Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a small country in Central America bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Regions

Cities

Due to Costa Rica’s topography and historical development, most economical growth has been concentrated in the Central Valley of the country which includes 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:

Cartago

• 1 San José – The capital.
• 2 Alajuela – location of Juan Santamaría International Airport
• 3 Cartago – Costa Rica’s first capital
• 4 Jacó – the Central Pacific coast’s largest city, among incredibly biodiversity and natural beauty, famous surf spot
• 5 Heredia – Coffee plantations
• 6 Liberia – Location of Daniel Oduber International Airport and gateway to the beaches of Guanacaste, such as Samara, Nosara, Carillo
• 7 Puerto Limón – Main city on the Caribbean side
• 8 Quesada – the largest city by far in the country’s North, surrounded by hot springs popular with Costa Rican vacationers; known locally as “San Carlos”

Other destinations

• 1 Arenal Volcano  – active volcano
• 2 Cahuita National Park
• 3 Chirripo National Park
• 4 Cocos Island National Park 
• 5 Corcovado National Park
• 6 Manuel Antonio National Park
• 7 Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserves
• 8 Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park
• 9 Tortuguero National Park

Understand

Since the late 1980s, Costa Rica has been a popular nature travel destination, and its main competitive advantage is its well-established system of national parks and protected areas, covering around 23.4% of the country’s land area, the largest in the world as a percentage of the country’s territory, and home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, in a country that has only 0.03% of the world’s landmass, but that is estimated to contain 5% of the world’s biodiversity. The country also has plenty of world renowned beaches, in the Pacific Ocean and in the Caribbean Sea, within short travel distances between the coasts by air and land, and also several active volcanoes that can be visited with safety.

By the early 1990s, Costa Rica became known as a world leader of ecotourism. According to the Costa Rican Tourism Board, 46% of international tourists visiting the country in 2009 engaged in activities related to ecotourism, including trekking, flora, fauna, and bird watching, and visits to rural communities. However, most visitors look for adventure activities, which Costa Rica offers as well. Costa Rica was included by Ethical Traveler magazine in the 2011 and the 2012 list of The Developing World’s 10 Best Ethical Destinations.

Costa Rica has managed to avoid the political turmoil and violence from which neighbouring nations still suffer. The nation constitutionally abolished its army permanently in the 1940s. It is the only Latin American country included in the list of the world’s 22 oldest democracies, and is a peaceful and politically stable nation. Costa Rica has consistently been among the top Latin American countries in the Human Development Index, and is cited by the UN Development Program as one of the countries that has attained much higher human development than other countries at the same income levels.

Costa Rica is ranked third in the world and first among the Americas in terms of the 2010 Environmental Performance Index. And the New Economics Foundation (NEF) ranked Costa Rica as the happiest nation in the world in 2009 and in 2012. NEF ranked Costa Rica as the “greenest” country in the world.

This nation has bewilderingly diverse culture, climates, flora, fauna, and landscapes. From rain forests, to dry tropical and temperate forests, to volcanoes, to Caribbean and Pacific beaches, to high mountains, and marshy lowlands.

Costa Rica has been home to a large Jamaican diaspora community in Limón Province since the 19th century, and an English-based creole similar to Jamaican patois continues to be spoken there. As such, don’t be surprised to meet locals with English names (such as football (soccer) players Joel Campbell and Kendall Watson) despite Costa Rica being a Spanish-speaking country.

The name Costa Rica means ‘Rich Coast’ in Spanish.

History

While Costa Rica shares much of its history well into the 19th century with the other central American states (and in fact 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. While the political climate until the short civil war of 1948 (won by José Figueres Ferer, who would later be president for three separate times and was one of Costa Rica’s most influential politicians) was not all that different from the rest of Central America (think coups and rigged elections) it has since bettered a lot and all elections since 1949 were peaceful and up to international democratic standards. One reason for this is that Figueres upon taking over abolished the military and Costa Rica is still one of only a handful of countries without one, leading to fewer coups and more money for education and social programs. This however has led to Costa Rica being hugely influenced by the USA and being one of America’s closest allies in the region.

