Costa Rica

From MaxTravelz

Costa Rica is a country in Central America. In the north it borders to Nicaragua and in the south to Panamá. To the west there is the Pacific and to the east the Caribbean.

See the entry on San José and Tamarindo for additional information on Costa Rica.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By car 5.3 By bus 5.4 By boat 6 Get out 7 Get around 7.1 Rental Car 7.2 Taxi 7.3 Tour Operators 8 Talk 9 See 10 Do 10.1 Surf 11 Buy 12 Eat 13 Drink 14 Sleep 15 Learn 16 Work 17 Stay safe 18 Contact

Regions

• San José and the Central Valley
• The North
• Guanacaste
• Nicoya Peninsula
• The Central Pacific
• The South
• The Caribbean
• Cocos Island National Park

Cities

• San José - The capital
• Tamarindo - Small pueblo on the Nicoya Peninsula famous for its beaches, a popular destination for tourists.
• Alajuela
• Cartago
• Heredia
• Jaco - Surfing paradise and supurb dining
• Liberia
• Manuel Antonio - Pacific coast; entry point to Manuel Antonio National Park.
• Pochote - On Whale Bay, across the Bay from Puntarenas
• Puerto Limón - Main city on the Caribbean side
• Puntarenas - Ferry to Nicoya peninsula
• Parismina - Village on the Tortuguero Canals

Other destinations

• Arenal Volcano - active volcano
• Manuel Antonio National Park
• Corcovado National Park
• Cahuita National Park

Understand

Get in

By plane

Juan Santamaría Airport (SJO) is located close to the cities Alajuela, Heredia and the capital San José.

SJO is currently under reconstruction. The dimly lit but otherwise pleasant airport features the normal assortment of duty-free shops but an inadequate selection of overpriced restaurants (Church's Chicken, Burger King and a fast-food pizza joint). SJO is serviced daily by American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways as well as Taca and Copa Airlines.

Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) is near Liberia in the Guanacaste province. This airport is closest to the Pacific Northwest coast. Liberia receives flights from Delta, American and Continental.

By car

The Interamericana (Panamerican highway) runs through Costa Rica and is the main entry point by car. The border post in the north (to Nicaragua) is called Peñas Blancas and in the south (to Panamá) Paso Canoas. Many Costa Rican roads are in terrible shape, and short distances can take a very long time.

Lots of unpaved roads, even the paved roads have lots of unpaved sections and washed out or unfinished bridges. Do not expect to get anywhere quickly, supposed 3 hour journeys can turn into 5 or more hours easily: there are always slow cars/buses/trucks on the road. This causes a lot of crazy driving, which you begin to emulate if you are in-country for more than a day. The government does not seem to be fixing the infrastructure well (or at all!) 50km/hr is good over unpaved roads, you hit a resonance frequency where the damping factor of the suspension matches the undulations of the road and you have a smooth ride. Your car/SUV begins to feel like a boat. Cool effect.

Gas stations are full service and the guys there are very cool at taking dollars or Colón(es). The interesting thing is that CR is small so you do not burn a lot of gas getting places even though it seems like forever.

By bus

There are bus services from the neighboring countries of Panamá, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. There is an extensive network of bus routes within the country with reasonable fares and usually comfortable seating. If using the bus routes within the country, some ability to speak and understand Spanish is helpful.

By boat

Get out

Remember there is a $26.12 exit fee at the Juan Santamaría Airport.

Get around

Keep in mind the pet peeve most tourists have with tico kindness: often times when a tico has no idea where a certain destination you may have had in mind is, he or she will simply direct you to a random location. Often times simply incomprehensible, these directions are a reflection on the cultural approach to kindness many Costa Ricans adopt.

