Costa Rica

Located within the Isthmus of Central America with coasts on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Costa Rica is a small mountainous country offering tourists a rich and varied natural experience. With its diverse parks , beaches, mountains and volcanoes, it proudly boasts approximately 5% of the total biodiversity on the planet.

Protected areas cover a quarter of the national territory and are often cited as examples of conservation in harmony with growth and sustainable development. All of these characteristics favor ecological and adventure tourism and in general, allow the tourist to enjoy an unparalleled diversity of microclimates, landscapes, and natural beauty.

LOCATION: To the north, Costa Rica borders with Nicaragua , to the south with Panamá, to the west the Pacific Ocean , and the Caribbean Sea to the east.

CAPITAL: San José .

POPULATION: Approximately 3,622,171 people; 96% of Spanish descent, 2% of Black Caribbean descent and 1% Indigenous tribes and Chinese.

LANGUAGE: Spanish, Patois/Broken English and Indigenous dialects.

CLIMATE: The average temperature in the Central Valley is 27 degrees Celsius while on the coasts the average is 35 degrees. The country has a tropical climate. There are two seasons: the dry season from December to April and the rainy or green season from May to November.

GOVERNMENT: Constitutional Democratic Republic.

TIME ZONE: GMT-6.00 ( Costa Rica does not observe daylight saving time).

CURRENCY: The Costa Rican Colon . The majority of businesses accept major credit cards. The foreign currency most in circulation and most frequently exchanged is the US dollar.

IMMIGTATION REQUIREMENTS: A tourist visa or tourist card is required. Visitors must have a valid passport; return ticket to country of origin or to continue trip, and sufficient funds to cover their stay.

AIRPORT TAX: International flights pay US$43.00 airport tax.