The Climate:
Located between 8° and 11° north of the equator, Costa Rica enjoys a temperate tropical climate defined by two seasons: wet (summer, verano) and dry (winter, invierno).
Mild temperatures year-round make Costa Rica a pleasant place to vacation, any month of the year. From the cool temperatures found in the higher elevations of the Central Valley and northern region to the warmer climates along the coasts, there is something for everyone.
The wet season generally runs from May until October with April and November being months of transition. During the rainy season, mornings are usually sunny, with afternoon storms moving in later in the day. There is an average of 4 hours or more of sun per day during the rainy season. Read More about the climate.
Safety/Travel Advisories:
Currently there are no travel warnings for Costa Rica. It is one of the safest countries in the world to visit. Visit the CIA World Fact Book page and see for yourself!
Time:
Costa Rica is six hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which is equivalent to Central Time in North America. There is no daylight saving time.
Language:
Costa Rica's official language is Spanish, though most Costa Ricans can understand and speak a bit of English. On the Caribbean coast, locals speak a mixture of Patois (a Jamaican Creole with English and African roots) and Spanish. Recently, all public schools made the learning of a second language mandatory.
Visitors will be pleasantly surprised to discover that many people in this highly educated country speak more than one language, and of course, people serving you at the better hotels and restaurants will almost always speak enough English to make themselves understood.
Religion:
Like the majority of Latin American countries, Roman Catholicism is Costa Rica’s main religion, but there is a very wide margin of tolerance and the constitutional freedom of creed is always respected. Costa Rica’s religions by percentage of practicing members: Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%.
Legal System:
Costa Rica is a civil law country, which means that the organization of the legal system is derived from the French Napoleonic Code as opposed to English common law. Under Napoleonic Law, you are presumed guilty and must prove your innocence, whereas in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom, you are presumed innocent and the government must prove you guilty. Our advice: don't do anything illegal and the legal system differences won't matter.
The Government of Costa Rica has 4 branches: The Judicial, Executive - President and cabinet ministers, Legislative - Elected members and Electoral Tribunal - takes over police and all government functions dealing with elections before each election. Members are usually unpaid volunteers who are judges. This is to ensure all elections are completely democratic and free.
Currency:
The national currency is the colon and dollars are easily exchanged at all banks, other foreign currency can be exchanged through private agencies. All major credit cards as well as traveler’s checks are widely accepted. The colon exchanges at 515 per dollar (as of January 2007).
Read More... Banking and Currency
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Electricity:
The standard in Costa Rica is the same as in the United States: 110 volts AC (60 cycles). However, three-pronged outlets can be scarce, so it's helpful to bring along an adapter.
Business Hours:
Most banks are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., although some now offer extended hours. Offices are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (many close for one hour at lunch). Stores are generally open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Read more about Business Hours
Communications:
Send and receive your letters and packages with confidence in Costa Rica. Postal branches are located in nearly every city and town. The Central Post Office is located in San Jose on Second Street between Avenues 1 and 3, and is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 7a.m. to noon. Radiografica Costarricense is located on Fifth Avenue between Streets 1 and 3. This company provides telex, fax, international data transmission, and many other services (including Internet access). For detailed information on rates, delivery times and other pertinent information, read more about Postal Services.
The country code for Costa Rica is 506, and there is no area code inside the country. All calls within Costa Rica are considered local calls. Note: Effective March 20, 2008, all land line phone numbers must have a 2 dialed first, and all cell phone numbers are preceded by 8.
Internet access is widely available throughout Costa Rica, though many locations are still using dial-up and the connection speed is slow. Read More about communications in Costa Rica
Transportation:
International Air Transportation: Most air traffic to and from Costa Rica is handled through the Juan Santamaria Airport, located 29 minutes from San Jose, in the city of Alajuela.