In the 1980s almost all of Central America was embroiled in civil wars and shaky unpopular governments. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez made a peace proposal that got almost all sides in war-torn Nicaragua to sit together and talk and achieved a lasting peaceful solution and democratic elections in 1990. However Nicaragua-Costa Rica relations have deteriorated in recent years and dominated the political agenda of Arias Sanchez’ second term in the 2000s. Rio San Juan, which belongs to Nicaragua but is situated at the border, became a hot button issue. One point of contention were Nicaraguan drainage operations on the river which Nicaragua claims was to ensure safe shipping, but Costa Rica claims illegally entered their territory (Nicaragua pointed to google maps in their defense). Another point of contention is whether Costa Rica has to pay a fee for tourist excursions on the river – Costa Rica claims an old treaty guarantees both countries free navigation of the river, whereas Nicaragua maintains the only thing the treaty says is that Costa Rican ships may transport “goods” without paying a fee and people are not, in fact, goods. The whole situation was made worse by Arias Sanchez’ successor Laura Chinchilla who insisted on building a controversial highway right next to the river over Nicaraguan protests, which Nicaragua claims not only harms Costa Rican nature reserves but might also overload the river with sediment. The whole issue is further complicated by a number anywhere from several hundred thousand to a million Nicaraguans living in various states of legality in Costa Rica. They are not always treated all that well. However, signs of reconciliation are also made from both sides and a new bridge now crosses the Rio San Juan near San Carlos (Nicaragua) enabling overland transport towards Los Chiles and both countries do see each other as “pueblos hermanos” (brother peoples) if sometimes bothersome and annoying brothers.

Flora and fauna

Costa Rica is such a popular destination for ecotourists because of its biodiversity. Costa Rica has the greatest density of species in the world, and around 25% of its national territory is protected by a system of conservation areas and national parks. The country may contain as much as 6% of the world’s plant and animal species. Tropical plant and animal species are abound in Costa Rica. Some of the more impressive plants range from huge ficus trees with epiphytes abounding on their limbs to approximately 1500 different orchids. The animals are just as majestic, whether it’s a jaguar (the largest cat in the New World), the ever-elusive Margay, or the wonderful birds like the green or scarlet macaws (lapas in Costa Rican Spanish). Among the amphibians the poison dart frogs with their bright colors are bound to catch your attention, as will the giant cane toads.

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, and during this time it rains constantly in some regions.

The winter, or rainy season, coincides closely with the eastern Pacific and Atlantic/Caribbean hurricane seasons. Despite being at tropical latitudes, Costa Rica is rarely struck by hurricanes, with the three most recent notable occurrences being Hurricane Nate, Hurricane Otto, and Hurricane Cesar–Douglas in 2017, 2016, and 1996, respectively.

The location receiving the most rain is the Caribbean slopes of the Central Cordillera mountains, with an annual rainfall of over 5000 mm. Humidity is also higher on the Caribbean side than on the Pacific side. The mean annual temperature on the coastal lowlands is around 27°C, 20°C in the main populated areas of the Central Cordillera, and below 10°C on the summits of the highest mountains.

Holidays

• 1 January – New Year’s Day (Año Nuevo)
• 19 March – St. Joseph (Dia de San José)
• Maundy Thursday / Good Friday – (Jueves y Viernes Santo)
• 11 April – Day of Juan Santamaria (commemoration of the Battle of Rivas 1856)
• 1 May – Labour Day (Dia del Trabajo)
• 25 July – Guanacaste Day (Anexión de Guanacaste)
• 2 August – Day of the patron of Costa Rica Our Lady of the Angels (Virgen de los Ángeles)
• 15 August – Mother’s Day (Dia de la Madre)
• 15 September – Independence Day (Dia de la Independencia)
• 12 October – Columbus Day (Dia de la Raza)
• 25 December – Christmas (Navidad)

