Costa Rica Vacations

Costa Rica is a true vacation paradise, offering practically everything a visitor would like, with such a diversity of natural resources and a very well developed eco-tourism. There are secluded white sand beaches with great surf and amazing scuba diving. There are active volcanoes and towering rain forests. Getting around is easy via rental car, plane, or public bus, and the warm and friendly people make travel relatively safe and fun.

 

Most mountain ranges are volcanic, and some are quite accessible to visitors. In the province of Cartago, for example, you will find the Irazu volcano, which erupted in the early sixties. The Poas volcano has one of the largest active craters in the world. And, the Arenal volcano treats thousands of visitors each year to a constant stream of red, hot lava rocks tumbling down its slopes.

If there is one sport Costa Rica can claim to be excellent for, it would be surfing hands down. The real attraction for surfers is the variety of surf categories, and year round waves. The Pacific coast particularly has some of the best surfing in Central America. Tamarindo is a perfect beach to learn to surf, while Playa del Coco is ideal for advanced surfers. 

Shopping
Handicrafts really worth buying are few and rare in Costa Rica. Notable exceptions would be woodcarvings and pottery. An example is the colourfully painted Costa Rican oxcart replicas. These are particularly popular in the craft shops of the town of Sarchi, also know for its furniture. Beautiful low-fired simple potteries put the town of Guaitil, in central Guanacaste, on the tourist map. Costa Ricans create marvellous reproductions of pre-Columbian gold jewellery as well.

The one thing you should buy, in large quantities, in Costa Rica is coffee. With seven different coffee-producing zones, you are sure to find one to satisfy your taste. All coffee is strictly Arabica. Café Britt is the best widely available brand. Do buying whole beans (grano entero), as the local grinds are much finer and may have sugar already added.

Costa Rican cuisine is known for being tasty but quite mild, compared to its neighbour countries, and laden with delicious seafood from the coast, and fresh fruits and vegetables. A breakfast favourite is Gallo pinto, a mixture of rice and beans with a little cilantro or onion thrown in. It is usually accompanied, as most dishes are, with the Lizano Salsa, a mild salsa that has a hint of curry and is slightly sweet. Natilla, a Costa Rican sour cream, is sometimes also added for variation. The traditional national dish is called Casado (which means married) contains rice and beans with meat, chicken or fish, and is always served with salad and fried plantain or a piece of white cheese in accompaniment. Another typical meal consists of egg on chicken with rice and beans, vegetables, fried plantain, and cooked bananas.

Capital: San Jose

Currency: Colon

Electricity: 110 V, 60 Hz

Time Zone: GMT -6 hr. Daylight savings time is not applied.

Government: Democratic Republic

Land size: 51,100 km2

Language: Spanish, some English

Population: 4,000,000 approx

Religion: Roman Catholic 76%, Evangelical 14%, other 10%

 

An international driver's license is recommended but your current driver's license is valid for the first 3 months. Must be 21 years old.

Because Costa Rica is located so close to the equator, the climate pretty much remains tropical year round. A factor to consider here though is the varying elevation and rainfall. Climate wise, the seasons are divided into two periods. The dry season, or summer, is from December to May. The green season, or winter, is the period from May to November, where in many locations it rains constantly. The location that receives the most rain is the Caribbean slopes of the Central Cordillera Mountains. The humidity is also higher on the Caribbean side than on the Pacific side. The average annual temperature on the coastal lowlands is around 31C, 21C inland, and below 10C on the summits of the highest mountains.

 

For monthly average temperatures please refer to your destination of choice.