Costa Rica

Sharing borders to the north with Nicaragua and to the south with Panama, 8 & 11 degrees north of the equator, Costa Rica is located within an area known as the tropical belt.  The country’s name, was coined by Christopher Columbus to describe the fantastically “Rich Coast” the country has to offer.  The topography of Costa Rica consists of volcanic mountains, tropical rainforests, lowland plains and plenty of coastline beaches that border the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

The size of Costa Rica is roughly 51,100 square kilometers (31,682 square miles) and has a total estimated population of 4 million.  Despite Costa Rica’s small size, it’s known around the world for the diversity and density of its natural resources and its fabled kindness of the national people to visitors. Costa Ricans, or “Ticos” as they call themselves, are exceptionally friendly, educated, and live their lives with a “Pura Vida” (Pure Life) mentality which becomes infectious if much time is spent here. Thus, Costa Rica has become an especially attractive destination for international tourists who now make more than 1.5 million visits a year.

Costa Ricans are a very courteous and formal people where kissing on the cheek, smiling and exchanging formalities are commonplace. The “usted” form is used when addressing someone in Spanish, even children.  While Ticos’ are a very welcoming people, but don’t be surprised if they are reluctant to invite you inside their home as it is not customary to do so. When driving, honking and flashing lights are mainly used for friendly signaling and safety reasons not as a reaction to someone driving incorrectly. You will get a friendly beep though at stop lights.

Religion (Catholicism), politics, and soccer are important parts of life for Ticos and Costa Rica enjoys the highest level of education in Central America and one of the highest literacy rates in the world.  The historical language and culture is of Spanish influence, but Costa Rica also has many unique traditional aspects not found in other Latin American cultures.  While Spanish is the national language, English is spoken in the tourist areas throughout the country by ex-pats and nationals alike.

Climate

Costa Rica essentially has two seasons: rainy and dry.  As the names imply, dry season consists of very little rain on the western side of the country between December and April and rainy season for the remainder of the year, May through November. The Caribbean coast primarily remains green year round due to the humidity levels and the fact that it does not experience the drop off in rainfall as the Pacific side.  The Central Mountainous Region is more temperate due to elevation and locals refer to it as an “Eternal Spring.“  Temperature, like the hours in the day, do not very much all year round from 57°F to 75°F (14°C to 24°C) in San Jose and 70°F (21°C) at night and over 86°F (30°C) during the day in the Caribbean for example. The Pacific side is slightly warmer, but due to lower humidity it feels a bit more comfortable.

Pack light for your travels if you’re headed to the coastal areas, shorts, linen and loose-fitting shirts, but be sure to bring a jacket or sweater for the highland areas which can be cool. Sunscreen is essential for the beach along with sunglasses and a hat.

Infrastructure

Costa Rica has the most stable government in Latin America.  It is a democratic republic with. elections being held every four years.  Nearly all towns and cities have safe, drinkable water, and in most remote areas well water is used. The majority of power is hydro-electric and 110 volt AC is found nationwide. A few outlying areas use their own power source so check ahead before traveling.  Health care in Costa Rica is free to all residents at the public hospitals and is considered top in the Latin Americas.  Sanitary standards are high and many doctors are US trained. For faster service, first-class, private hospitals are found throughout San José (CIMA being the largest) and costs for private treatment are very reasonable for foreigners.

Currency and Commerce

The main industry in Costa Rica is tourism, bringing in over $1 billion annually.  The official currency is the Colón and is slightly easier to use than US Dollars, but Dollars are accepted throughout the country and are even offered in most ATMs. Currency can be exchanged at banks, hotels and airports with the exchange rate being ~495 Colones to the Dollar. Some hotels and banks accept Euros. Most major credit cards accepted by larger businesses and in tourist areas. Banks usually require a passport in order to cash travelers checks.

Bank hours are normally from 9am - 3pm with some private banks open until 7pm.  Government offices are open from 8am - 4pm and commercial office hours are normally 8am - 6pm.  Costa Rica is on U.S. Central Standard Time, but does not observe Daylight Savings Time.

National sales tax is set at 13% and is automatically collected when credit cards are used as a means of payment.  Hotels and most service industries have an additional 3.69% tourist tax. In restaurants, a 10% service charge is always added to your bill (along with the 13% tax). Keeping in mind that 15-20% tip is customary in most places so if service was particularly good, it’s best to leave an additional 5-10%. It is also considered impolite to bring the check without the customer asking for it so do not be alarmed if you are never presented with the check until you ask for it.

When exiting the country by air, there is a $26 exit tax assessed at the airport and you do not need to tip a taxi driver unless the service has been superior, a tip is not usually expected, thus taxis are a very reasonable way to move around the city.

Communications

Direct dial telephone service, fax, radio, internet service and cable television are all available around the entire country, however all services are provided by one national company and thus, many cell phones are not compatible so check with your local phone company to make sure before visiting.

Bilingual operator assistance for international calls is 116, Local telephone information 113 and long distance information is 124.