Festivals

Get in

A map showing the visa requirements of Costa Rica, with countries in blue having visa-free access; and countries in khaki having restricted visa

Entry requirements

Entry stamp

Most visitors can get into Costa Rica without a visa and can stay in the country for 90 days. Costa Rica requires Indian citizens to have a valid visa when they arrive. 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, make sure to allow extra time for check-in, especially if flying with a minor airline, like InterJet, 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. If you are doing a multi-country trip, and the return air ticket to your home country is from an adjacent country, such as Panama or Nicaragua, that would usually satisfy the immigration authorities and the airline check-in staff; nonetheless, if travelling on an itinerary like this (especially with an unusual passport), it may be safer to purchase a fully refundable ticket directly from Costa Rica, and cancel it once no longer needed.

A word of caution to Nicaraguan citizens traveling through the San José airport: the 30-day tourist visa for Nicaraguans permits only one single entry. if you have a flight from San José going elsewhere make sure to double check with the embassy, otherwise they will make you buy an extra flight and not let you in.

Costa Rica requires a valid yellow fever certificate if arriving from countries where that disease is prevalent (such as Panama and most South American countries). If such is not presented you would not be allowed to enter/board the flight. At Bogota airport, if you have a certificate you can have it e-mailed to the airline and then proceed to the local vaccination authority for duplicate certificate to be issued free of charge. The critical part is to get the printed version on time. If you don’t have a certificate or cannot get it on time you will probably be approached by friendly police officers to arrange it for a fee. Keep in mind that the date of the vaccination should be at least 10 days prior to entering the country from which you are flying.

Another way to get to Costa Rica is travelling by car and driving the Pan-American highway that stretches from Alaska all the way to the southern tip of South America (with a gap in the Darien Gap, in Panama/Colombia). It is 27,197 miles long and passes right through Costa Rica.

By plane

• 1 Juan Santamaría Airport (SJO ^IATA) (close to the cities Alajuela (3 km (1.9 mi)), Heredia and the capital San José (25 km (16 mi)).). SJO is run by the same organization that runs the airports in Houston, Texas. The pleasant airport features the normal assortment of duty-free shops, interesting souvenir and bookshops, but has an inadequate selection of restaurants (Church’s Chicken, Burger King, Poás Deli Cafe and Papa John’s pizza). SJO is served daily by Air Transat (seasonal) American Airlines, Canjet (Seasonal), Condor, Delta, Frontier Airlines, Iberia, Interjet, JetBlue Airways, Thomas Cook, Spirit Airlines, United, Air Canada, Avianca, Copa Airlines and AirPanama. Connecting the airport with cities such as: Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Atlanta, Phoenix, Orlando, Chicago, Newark, Toronto, Montreal, Madrid, Frankfurt, Mexico City, Bogotá, Medellín, Caracas, Lima, Guayaquil, Quito and all Central American capitals.
  There is a US$32 exit fee at the Juan Santamaría Airport. This must be paid in cash, or by Visa (in which case it will be processed as a cash advance). The fee can also be paid in advance at some hotels or banks (Banco Crédito Agrícola de Cártago and Banco de Costa Rica).
  The exit fee is included in the ticket fee by many airlines, such as American Airlines, Avianca, Copa, Delta, Jet Blue, United, Air Panamá, Aeroméxico, and Air Canada. Ask your airline if it is included in the price.   edit
• 2 Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR ^IATA) (near Liberia in the Guanacaste province). This airport is closest to the Pacific Northwest coast. Liberia receives flights from Delta, American, United, JetBlue, Air Canada, CanJet (charter), Sun Wing (charter), and First Choice (charter). Connecting the airport with Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Newark, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, London, etc.   edit
• 3 Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ ^IATA) (in the Pavas district of San José about a 10-15 minute drive from the city center.). This airport primarily serves as the gateway linking to local Costa Rican domestic flights or nearby international destinations of Nicaragua and Panama. This airport is the hub for Aerobell. The terminal is neat, and clean though small. There is reasonably priced cafeteria food service on the second floor of the terminal. The terminal is not open 24 hr a day so if you have an early flight verify what time the building opens before you take the taxi. There is no comfortable place to wait near the terminal if you arrive too early.   (updated Feb 2019 | edit)

