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Costa Rica is Peace!™
The word "peace" is very symbolic in our daily lives today as we know and live it. When you visit Costa Rica, this is very evident traveling across the country as you marvel and exude the beautiful natural environment surrounding this peaceful land. Costa Rica is labeled as " The Switzerland of Central America". Starting from the government and it's citizens, Costa Rica is a very peaceful loving nation. It has no military, therefore all of it's resources are all concentrated in the progressive development of the country's social, economic welfare and preservation of the nation's wildlife and rainforests.  Costa Rica is a tropical paradise that offers everything you can imagine, it has it all! What are you waiting for?

For map of Costa Rica and Quick Fact Finder, click here

Did you know?

• Costa Rica in 2008 will receive an estimated up to 1.7 million visitors , another significant increase from the previous year. It is estimated that of those visitors from the previous year, the majority are from the United States of America , followed by visitors from Central America and Europeans. The rest are from countries such as Canada, Mexico and South American nations.
• Costa Rica was declared this year as Best Destination for Adventure and Eco-tourism in the World . It also received a distinction as the Best Latin American Destination.
• Costa Rica is very busy during the period of: Christmas & New Years week, Presidents week, Easter week, in the low season months of July & August. Make sure you start planning your trip six months in advance. Please make a note , during the religious holidays in Costa Rica called Semana Santa (Holy week): March 20 to March 28 , all the retail businesses including banks are all closed that week. Sale of alcohol is curtailed significantly. The tourism business segment however continues not impacted by the holiday.

The Country:

Located in Central America in the heart of the western hemisphere. On the north, it is next to Nicaragua, and in the south, it is next to Panama. It has the Pacific ocean on the west and the Caribbean ocean on the east. The country is only fifty one thousand square kilometers.

The Government:

The government of Costa Rica adopts a democratic system of governing very similar to the United States. It has three main branches of government, and the President and the members of the legislative assembly are elected for four year terms. The two main political parties are the United Social Christian Party and National Liberation Party.

The citizens of Costa Rica:

This is probably the most important asset of this country. The people make the country.

The Costa Ricans, locally known as "Ticos", are known for their friendliness and hospitality. They are polite and very well educated. The population literacy rate is approximately 95%. They make a perfect guest host. There are about 3.3 million inhabitants that represent a diverse cultural racial mix.

Business and Economy:

Banks and currency - There are ample selections of state and private banks in Costa Rica. Banks are open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and do not close for lunch. The official currency in Costa Rica is the Colon. The dollar is very strong in Costa Rica. Between the year 2001 and November 2008, the conversion rate went up from 338 to 517 Colones. This may fluctuate from time to time. The U.S. dollar is accepted in most of the country, especially the hotels and restaurants.

Economy - Although agriculture exporting remains the basis of the national economy, Tourism has become a very important economic component of this country. As it continues to grow rapidly due to it's popularity and fame, it has provided employment opportunities and at the same time help continued preservation of the countries biodiverse landscape.

Weather and climate:

When you are in the tropics, you are in prime sunshine territory. Clearly this is a plus for all us sun-worshipping folk, but it's important to protect yourself from damaging UV rays. Apply lots of sunscreen throughout the day, try to limit your exposure to the sun when you can, and wear protective clothing. Also, be sure to drink lots of water to stave off dehydration. Drink up even when you are not thirsty, and especially if you are engaging in outdoors activities. Combined with the intensity of the sun, even mild dehydration can really put an unpleasant tinge on your experience.  There are over 400 micro weather systems in this tropical country. The country basically has a dry season and a green season(rainy). The dry season starts from December and ends in April. The green season starts in May and ends in November. During the green season, the annual average temperature for the country is around mid seventies. While during the dry season, the average rises to the mid eighties.   To see the current weather conditions, please see our weather page.

Language and Religion:

The national language spoken in this country is Spanish. More people speak English due to the countries progressive efforts in the school systems and especially in the tourism industry. The majority of the population are Roman Catholics and they represents approximately 92%.

Transportation:

Getting around Costa Rica is very easy, it only requires patience. Due to the mountaneous ranges and sometimes inferior roads, depending on the destination, travel time is usually a 3-4 hour drive from coast to coast. The government is very much aware of this situation and is diligently building better roads and highways for better accessibility and efficiency. Public transportation, mainly buses are ample in Costa Rica and is very inexpensive. There are also plenty of taxis to take and relatively inexpensive. Flying is obviously the fastest way to go, there are several airlines that offer daily flights to the most popular tourist destinations. There are also private charter planes available. There are also ample of car rental agencies that mostly rent four wheel drive vehicles.

Education and Health:

A significant portion of the governments resources are dedicated to progressive promotion of the countries educational system. It encourages a higher bar for literacy regarding education and encourages preventive medicine in the health arena. Costa Rica operates in a socialized medicine environment. The people of Costa Rica are very informed medically. There are plenty of hospitals and clinics throughout the country. There are also private hospitals available and surprisingly, the cost of medical care is inexpensive.

Communications:

The country has a very advanced telecommunication system, it has telephones, cellular, fax machines and internet services. Cable television and internet services are becoming more available as related to the continued progress of the infrastructure of this country. The mail and courier services are very reliable and there are newspapers and magazines from North America sold in many parts of the country. Intel corporation has a big plant in Costa Rica.

Water:

The water is safe to drink in all areas of the country. Nevertheless, we suggest you buy bottled water for drinking.

