Costa Rica - Costa Rica

Costa Rica
Location
Coat of arms and flag
Capital	San José
Government	parliamentary republic
Currency	Costa Rican Colon (CRC)
Surface	51,100 km²
Inhabitants	3.960.000
Tongue	Spanish
Religion	Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%
Electricity	120V / 60Hz
Prefix	506
TLD	.cr
Time zone	UTC-6
Website	Costa Rica Tourist Board

Costa Rica is a nation ofcentral America. It borders to the north with the Nicaragua and to the south with the state of Panama. It is bordered by the Pacific to the west and the Atlantic to the east.

To know

The tourist appeal of Costa Rica is based on its seaside resorts but also on its approximately thirty national parks, plus an equally large series of natural reserves, certainly many for a country of such small size. Among these, the Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde, on the Tilarán cordillera, stands out. The parks are under the control of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy. The Entity delegated to their administration is the SINAC

Geographical notes

Mountainous and dotted with volcanoes, the inland region of Costa Rica is a succession of mountain ranges running from the border to the Nicaragua to the one with Panama:

• Cordillera of Guanacaste - It goes from the border to the Nicaragua and extends for about a hundred km in a south-easterly direction. The volcanic cones of Orosi, Rincón de la Vieja, Santa María, Miravalles and Tenorio rise there.
• Cordillera de Tilarán - About fifty kilometers long, the Cordillera de Tilarán is made up of the volcanic cones of Chato and Arenal. At the foot of the latter is the homonymous lake.
• Central Volcanic Cordillera - 76 km long, the Central Volcanic Cordillera is formed by the four volcanic cones of Poás, Irazú, Barva and Turrialba.
• Cordillera of Talamanca - Extended from capital to the borders with Panama, the Talamanca mountain range is the highest in thecentral America: its maximum height is represented by the "Cerro Chirripó" of 3,820 m.

When to go

December-April is the best time to visit the country. The rains are less frequent than in the following period (May-November).

Background

Costa Rica has managed to avoid the violence that has plagued other countries for decades Central Americans. In 1949 José Figueres Ferrer abolished the army. Among the last presidents of Costa Rica, the figure of Osar Arias Sánchez emerges. During his first term (1986-1990) he formulated a peace plan which was accepted by all the countries of thecentral America. For this action he was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was re-elected president 20 years later on February 5, 2006.

Territories and tourist destinations

Costa Rica is divided into 7 provinces, which are in turn divided into cantons and subsequently into districts.

By borrowing, as usual, geographical criteria adapted for the main purposes of a tourist guide, it is possible to divide Costa Rica into the following tourist regions.

      Central Valley of Costa Rica - The center of Costa Rica is mostly urban. It includes the most populated cities in the country, including San José. Many museums and some volcanoes are noteworthy in this area.

      Central Costa Rica on the Pacific - Home to well known Costa Rican beaches and national parks. Perhaps one of the most tourism-oriented parts of Costa Rica along with Guanacaste.

      Guanacaste province - The "dry zone" of Costa Rica, with little rain any time of year, fabulous beaches and surf seas, and some large forest and volcanic parks north of the border with Nicaragua.

      Province of Limón - The least visited region of the country, due to its relative isolation (and mosquitoes). However, there are great opportunities for white water rafting and sea turtle spotting. There are also many beautiful beaches.

      Northern Costa Rica - Sparsely populated but beautiful mountainous region. Most famous for Arenal, its active volcano, and the surrounding hot springs, volcanic lakes and rainforests.

      Southern Costa Rica on the Pacific - One of the most biodiverse environments on the planet, filled with exotic and endemic flora and fauna, and some of the most beautiful and remote tropical beaches on the globe.

Costa Rica: full screen map.

Urban centers

Other destinations

I am 26 i national parks of Costa Rica.

How to get

By plane

• Juan Santamaría International Airport (IATA: SJO). It serves the capital San José and the nearby cities of Alajuela is Heredia. The company operates there Iberia with a flight from Madrid. Flights to other Central American cities are carried out from Copa Airlines is Lacsa, the national airline that is now part of the group Taca. 
• Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (IATA: LIR) (In the vicinity of Liberia, capital of the Guanacaste province). Canadian and US airlines stop there (Delta and American). The only flight from Europe is Brussels-Liberia, carried out by the company BelgianTUIfly. From 1/1/2020 also the company KLM operates regular flights with one leg Amsterdam-Liberia. 

By car

The "carretera panamericana" is the main road axis of the country and winds for about 520 km on the Pacific side but at a distance from the coast touching the central valley and the capital San Jose. At its ends are the two border crossings shown below.

• Peñas Blancas is the border post with the Nicaragua. Open from 08:00 to 18:00. It is not allowed to enter the vehicles rented in Nicaragua.
• Paso Canoas is the border crossing with Panama

There are many international bus services to destinations in neighboring countries (Panama is Nicaragua) and in the most distant Honduras, El Salvador is Guatemala. Prices are reasonable and travel is comfortable but you need to book well in advance. Among the best bus lines is "Ticabus". A trip from San José to Panama City it cost $ 50 round trip in 2009. Buses cover the distance between the two capitals in about 8 hours.

Other crossings on the border with Panama are those of Sixaola on the Caribbean side and Río Sereno, further upstream and much less frequented.

How to get around

By plane

There are two companies that operate domestic flights:Sansa is Nature Air

By car

The state of the roads is not in the best conditions and requires extreme caution.For a sum ranging from 350 to 700 $ you can rent a 4-wheel drive jeep for a week, a good solution if you want to visit remote places during the rainy season , a time when the condition of the roads is not the best. The price includes insurance, which is very expensive in Costa Rica. A jeep is still useful even in the dry season, especially if you want to visit secluded beaches on the Nicoya Peninsula.

What see

Basilica of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles in Cartago

What to do

Currency and purchases

The national currency is the Costa Rican colon (CRC) Here are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:

At the table

• Gallo Pinto - Costa Rican national dish, Gallo pinto is made by sautéing finely chopped onions together with coriander, then adding beans to which rice is mixed.
• Casado - Literally the word "Casado" means "married", or "married". It is a typical dish of the midday lunch and consists of the usual beans and rice mixed with meat (including chicken) or fish accompanied by salad.

Tropical fruit abounds in Costa Rica: Market stalls are jam-packed with mamones, cas, bananas, zapote, mango, guayaba, grandilla and tamarind just to name a few.

Tourist infrastructure

Events and parties

Safety

Health situation

Respect the customs

How to keep in touch

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Costa Rica
• Commons contains images or other files on Costa Rica
• Wikiquote contains quotes from or about Costa Rica
• Wikinews contains current news on Costa Rica