See

Wildlife

Costa Rica is world famous for having an incredibly high level of biodiversity throughout its tropical forests (this covers what you may hear referred to as rain forests, cloud forests, and dry forests). There are tropical mammals such as monkeys, sloths, tapirs, and wild cats as well as an amazing assortment of insects and other animals. There are many many birds (both migratory and resident) – more on that below. With 25% of the country being national parks and protected areas, there are still many places you can go to see the abundant wildlife and lush vegetation of the country. Just like anywhere, the farther you get off the beaten path, the more likely you are to see a wide variety of flora and fauna.

There is such biodiversity in Costa Rica not only because it’s a land bridge between North and South America, but also because the terrain is so varied and there are weather patterns moving in from both the Pacific and Atlantic/Caribbean. There are impressive volcanoes, mountain areas, rivers, lakes, and beaches all throughout the country. There are many beautiful beaches – most of the popular ones are on the Pacific side but the Caribbean has many excellent beaches as well.

Bird-watching

Costa Rica Colibrì Amasilla Saucerrottei.

One of the most wonderful activities for people who love nature is bird-watching. You can enjoy bird-watching in many areas of Costa Rica. Due to the great diversity of climates, temperatures and forest types in Costa Rica, there is a wonderful variety of birds, with over 800 species. Some helpful books available on bird-watching are Birds of Costa Rica by F. Gary Stiles and Alexander Skutch (Cornell University Press) or An Illustrated Field Guide to Birds of Costa Rica, illustrated by Victor Esquivel Soto. These books can be found at certain bookstores in San José or before coming to Costa Rica. They are both heavy books; many people tear out the plates of the Stiles & Skutch book to carry into the field and leave the rest of the book in their car or room. Plastic cards with the most common birds are available for many areas and are sold at gift shops.

Costa Rica’s list of birds includes:

• 16 species of parrots including the fabulous scarlet macaw.
• 50 species of hummingbirds.
• 10 species of trogons with the resplendent quetzal as the jewel.
• 6 species of toucans, including the keel-billed and chestnut-mandibled.
• Half the bird species in Costa Rica are passerines including warblers, sparrows and finches.
• 16 species of ducks, including the fulvous whistling, white-faced ruddy and American wigeon.
• 13 species of falcons, including the peregrine falcon, merlin and American kestrel.
• 36 species of prey, including the gray hawk, swallow-tailed kite, solitary eagle and northern harrier.
• 6 species of cracidae which look like turkeys.
• 8 species of new world quails.
• 15 species of rallideas including the rufous-necked wood-rail, American coot and ruddy crake.
• 19 species of owls including the black-and-white, Costa Rican pygmy, Central American pygmy and striped.
• 3 species of potoos including the great, northern and common.
• 16 species of woodpeckers, including cinnamon, chestnut-colored and pale-billed.

The coastal list of birds includes:

• 19 species of herons & wading birds such as the great blue heron, great egret, boat-billed heron, reddish egret and yellow-crowned night-heron.
• 2 species of recurvirostraide which are waders and include the black-necked stilt and American avocet.
• 2 species of jacans including the northern and wattled.
• 34 species of scolopacidae including the short-billed dowitcher, spotted sandpiper, wandering tattler, surfbird, and red phalarope.
• 9 species of gulls including the gray, Heermann’s and ring-billed.
• 14 species of sternidae (terns) including the gull-billed tern, Forster’s tern, least tern and white tern.
• 4 species of vultures including the king vulture.
• 24 species of doves and pigeons.
• 11 species of swifts including the black, spot-fronted and Costa Rican.
• 6 species of kingfishers including the green, Amazon and American pygmy.
• 5 species of threskiornithidaes including the roseate spoonbill and white-faced ibis.
• 2 species of ciconiidae including the wood stork and jabiru.

