Costa Rica
Discover Costa Rica
Costa Rica has bewilderingly diverse culture, climates, flora, and fauna, and landscapes range from rainforests, to dry tropical and temperate forests, to volcanoes, to Caribbean and Pacific beaches, to high mountains, and marshy lowlands. Costa Rica is an exceptionally stable and peaceful country compared to the volatile region it's in, and is one of the world's top destinations for nature and ecotourism. Owing in part to its comparative wealth, it can be a bit more expensive than its northern neighbors in Central America. Due to Costa Rica's topography and historical development, most economic growth has been concentrated in the Central Valley, which has four cities: San José (capital), Alajuela, Cartago and Heredia. Provincial capitals (Liberia, Puntarenas and Limón) and other towns with strategic locations have regional importance, especially for tourism. Some of Costa Rica's most important cities for travellers are:
What to Experience in Costa Rica
Taste of Costa Rica...
Costa Rican cuisine can be described as simple but wholesome. The spiciness often associated with Latin America has typically originated in Mexico; Costa Rican food is generally subtle, but, as the ingredients simmer in a large pot, the flavors are blended. If you don't like cilantro (coriander), learn to ask for it to be left out. The locals are unaware that it is a divisive issue to some foreigners! Gallo pinto is a mixture of rice and beans with a little cilantro or onion thrown in. While more common at breakfast, it can also be served at lunch or dinner. Casado, which means married, is the typical lunch in Costa Rica, containing rice and beans with meat, chicken or fish, always served with salad and fried plantain. Plato del dia, is the 'Plate of the Day' and is often a casado, but has the meat or fish selection of the day. Usually around US$5 and includes a natural juice. Sopa negra, literally "black soup", is a type of soup made with black beans, thus giving it its color, and often paired with some rice. Tres leches, literally "three milks", is a cake that serves as the quintessential Costa Rican dessert. The "three milks" refer to condensed milk, evaporated milk and cream, all of which are used to make the dish. As the name suggests, it is rather rich, so beware if you are lactose intolerant. Chicharrones refers to fried pork rinds. Unlike its better-known Mexican counterpart, which largely uses only the skin, Costa Rican chicharrones make use of the meat as well.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Costa Rica into what it is today.
While Costa Rica shares much of its history well into the 19th century with the other central American states (and gained independence on the same day as Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala), which is still visible in the blue white blue basic flag of all these countries (Costa Rica simply added a red stripe in the middle of the white one), there are some notable differences. The most visible today is that in Costa Rica, European settlement mostly occurred in the Central Valley, which led to it becoming the economic and political heart of the country and the ancestry decidedly European. The historical myth many Ticos (as Costa Ricans like to call themselves) hold onto about the early years of the republic is one of "coffee democracy" where everyone lived in the Central Valley and peacefully shared power unlike the decidedly messier history of other Latin American countries. Of course this simplistic view excludes virtually everyone who wasn't white, male, upper class and connected to central valley elites and even then there were violent power struggles, including Costa Rica's part in defeating the American would-be dictator of Central America William Walker in the 1850s....
Location & Landscape
Costa Rica is located on the Central American isthmus, lying between latitudes 8° and 12°N, and longitudes 82° and 86°W. It has a total of 1,290 km (800 mi) of coastline, 212 km (132 mi) on the Caribbean coast and 1,016 km (631 mi) on the Pacific. Costa Rica borders Nicaragua to the north (309 km or 192 mi of border) and Panama to the south-southeast (639 km or 397 mi of border). In total, Costa Rica comprises 51,100 km² (19,700 sq mi) plus 589 km² (227 sq mi) of territorial waters. The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripó, at 3,820 metres (12,530 ft); it is the fifth highest peak in Central America. The highest volcano in the country is the Irazú Volcano (3,432 m or 11,257 ft). The largest lake in Costa Rica is Lake Arenal. Costa Rica also comprises several islands. Cocos Island (24 km²/9.3 sq miles) stands out because of its distance from the continental landmass, 480 km (300 mi) from Puntarenas, but Calero Island is the largest island of the country (151.6 km²/58.5 sq mi).
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica uses only standard UTC-06:00 time zone all year; daylight savings are not used. As with the most of Hispanophone Central America, Costa Rica uses the 12-hour clock system. Most of the people of Costa Rica are called "Ticos". Compared to many other Latin American countries, the indigenous population and their culture is small and less visible. Other notable minorities are the Afro-Costa Ricans on the Caribbean side of the country and many first or second generation Nicaraguan immigrants. Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica, and is spoken by virtually all locals. There are also indigenous languages spoken by some of the indigenous ethnic groups, though speakers of these languages are usually able to speak Spanish as well. An English-based Creole language known as Limonese Creole or Mekatelyu is spoken in Limón Province on the Caribbean Sea coast.
Climate
Because Costa Rica is located between 8 and 12 degrees north of the Equator, the climate is tropical, year-round. However, the country has many microclimates depending on elevation, rainfall, topography, and by the geography of each particular region. Costa Rica's seasons are defined by how much rain falls during a particular period and not to the four seasons to which the residents of the temperate latitudes are accustomed. The year can be split into two periods, the dry season known to the residents as summer, and the rainy season, known locally as winter. The summer, or dry season, lasts from December to April, and winter, or rainy season, lasts from May to November. During this time it rains daily in some regions – almost every afternoon at the start of the season, and much more during the peak rainfall months. September and October have the most rain and the fewest tourists.
