About Costa Rica

Costa Rica: land of adventures

Costa Rica, democratic, free and independent republic, according to its political Constitution, promulgated in 1949 and effective today, is a small country in territory, but big in ecological diversity and in tourist destinations.

Our mountains, forests, beaches and rivers represent a part of all the good things that Costa Rica has for you.

Our country is divided in 7 counties: Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limón, Puntarenas and San José, the capital and economic center. The monetary unit is the colón, that is divided in 100 cents (at the moment 500 colones are equal to 1 american dollar).

The costa rican territory measures near 51,060 km2 and it limits to the southeast with Panama, to the north with Nicaragua, to the east with the Caribbean Sea and to the south and west with the Pacific Ocean. The island of the Coconut, transformed into national park and located about 480 kms to the Southwest of the peninsula of it Dares, in the ocean Pacific, is part of the Costa Rican territory.

Christopher Columbus navigated along the coast of the Caribbean Sea and he discovered Costa Rica in 1502. It is believed that Costa Rica´s name derives of the abundance of objects made of gold that natives showed and possessed in the past.

National accesses
 
The country possesses two important air accesses, one of them is the international airport Juan Santamaría, located in Alajuela, 18 km far from San José and the other one is the Daniel Oduber Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste, 234 Kms far from San José.

This airport  receives mostly Charter flights from different countries, but it is also an important point of arrival for many local flights that transport tourists that try to get a great quantity of destinations in the costa rican pacific costs.

Costa Rica is a peaceful and secure country.
 
The goverment abolished its army in the year of 1948, as a consequence of a social and political transformation. The most important forces of security are the Civil Guard and the Municipal Police. For tradition, Costa Rica has been, in general, a neuter nation in the regional and international conflicts.

The violence indexes worry to the national authorities, mainly because they are not compatible with the idiosyncrasy and form of belonging of Costa Rican people. However statistics of crime rate of Costa Rica are under other American nations rates.

Cuisine

Costa Rica offers to visitors since simplest plates until the most varied and international kitchen foods. As tropical country, the variety of fruits and vegetables that you can find is really high, still satisfying the most demanding people.

Travelers will be able to enjoy local foods so well-known as the typical “Gallo Pinto”", a combination of rice and beans in a typical style, or the delicious “Olla de carne", among other varied plates.

The Costa Rican coffee, famous all over the world thanks to its excellent quality, is a drink that can not lack in our houses and still in the finest national restaurants every day.

Drinks

The tropic gives Costa Rica a privileged position to produce fruits and therefore of juices and other fermented drinks.

The traveler will be able to take a flavorful and refreshing orange juice, or until a sweet cane juice or the typical and foamy " chinchiví " especially during traditional celebrations of Costa Rican towns.

Costa Rica has drinks for everybody: beer, rum and " guaro ", a kind of a prepared liquor based in sugar cane, are only a part of delicious and refreshing drinks that you will find here. Also the traveler will be able to enjoy an enormous variety of wines and foreign liquors of high quality in the whole country.

Ecological rest

Costa Rica´s location allows abundance of tropical forests and many variations of altitude. This makes of Costa Rica home of a great quantity of animal species, many of them exotic and threatened. Costa Rica protects species in extinction danger, that is why 9,3% of our total surface is protected as national parks and natural reservations

The country has more than 1. 000 species of orchids and 225 species of reptiles (mainly snakes). Wild animals are plentiful, as pumas, jaguars, deers, monkeys, coyotes and armadillos. Besides our forests have 725 species of birds, among those it highlights the quetzal, the goldfinch and the hummingbird. This diversity is very appreciated by the tourist that comes in search of a natural paradise to enjoy and to rest.

Beach or mountain, Surf or walk? We have that and much more

With more than 800 navigable kilometers in Costa Rica, the tourist will be able to enjoy strong emotions in our rivers, some of which possess important classifications at world level for his difficulty degree, just what fans and experts of Kayak and rafting are always looking for. Besides emotions you will enjoy landscapes of incomparable beauty and also you will have a magnificent opportunity to see the national diverse fauna and flora.

The country offers an impressive diversity of beaches and places of unbeatable natural beauty along almost 1.230 kilometers of costs. Since small beaches of white color, until extensive formations of sand gray pearl, Costa Rica has many unforgettable places to rest, to enjoy and to practice a great quantity of aquatic and terrestrial sports.

Tourists will be able to feel the speed and the marine wind practicing windsurf, sailing or in taking a ride in a fast water motorcycle. If you prefer you could live the emotions of diving, the strong experience of surfing, or maybe to feel the incomparable adventure of fishing.

Sun, crystalline waters and tropical climate supplement the perfect demurrage in Costa Rican beaches. Visitors will be able to observe since impressive natural shows, as the spectacular time of thousands of turtles arriving to our beaches to spawn , until unforgettable and beauty scenes of sunset and sunrise at the beach. To enjoy life Costa Rica has everything.

Surfing

Surfing lovers will find in Costa Rica one of the best and more beautiful destinations to practice it. The national costs are privileged. The climate and the easy access transform Costa Rica into a true treasure for surfers from all over the world. Exuberant beaches and enormous waves are part of the good reasons for which thousands of visitors come.

Windsurf

Some world champions named the Lago Arenal as one of the 5 better places of the world for practicing windsurf. From December to April the winds blow strongly, taking it along 42 kms of surface of the Sandbank, without having to change the mast or candles.

Diving

Diving in blue waters, near coral reefs and with an enormous variety of marine species close, will allow you to experience incredible sensations in our costs. You also can enjoy diving in several areas since Islas Murciélago until surroundings of the historical Isla del Coco.