Good bird-watching spots include:

• Monteverde Cloud Forest has more than 400 species of birds, including resplendent quetzals.
• Tortuguero National Park has 300 species of birds.
• Santa Rosa National Park has more than 250 species of birds.
• Cahuita National Park has toucans, parrots, rufous kingfishers; the park is on the beach.
• La Selva Biological Station in the northern lowlands has 420 species of birds.
• Helconia Island has 228 species of birds.
• Corcovado National Park has 400 species of birds and 1,200 scarlet macaws.
• Huedal Nacional Terraba-Sierpe has a myriad of birds along the coast and swamps.
• Carara National Park has 400 species of birds.
• Tárcoles has 400 species of birds and great river tours highlighting crocodiles.
• Whale Marine National Park has frigate birds, boobies, ibises and pelicans.
• La Amistad National Park has 500 species of birds including resplendent quetzals.
• Manuel Antonio National Park has 350 species of birds and three lovely beaches.

Most hotels and tourist information centers will provide bird-watching guides, maps and other essentials for bird watching. Unless you are an experienced neotropical birder, it can be a lot more productive to go out with an experienced birding guide. Do not forget to bring a hat, rain gear, boots, binoculars and camera. In hot areas, an umbrella can be more useful than a poncho or jacket. Southern Costa Rica is generally considered the better option for bird-watching.

Volcanoes

Arenal Volcano in Guanacaste, March 2007

Costa Rica is a geologically active nation. Most notable volcanoes are:

• Arenal, (Spanish: Volcán Arenal): an active stratovolcano with lava domes and daily eruptions near La Fortuna. Note: it has been dormant since 2010.
• Irazú, (Spanish: Volcán Irazú): an active complex stratovolcano situated in the Cordillera Central close to the city of Cartago. The last eruption was in 1994.
• Poás, (Spanish: Volcán Poás): an active stratovolcano in central Costa Rica close to Alajuela. It has erupted 39 times since 1828. The last eruption was in 2012.

Do

Beaches

Costa Rica is a country with an extraordinary wealth of things to do, but regardless of your travel interests, you’re going to want to spend time at one of the country’s many great beaches. The Pacific coast’s main beaches are located in the Central Pacific region, the Nicoya Peninsula, and in Guanacaste. Less visited but no less beautiful beaches are located in the tropical rainforest of the southern Pacific coast near Corcovado National Park, or on the exotic eco-tourism paradise of the Caribbean side in Limón Province.

In an overview, the Caribbean region of Costa Rica stands out for its variety of aquatic ecosystems and its beautiful white and black sand beaches, providing an ideal setting for activities such as sport fishing, snorkeling, and sun bathing. The Pacific coast concentrates big tourist centers and its beaches are very popular for surfing; for example Esterillos, Jaco, Hermosa, Boca Barranca. In the Golfito region, surfers can find the famous “long lefthander wave” of Pavones.

Here is a quick list of the country’s biggest and most popular beach destinations, ask the locals to find tiny quiet beaches off the beaten path nearby:

• Manuel Antonio — one of the best known destinations in Central America, its main feature is a beautiful and tiny National Park with clear water beaches and lots of wildlife
• Jacó — the “city of surf” of Costa Rica, holds national and international tournaments and it is conveniently located with beautiful wildlife spots such as Carara National Park to the North and Manuel Antonio to the South. Also known for its nightlife and restaurant scene.
• Corcovado — one of the most diverse and nature dense spots in Costa Rica, the main attraction in the Osa Peninsula, with black sand beaches fronted by the thick Costa Rican tropical rain forest
• Dominical — surfing destination with a small town and good nightlife scene in the North end of the South Pacific
• Montezuma — the bohemian option, on the Nicoya Peninsula, full of dreadlocks, surfers, and what you would expect would come along with them (known as “monte fuma” by the locals)
• Playa Grande — this tranquil white sand beach is home to the largest nesting site for the leatherback sea turtle on the Pacific coast, as well as, one of the best surfing waves in the Guanacaste Province
• Tamarindo — the upscale option, with beautiful beaches complemented by boutique shopping and high class dining
• Tortuguero — caters to eco-tourists looking to explore the rainforest and spot some manatees, monkeys and birds. Tortuguero is both a small town only accessible by boat, but also the name of the National Park, dubbed “the Amazon of Central America”
• Puerto Viejo — the main hub of Costa Rica’s South Caribbean, has a nice laid-back vibe with small hotels and beautiful light sand beaches. Close by you can find Cahuita National Park and Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, attractive coastal protected areas