Essential Information
Best Time to Visit
Nov – Augbest time of year to surf is from November to August....
Getting There
Multiple OptionsVisitors from most developed countries can enter Costa Rica without a visa and can stay for 180 days. Check with Immigration for more details. However, people of any nationality holding valid U.S., Canada, Japan, South Korea or Schengen visas do not need a prior visa. The only conditions being that the visa must be valid for three months and should be stamped in your passport. Before travelling, verify the entry requirements in effect with TimaticWeb or with a Costa Rican consulate. If you have an unusual passport/visa combination, allow extra time for check-in, especially if flying with a minor airline, which may not have a TimaticWeb subscription, or whose staff may not know how to use it. The entry requirements include having a return ticket....
Regions
Explore AreasDue to Costa Rica's topography and historical development, most economic growth has been concentrated in the Central Valley, which has four cities: San José (capital), Alajuela, Cartago and Heredia. P…...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Although Costa Rica has established official street names in most cities for governmental purposes, most of the population is unaware of these names and if they are known, most streets will lack proper signs stating said names. Asking for directions from a local could result in a tedious and difficult conversation as said directions are given out based on a common or well known building, store, office or other landmark in order to find what you are looking for. As such, you would need to know important landmarks and their locations well enough to be able to get around more easily. Cien metros or 100 meters, is commonly used to refer to a city "block," which are usually 100 m, but in some cases could be more or less. However, despite what the exact distance is, many locals tend to use 100 m or a city block when giving out directions. For the most part, Costa Rica's roads are paved but have minimal upkeep. Also, there are many narrow bridges scattered around the country.
Where to Stay
You can find many places to stay all over Costa Rica, including hotels, aparthotels, condos, vacation rentals, and cabinas. Vacation homes, cabinas, and condos can be less expensive than hotels and provide more flexibility in your adventure to Costa Rica. Costa Rica is known as a world leader for eco and sustainable travel and accommodations are often listed as 'eco-lodges'. They do tend to be more expensive though the government does have a well functioning certification program. Be careful of so-called "motels", see below. Apart from the big reservation websites, also checkout Google Maps, which has many home stays, guesthouses and such including location, rating and phone number (for WhatsApp). This is generally cheaper than booking online, but always compare. The share of local oriented businesses without a website and where the owner only speaks Spanish is notably lower than in Nicaragua, but those also exist, especially off the beaten tourist path.
Money & Budget
The local currency is the Costa Rican colón (plural: colones) CRC named after Christopher Columbus (whose name was Cristobal Colón in Spanish) sometimes shown locally as ₡ and sometimes shown using the more commonly available U.S. cent symbol '¢' or ₵. Banknotes come in denominations of ₡1,000, ₡2,000, ₡5,000, ₡10,000, ₡20,000 and ₡50,000. Coins come in denominations of ₡10, ₡25, ₡50, ₡100 and ₡500 (solid yellow and yellow rings with silver center and featuring commemorative designs). U.S. dollars are commonly used; in tourist establishments, almost everything is priced in U.S. dollars (but sometimes prices are cheaper in colones). When a price is quoted in "dollars", the speaker may be thinking of a dollar as 500 colones; so it is always worth checking whether this is what is meant.
Language & Talk
Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica, and is spoken by virtually all locals. There are also indigenous languages spoken by some of the indigenous ethnic groups, though speakers of these languages are usually able to speak Spanish as well. An English-based Creole language known as Limonese Creole or Mekatelyu is spoken in Limón Province on the Caribbean Sea coast. This Creole language is essentially a localized form of Jamaican Patois, and is similar to varieties such as Colón Creole, Miskito Coastal Creole, Belizean Kriol language, and San Andrés and Providencia Creole. The name Mekatelyu is a transliteration of the phrase "make I tell you", or in standard English "let me tell you".
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Travel to Costa Rica is common, with 2.6 million people visiting annually, more than any other Latin American country. Costa Rica is generally regarded to be one of the less crime-ridden countries in Latin America and is the most politically stable, with no successful coups or wars since the current republic was established in 1948. However, stable does not equal rich, and high wealth inequality in urban areas has fueled crime. Costa Rica is often considered one of the safest countries in Central America. The 2024 Global Peace Index ranked Costa Rica as the safest country in the region, with its ranking at 58 nearly twice as high as that of the United States. Still, travellers to Costa Rica should exercise caution as they would in any foreign country or tourist area. The emergency number in Costa Rica is 911. Travelling alone is fine and generally safe in Costa Rica, but carefully consider what kind of risks (if any) you are willing to take.
Glimpses of Costa Rica
Keel-billed Toucan
La Isla Tortuga
celeste river waterfall
La Fortuna Waterfall - Arenal, Costa Rica
blue yellow and red parrot
Clear Water Day.
a very tall mountain with a very cloudy sky above it
people on beach during daytime
Costa Rica Volcano
Playa Escondilla and Playa Manuel Antonio
Keel-billed Toucan
La Isla Tortuga
celeste river waterfall