Restaurant, taxes, tips:

In restaurants an additional 23% is found on your check; 13% for a sales tax and a 10% for service. Both are law binding. The 10%, at first, was considered as a tip for the waiter, but in many cases this tax is the salary of the service personnel, so people usually leave a tip if the service was good. This tip is not mandatory. The bellboys at the airport and the hotels expect a tip for their service. They usually receive a dollar for each large bag. It is also customary to tip the tour guides and the drivers if they have done a good job and you receive what you have expected. The tip is also voluntarily. At the airport you have to pay a departure tax of US $26.00 per person. You can pay for this tax in dollars or Colones. At the airport you can find a state bank that receives your Colones in exchange for dollars up to a maximum of US $50.00. The bank working hours are the same ones of the rest of the banks of the country.

Airports:

Costa Rica has two international airports, in Liberia (Northwest Region), Daniel Oduber International Airport and in San Jose (Central Valley region), the Juan Santamaria International airport. Both airports have excellent security protocols that follow the U.S. guidelines. Since 9/11 and the amount of visitors arriving, expect the processing time in Customs to be lengthy. The main International airport in San Jose; Juan Santamaria is currently improving its whole infrastructure to accommodate and improve the processing conditions at the airport. For worldwide airports ranking category receiving under 5 million visitors annually, this airport now is currently ranked 3 rd and will probably go to the top of the list. Daniel Oduber in Liberia is also starting to expand to accommodate the increase in arrivals in that region. The national airline is LACSA that belongs to the Grupo Taca that flies throughout the Central and South Americas. Regarding the domestic flights; Sansa's terminal is located next to the main International airport. Nature Air is located in Tobias Bolaños airport, 15-20 minutes from the San Jose International airport. At the airport you have to pay a departure tax of US $26.00 per person. You can pay for this tax in dollars or Colones. At the airport you can find a state bank that receives your Colones in exchange for dollars up to a maximum of US $50.00.

Shipping Ports:

On the Caribbean coast is Puerto Limon, and on the pacific coast is Puerto Caldera.The cruise ships sector is one of the activities of greater growth on the tourism industry. In our country, tourists arriving on cruise ships may visit our Caribbean coasts, which have an impressive landscape of natural beauty and also the coasts on the pacific, both in Caldera as in Puntarenas. Diverse studies have pointed out that over 50% of the passengers have the expectation of returning to the area, so that ICT stresses its importance.

Cruise ships' visits to Costa Rica have increased these last years; on 2002 some 255 vessels were received, 45 more, a 21% increase than for the 2001. On the Caribbean coast is Puerto Limon, and on the pacific coast is Puerto Caldera. Cruise lines often dock on these ports as part of their destination and the tour operators take the visitors to their tour destinations. In the 2004-2005 season 6 new vessels arrived: Maxim Gorkty, Galaxy, Regatta, Discovery, Century and Pride of America from Celebrity Cruises ship lines, Ocean Cruises, World Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Unicom Management.

Cruise lines that most visit our destination are: Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruises and Royal Caribbean .

Activities:

This country loves to be very joyful and is very used to have fun, especially during weekends. Many places organize dances and events for everybody. Many hotels have bars and live music, or casinos. San José city has many discotheques, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, theaters and museums of different types.
Different places at the beach and in hotels have events to have fun or just meet with friends. The predominant music is the international one, as well as the merengue, salsa, reggae, soca, calypso etc.

Costa Rica in a nut shell:

Costa Rica is your ultimate vacation destination. It has it all!! Why, you ask? There are many reasons. Due to the country's natural and cultural diversity it offers many activities: 

-If you and your family just want to relax and do nothing, Costa Rica has the best beach resorts on both the Pacific and the Caribbean cost. Enjoy the sun, beaches, water sports, golf, tennis, spa in high class hotels.

-If you like action packed vacation, take an adventure/extreme sport tour. Go whitewater rafting, Canopy tour, Bungee jump, Paragliding, Horseback riding, Kayaking, Surfing, Mountain climbing, biking and hiking. Enough adrenaline for you?

-If you are a nature lover, stay at the rainforest/mountain lodges and enjoy walking, hiking, bird watching.Take a tour of the mangroves and marvel at all the animal species that inhabit this country. There are national parks all over Costa Rica.

-If you like sightseeing, take a tour of the country. Go to a butterfly farm, coffee, rainforest, volcano, hot mineral springs, waterfalls, sunset cruises, theater and museums at San Jose.

-If you are a golf nut, play at all the first class hotel professional championship courses. A tour in itself.

-If you want a place for retreat, you can go to a jungle lodge or an isolated tropical beach and have your privacy with nature.

-If you like a typical Costa Rican experience, take the tico train tour, train built in the 1940's and tour the local towns and countryside.

-If you like the city and nightlife, stay at great hotels in San Jose and experience the museums, theater, restaurants, night clubs and casinos.

-If you want to be in touch with your inner soul, there are plenty of first class theme hotels that provide meditation, yoga, spiritual healing.

-If you love to fish, you have come to the perfect place. Sports fishing at it's best. Private chartered boats for marlins, sailfish, tuna, wahoo, snook and many more.

-If you are in the corporate world and represent incentive groups for meetings and conventions, we have first class hotels with meeting and banquet rooms fully equipped to accommodate large groups.

-Did we forget anything? Please let us know.