Rafting

Rafting in La Fortuna

Costa Rica is one of the countries with more rivers per square kilometer than anywhere else in the world. Nearly anywhere you go you will find some kind of river trip to enjoy nature from a very unique point of view.

There is a wide variety of exciting rafting trips offered in Costa Rica. For many years, the rafting Mecca of Costa Rica was Turrialba, a large town embedded in the mountains near the Reventazon and Pacuare Rivers, on the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica.

However, the Arenal Volcano area is now an increasingly-popular whitewater rafting destination with close access to the Sarapiqui and Toro Rivers, as well as the Class II-III Río Balsa which delight rafting enthusiasts in the Northern slopes of the country.

On the Pacific slope, the river with the largest volume, El General, is famous for multi-day adventures and for being an incredible playground for kayakers. The Coto Brus River is also part of this watershed. Further north, on the central Pacific coast, are the Savegre and Naranjo Rivers. In this area you have the opportunity to enjoy both half-day trips on the Naranjo River and 1-to-2-day trips on the Savegre River.

The Class III-IV Tenorio River near Canas, Guanacaste is a favorite among day-trippers from the beaches of Guanacaste, as well as part of shuttle-tour-shuttle services from the Arenal Volcano and Monteverde to the Guanacaste area. The lower section of the Tenorio River is widely-known for being an excellent nature float trip.

The Pacuare River (Class III-IV) is at the top of the list for 2- or 3-day adventures. If you are interested in similar trips, the Savegre River (Class III-IV) is an excellent alternative for an overnight rafting excursions.

If you want more adrenaline, the Chorro Section (Class IV+) of the Naranjo River, near Manuel Antonio, Quepos is one of the most exhilarating rafting trip of the country. This section is run from December to May.

As for nature-oriented trips, the Peñas Blancas River near the Arenal Volcano provides a great look at the tremendous biodiversity of the country.

Most likely, any of these rafting trips will be the highlight of your active vacations, so don’t miss your chance to paddle one.

Fishing

Costa Rica has some of the best sport fishing in the world and is the first country to practice catch and release fishing. The Pacific side has incredible fishing for Sailfish, Marlin, Dorado, Tuna, Wahoo, Roosterfish, Snapper, and more. The Caribbean side and Northern regions of Costa Rica are famous for big Tarpon and big Snook. Over 64 world-record fish have been caught in Costa Rica. Half-day, full-day and multi-day trips are available. They love to eat turtles.

Surf[edit]

Costa Rica has many surfing hotspots. The best time of year to surf is from November to August.

The Pacific coast, particularly in the Central Pacific and Guanacaste, has some of the best surfing in Central America.

In the Guanacaste region, there are several beaches to choose from if you intend to go surfing. Among them, Playa Negra and Playa Grande are two stand out breaks. Playa Negra breaks over a shallow lava reef producing fast hollow waves, for advanced surfers. Playa Grande is the most consistent break in the area with surfable conditions most days of the year. It breaks over a sandy bottom and is good for beginner and experienced surfers. Playa Nosara is another option for beginning to intermediate surfers. Its waves may be a little overwhelming for a complete novice, but for someone who has a beginning grasp on the technique, it is a nice place with a good local scene.

Tamarindo is a good beach to learn how to surf, whilst Playa del Coco offers advanced surfers the chance to surf at Witches Rock and Ollie’s Point. On the Caribbean 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. Pavones Beach has thick, heavy waves which consistently barrel and can get really big. It’s little known, but picturesque and untamed; definitely not for the light hearted.