Rental Car

For 350-700 USD a week you can rent a econocar/mid size 4WD. Insurance is the majority of this cost and it is not optional. 4 wheel drive is good for extensive traveling outside the Central Valley, especially in the wet season. In the dry season going from La Fortuna to Monteverde via a direct route was over a boulder strewn 15-30 MPH road. 4WD was also useful on the Nicoya coast. (above based on 2001 roads)

Taxi

Another easy way to get around Costa Rica is to use the services of mini-vans. At most of the hotels, the receptionist is able to assist travelers who want to travel across the country by arranging for the services of a driver. Rates are reasonable (US$20 per person, for example, to get from San Jose to Tamarindo in August, 2005) The drivers know the roads well; the vans are clean and comfortable; and they take you from door to door.

Tour Operators

• AdventureSmith Costa Rica Small Ship Cruise and Adventure Travel. A California based tour operator specializing in expedition cruises and wilderness adventures. Trips are geared toward active travelers and nature enthusiasts. Naturalist guides offer active tours of San Jose, Tortuguero, Arenal, Monteverde, Corcovado, Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio and more. Costs $1299 per week.

Talk

Spanish is the main language in Costa Rica. All major newspapers and official business are conducted in Spanish. English is used widely in areas populated by international tourists, and information for tourists is often bilingual or exclusively in English. A number of businesses operated by European proprietors can accommodate guests in Spanish, English and their native languages.

Some Costa Rican expressions:

• Mae, used akin to the English word "dude", although literally meaning something more like "idiot". Generally spoken among friends.

• Pura vida, literally translated as "pure life," is an expression endemic to Costa Rica. It can be used in several contexts, as an expression of enthusiasm, agreement, or salutation.

A prevalent version of slang in Costa Rica, and other regions of Latin America, is called "pachuco" or "pachuquismo," and is used by across social classes and understood as a "friendly" way of speaking.

See

Do

• Wind surfing in the Tilarán area is some of the best in the world.

• Rafting, fishing, scuba diving, kayaking, and boating are all available.

Surf

Costa Rica has many surfing hotspots.

The Pacific coast, particularly in central Puntarenas and Guanacaste, is littered with great places to surf. Tamarindo, Moctesuma, Hermosa and many, many others are worth a look. It is recommendable, however, to ask a travel agent inside Costa Rica, as directions are not always easy to follow.

Samara, Coco, and Grande are good but popular beaches.

On the Carribean side, there are beautiful beaches but limited surfing prospects.

The southern Costa Rica area has two very good spots for surf: Dominical and Pavones Beach

Buy

The local currency is Colón(es) named after Columbus (Spanish: Colón). The rate of change is about 499 Colones for 1 US Dollar (January 2006), but note that there is a growing inflation. You may find the current value at this currency conversion site. Also note that the use of US Dollars is quite common, in fact, in the tourist setting, almost everything is priced in Dollars.

You can find ATMs in most places. They normally dispense US Dollars and Colones.

The most common souvenirs are made from wood.

You might get a discount (usually around 10%) when paying in cash.

When paying with Travelers checks, unless for hotel nights, change them first at a bank. Expect long delays with Travelers checks at the bank, lots of stamping, the higher up the official at the bank the more stamps they have. Dollars are easier.

Eat

Costa Rican cuisine can be described as simple but wholesome. The spiciness often associated with Central American food is mostly absent.

Gallo pinto is a mixture of rice and beans with a little culantro 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.

Good, fresh fruit is abundant in variety and low in cost. Mercados provide an excellent place to sample fruit and other Costa Rican fare, with many including sit-down snack bars.

Be sure to stop off at a Soda along any of the roads: a casado and beer will cost ~$3.

Don't forget to try the Lizano Salsa that you will surely find at any restaurant. It is a mild salsa that has a hint of curry and is slightly sweet. It tastes good on just about anything!

Drink

Refrescos are beverages made from fresh fruit (cas, guanabana, sandia/watermelon, mora/blackberry, fresa/strawberry, granadilla/passion fruit), sugar and either water or milk. All sodas (mom and pop diners) serve these. You can also easily buy the standard international soda pops. 'Fresca' and 'canada Dry' are recommended.