Domestic Air Transportation: All flights leave from the International Juan Santamaria Airport or the Tobias Bolanos Airport. There is a network of internal airports, which not only serve important cities, but special interest tourist areas. Among the most important are: Liberia, Palmar Sur, Tamarindo, Barra del Colorado, Limon, Quepos, Golfito, Coto 47, etc. From the Tobias Bolanos Airport, located to the west of the capital city, private airlines offer flights to most areas of the country.
Domestic Bus Service: The country, in general, offers excellent bus service. The majority are private companies, that link San Jose with the principal provincial towns and cities, seaports and tourist areas. With good-quality vehicles and frequent itineraries, people can easily travel by bus throughout the country. In the main cities and villages nationwide, there are taxicab companies that provide service to the more remote places in the country. Four-wheel drive vehicles are typical for the rural areas.
International Bus Service: Leaving from San Jose, there is bus service to Central America and Panama. The companies: TICA BUS, SIRCA and TRACOPA have scheduled trips to Panama, Nicaragua and other countries.
Automobile Circulation: Costa Rica has a good highway network, the majority of which, for tourist use, is paved. In most places there are adequate traffic signs. There are toll booths on the major highways (San Jose-San Ramon, San Jose-Guapiles, San Jose-Cartago, San Jose-Ciudad Colón). Tolls run from 75 to 275 colones (about 25 to 75 cents). Throughout the country there are many gas stations, some of which offer round-the-clock service. All Costa Rica's gas stations are full service.
Driver Requirements:
A tourist may drive with a current license from his country of origin and his passport, during the three months that his tourist visa is valid. Warning triangles should be carried at all times by all drivers, and seat belts are also required for drivers and front-seat passengers. The use of helmets for motorcycle conductors is required.
More Information...Getting Around in Costa Rica, Driving Directions
Embassies:
Click here for a complete list of foreign embassies and consulates.
Foreign Embassies in Costa Rica
Entry/Exit Requirements:
With a valid passport and round trip or continuing ticket, citizens of the United States of America, Canada, Germany, Spain and Italy can travel to Costa Rica for a 90-day stay without a consular visa. To stay legally beyond the period granted, travelers will need to submit an application for an extension to the Office of Temporary Permits in the Costa Rican Department of Immigration.
Tourist visas are normally not extended except under special circumstances, such as academic, employment, or medical grounds, and extension requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. There is a departure tax for short-term visitors of $26. Tourists who stay over ninety days without receiving a formal extension can expect to pay a higher departure tax at the airport or land border, and may experience some delay at the airport. Persons who have overstayed previously may be denied entry to Costa Rica.
Read More... Passport & Visas, Exiting Costa Rica
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Vaccinations:
As of this time, Costa Rica does not require visitors to have any particular vaccinations, although you should make sure that all of your normal vaccinations are up to date.
Read more about Travel Advisories
Medical Facilities & Services:
Any foreigner who is temporarily in the country has the right to receive health attention at hospitals and clinics in case of an emergency, sudden illness or a chronic disease. Costa Rica boasts a modern and renown medical health system, under the administration of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS).
Read more about Health Care
Emergencies:
Costa Rica has a 911 system for reporting emergencies. Crimes that are no longer in progress should be reported in person at the nearest police station. In the event of a traffic accident, vehicles must be left where they are, and not moved out of the way. Both the Transito (Traffic Police) and the Insurance Investigator must make accident reports before the vehicles are moved. Although sometimes slow to respond after notification, these officials will come to the accident scene.
Emergency telephone numbers: (all phone numbers within Costa Rica are considered local calls)
Emergencies . . . . . . .911 (Metropolitan area)
Fire Department and
Rescue Units. . . . . . .118
Traffic Police. . . . . .506-2-222-9330/ 506-2-222-9245
Police Department . . . .117
Rural Police Department ...127
Red Cross . . . . . . . .128
Airports:
Juan Santamaria International Airport Phone: 506-2-441-0744
Limon International Airport. Phone: 506-2-758-1379
Tobias Bolanos International Airport. Phone: 506-2-232-2820
Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport:
(Liberia, Guanacaste). Phone: 506-2-666-0695
Learn more about Costa Rica: CIA World FactBook
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