In the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, Montezuma has one of the most beautiful beach breaks in the area, called Playa Grande. It’s a short eastward walk from Montezuma village. The break is great for all surfers.

Hiking

Around most volcanos there can be found a decent amount of half to one-day hiking trails.

For proper mountain hiking head to the mountains near San Isidro de General, which are probably the most alpine mountains all over Costa Rica. If you are a keen hiker interested in a Nepal-like feel, head here for some serious adventure. Check out Chirripo National Park.

Shopping

The most common souvenirs are made from wood. Unless it’s marked as responsible (plantation grown wood), it is most likely not, and may be contributing to the deforestation of Costa Rica – or even Nicaragua or Panama.

Most visitors returning home are not allowed to bring back any raw foods or plants. Accordingly, the single most desirable commodity for visitors to take home may be roasted (not green) coffee, considered by many as some of the world’s best. Numerous web sites explain the fine qualities of various growing regions, types of beans, types of roasting and sources for purchase. Best prices come by purchasing several (sealed) bags of 12 ounces or so. Experts recommend buying whole beans (entero) in any kind of storage; whole beans last longer, and Costa Rican ground coffee often contains sugar, as it is preferred by locals. The stores in San José airport will sell you excellent coffee, but other good quality blends can be found in local supermarkets and direct from the roasters. It can be an expensive but delicious habit. If you’re serious about your coffee, bring at least a partially-empty suitcase and fill it with perhaps a year’s supply (web sites explain how to store it that long). Take care with tourist outlets where small quantities may cost as much as ordering on the internet.

Stay safe

Mounted police officers

Travel to Costa Rica is common, with 1.9 million people visiting annually, more than any Latin American country. Still, travellers to Costa Rica should exercise caution. The emergency number in Costa Rica is 911.

• Traffic in Costa Rica is dangerous. Pedestrians in general do not have the right of way. Roads in rural areas may also tend to have many potholes. Driving at night is not recommended.
• Use common sense. Do not leave valuables in plain view in a car or leave your wallet on the beach when going into the water. Close the car windows and lock the car or other things that you might not do in your own country.
• In the cities, robbery at knife point is not uncommon.
• Buses and bus stops – especially those destined for San José – are frequent locations for robbery. Any bus rider who falls asleep has a good chance of waking up and finding his baggage missing. Don’t trust anyone on the buses to watch your things, especially near San José.
• Like any other tourist destination, watch out for pickpockets.
• Purse snatchings, armed robberies, and car-jackings have been on the rise lately. Stay alert and protect your valuables at all times, especially in the San José area.
• “Smash and grabs” of car windows are very common all over the country so do not leave valuables in your vehicle.
• Another robbery scheme involves slashing your tires; when you stop to fix the flat, one or two “friendly” people stop to help and instead grab what valuables they can.
• If you are motioned to pull over by anyone, do not do so until you are at a well-lit and safe place.
• Make use of hostel or hotel lock boxes if they are really secure – this is great when you want to swim or relax and really not worry.
• On a long trip, make back-up CDs (or DVDs) of your digital photos and send a copy back home. In the event that you are robbed, you will thank yourself. Or upload them to your favorite cloud storage service.
• Travel with small denominations of U.S. dollars (crisp ones, fives, tens) as back-up. Usually, you’ll be able to use them if you run out of local currency.
• Go to a bank to change money when possible and practical. If you find yourself needing to use the services of a person who is a money changer (Sunday morning at the border, for instance) make sure to have your own calculator. Do not trust money changers and their doctored calculators, change the least amount of money possible and take a hard look at the bills – there are lots of false ones. Always insist that your change be in small bills – you’ll lose more at one time if a large bill is false, and large bills are hard to change (even the equivalent of US$20 in Costa Rica or US$5 in Nicaragua can be difficult in some small towns) Money changers do not use the official exchange rate – you are better off going to a state-owned bank to exchange your currency at no fee. Also, it’s impossible to change Brazilian reals, although there are a lot of Brazilian tourists in Costa Rica.
• Do not exchange money when arriving at the San José airport. The exchange rate used there is not the official rate and you will get a lot fewer colones. However, the departure hall upstairs has a BCR bank with normal exchange rates. It is right next to the departure tax payment area, buy when you arrive to avoid the queue on departure.
• Travelling alone is fine and generally safe in Costa Rica, but carefully consider what kind of risks (if any) you are willing to take. Always hike with other people and try to explore a new city with other people. On solo forays, if you feel uncomfortable seek out a group of other people (both women and men). A well lighted place with people you can trust is always a plus. A busy restaurant or hostel is a great source of local info as well as a great place to relax and recharge.