The national drink is called guaro, which is made from fermented sugar cane. It is similar to vodka, and is usually drunk with water and lemon.

The most popular beers in the country are Pilsen and Imperial: all bars and restaurants serve both. Bavaria, "Bavaria Negra" (dark) and Rock Ice are more expensive and therefore less common.

Sleep

Hotels in Costa Rica are more expensive than in its neighboring countries to the north.

• Las Caletas, Drake Bay, . How to get there: By bus to Palmar Norte, Taxi to Sierpe, from there you will be picked up by boat (there is no road) and taken directly to Drake Bay. The Lodge is situated on a small hill overlooking the whole bay. The owners (Swiss and Tico) will look after you as one of the family. What to do: You can just relax or enjoy swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving or make a visit to the close by national park of Corcovado. The owners will be pleased to arrange a trip for you.
• Real InterContinental Costa Rica,. Located amid tropical gardens, only 15 minutes from Juan Santamaria Int’l Airport and 10 minutes from downtown San José, the hotel is close to an array of stores, movie theaters and fast-food restaurants and faces the modern Multiplaza Mall.
• Quality Hotel Real San Jose, . Located in the heart of the new business district of San José, in front of the Business Center Forum, and 15 minutes away from the international airport.

Hotels in Southern Costa Rica are less expensive and the location, environment and possibilities are better.

Learn

You can learn Spanish in Costa Rica. Reflecting the higher living standard, it's a little more expensive compared to other countries such as Guatamala but then again, the education level of your teachers will be much higher.

Some hostels offer packages that include Spanish lessons and daily home-stays with the locals (in addition to your room and board).

After Colombia, the Spanish spoken by the Costa Ricans is one of the clearest in the region.

Work

A lot of the eco-projects are seeking volunteers.

The local newspaper, La Nacion, has an extensive jobs listing every Sunday and Monday.

Stay safe

The traffic is dangerous, so take care. Roads tend to have plenty of potholes.
like any other tourist spot, watch for pickpocketers. The coasts of Costa Rica are known for strong currents and rip-tides. Take precaution and listen to the locals on where it is safe to swim.
Active volcanoes are dangerous, follow the warning signs posted. The slopes of the Arenal volacno virtually invite visitors to climb closer to the summit, but there have been accidents in the past with unseen gas chambers.

There are no signs indicating an unsafe beach due to riptides.

It is very hot in the daytime, but in the morning and evening it becomes very cool--like the Japanese autumn--so, you should bring a heavy jacket.

Contact

The international calling code/country code for Costa Rica is 506.
A postage stamp to Europe is 125 Colones.

The primary means of outside contact are through email and public pay telephones.

Internet cafes are fairly easy to find in tourist areas, with prices all over the place. Some of these offer long distance calls over the internet.

Public phones are accessed with calling cards (tarjetas telefonicas) which can be purchased at most shops, even in outlying areas.

There are two different types of pay-phones. The first variety are older, and have been mostly replaced by the newer variety. They accept change (coins) and allow for the dialing of toll-free numbers, which means international (you may bring them from home) calling cards may be used. However, it is highly recommended that you simply buy cards in Costa Rica, as they can be used from any phone, and are actually quite a good deal even when used to make international calls. If you need to call the US, bring a prepaid calling card from a phone company that has a toll free number to call the US from Costa Rica. All of the major US long distance companies have such numbers.

Within Costa Rica, all calls are local calls. There is no such thing as long distance charges between any two points in Costa Rica. There is a surcharge for calls made to a cellular phone.

Mobile phone service in Costa Rica is provided by Grupo I.C.E. using GSM technology at 1800 MHz. See map for coverage. Roaming is possilbe with a GSM handset but can be expensive. Note that the GSM phone systems in the United States and Canada use different frequencies and that travelers from there will need a "world" handset. You should check with your provider beforehand. Prepaid Sim cards are not available in Costa Rica.

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