversity attracts nature lovers from all over the world; its tropical forests contain 1500 tree species. National parks cover almost 12% of the country, and forest reserves and indigenous reservations boost the protected land area to 27%. Costa Rica's jungles provide a variety of habitats for the country's fauna including four types of monkey, sloths, armadillos, jaguars and tapirs.The primary attraction for many visitors is the 850 recorded bird species, which include the resplendent quetzal, indigo-capped hummingbirds, macaws and toucans. There are also a number of dazzling butterflies. Getting
There & Away International flights arrive at San José's Juan Santamaría
international airport, though the airport in Liberia, 217km (135mi)
northwest of San José, has been upgraded and now operates
as a second-string international airport. There are good connections
to US and Canadian cities and several Latin and South American
countries. Scores of tour operators in North America and Europe
run tours to Costa Rica, though these tend to be for first-class
visitors and are expensive. Many Costa Rican companies run budget
tours. There is a departure tax of around 26.00 on international
flights. Getting AroundThere are two domestic airlines: Sansa and NatureAir. Demand for seats is high, so try to book as far in advance as possible. 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. The railway network in Costa Rica was severely damaged during
the 1991 earthquake and is unlikely to reopen. Further Reading
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