Beaches, weather and wildlife

Surfer on beach

The coasts of Costa Rica are known for strong currents and rip-tides in some areas but most of them are great to be with the family. Costa Rica has some of the best beaches in the world. The Atlantic coast is just five hours from the Pacific coast and both offer different views and landscapes. There are no signs indicating an unsafe beach due to riptides, so take precautions and listen to the locals on where it is safe to swim. The public beaches do not have life guards. A traveller should learn how to swim out of a rip tide and not swim alone. There are some active volcanoes in Costa Rica and they are dangerous, so follow the warning signs posted. The slopes of the Arenal volcano invite visitors to climb closer to the summit, but there have been fatalities in the past with unseen gas chambers. Also be wary of the climate of Costa Rica. It is very hot in the daytime, but in the morning and evening it becomes very cool, so you should bring a light weight jacket.

• Crocodiles are quite common in certain areas and, although not as dangerous as the Nile or saltwater species, are still considered occasional man-eaters and can grow to lengths of up to 20 feet. The biggest spot for them is the Tarcoles river bridge in the central Pacific, as posted in the Jaco wiki. It is recommended to stop the vehicle nearby and walk across it. Some locals throw chicken meat and watch them eat. Great care should be taken when swimming or snorkelling, especially near areas where fishing is common, or near river mouths.

When you go to the Pacific beaches in Guanacaste, you can see crocodiles over the Tempisque river. The bridge across this river was donated by the Taiwanese government. (Subsequently, China donated a 35,000-seat stadium after Costa Rica ended its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan.)

• While large, the beautiful jaguar is extremely rare and even most locals have never seen the very large predatory cat. They appear to be very shy and elusive; there is very little risk of attack.
• Sharks are a part of ocean marine life but most pose little danger to people. However, bull sharks and tiger sharks are known to inhabit local waters. Both are known to attack people. Bull sharks can swim in brackish and freshwater, sharing much of the same territory as crocodiles. Actual attacks however are extremely rare. Between 1900 and 2017 there have only been 11 unprovoked attacks on people in Costa Rica, with about half being fatal.
• Dogs are trained to be protective of property and people (perro bravo), and there are also many strays. Dog bites are not uncommon. Do not approach an unknown dog.
• Snakes are common in many parts of Costa Rica and it is believed that there are 139 different species. Most are not dangerous, but there are exceptions. The venomous ones generally fall into two groups, the first being coral snakes and the second pit vipers. Coral snakes are easily recognized by their colorful banding. They have small mouths with fangs that are ill placed for biting people. Pit vipers almost always have triangular heads but may otherwise come in different sizes and colors. Most snakes are shy and will avoid people, but may strike if frightened or provoked. Snake bites are rare in Costa Rica but do happen. The best course is prevention. If you are walking in the countryside or in the jungle watch your step and do not walk barefoot anywhere other than at the beach. If you see a snake, remember the cardinal rule when dealing with wildlife: look but don’t touch, while maintaining a safe distance. If you are bitten, treat it as a medical emergency and seek immediate care, especially if you think it might be venomous. A few snakes such as the Fer-de-Lance and Bushmaster have extremely potent venom which can kill. Costa Rica has excellent medical care, so anti-venom is readily available at all of the major hospitals.