Tourist Information of Costa Rica

List of contents:

Currency Documents Telephone Electricity Health Care Language Population Alimentation Culture

Vacations Education Work Economy Transport Airports Time The Weather Geography

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Currency of Costa Rica

The official currency of Costa Rica is the Colon, but U.S. dollars are widely accepted. Therefore, U.S. $ Dollars and traveler's checks can be exchanged at banks and hotels. Most credit cards are widely accepted and there are ATMs at banks across the country and many tourist sites (hotels, resorts, etc., etc.).

Documents and Stay in Costa Rica

In order to enter to Costa Rica, the European Union citizens should obtain a passport valid for six months from the date of departure. It is possible to stay in Costa Rica without a visa for a maximum of 90 days. To extend your stay, you must apply for a visa at the Immigration Office, Foreign Department, San Jose, road to the Juan Santamaría International Airport, opposite the Hospital Mexico, tel.(506) 22-99-8135, http://www.migracion.go.cr. Airport taxes, payable at the airport are approximately $ 27.

Telephone

To call Costa Rica from Italy you must dial the international prefix 00 506, before Costa Rica's eight-digit number. To call Italy from Costa Rica you must dial the international prefix 0039 to the desired number. To call any other country visits this link: www.howtocallabroad.com/costa-rica/.

Electricity

As in the most of the Central American countries and beyond, the voltage of the electric net is 110 volts.

Sanitary Assistance

Despite its size, and being a characteristic of developed countries, Costa Rica has positioned itself among the countries with more developed public health services in Latin America.
The Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) is a public service institution that has achieved important objectives in the field of health issues, including retirement funds and social security. This institution offers coverage of integrated health services through two types of insurance:

    * General coverage insurance, which covers 100% of the country..

    * Contribution for insurance coverage, which covers 86.80% of the population.

Costa Rica is the Latin American country with the highest life expectancy, which stood at 77.75 years of age, but is also one of the countries with the highest infant mortality rate low: 10.82%. It has very advanced health services in the prevention and prenatal care.

The telephone number for every emergency situation, valid throughout the country, is 911.

Language

The official language is the Spanish. Other languages are English and Italian only in tourist areas.

Population of Costa Rica

Costa Rican citizens call themselves and are called by the rest of Latin Americans: Ticos and Ticas. This is a nick name for the fact that in their language, the Ticos are accustomed to indicate the diminutive of a word, adding the final termination Tico. For example, "chico" becomes "chiquitico" or "chiquitica". Even smaller!.

The Ticos are infamous for their hospitality and very happy with their reputation. They are very aware of the particular land where they live, and it is natural for them to help foreigners when they are lost, even explaining things that may seem strange, making their stay as pleasant as possible.

It is known that Costa Ricans are the largest resource of Costa Rica, and once you have proved their friendliness and spontaneity, you will not doubt it.

The Gastronomy in Costa Rica

• "Arreglados": is a type of pastry filled with meat or cheese.
• "Arroz con pollo": rice with chicken, garnished with chick peas and aromatized with cilantro.
• "Casado": rice and black beans with side dish of cabbage salad, onions, tomatoes, meat or eggs.
• "Ceviches": marinated fish with lemon juice and aromatized by cilantro.
• "Gallo Pinto": Rice and black beans.
• "La sopa negra": soup based on black beans, in which is added a smashed hard-boiled egg.
• "Pionono": smashed banana mixed with a puree of black beans.

Patrimony and Culture of Costa Rica

Costa Rican culture is in many ways a reflection of its racial diversity. The dominant influence has long been that of Europe, reflected in many aspects, the official language - Spanish - the architecture of churches and other historic buildings. The indigenous influence is less visible, but can be found in everything from the tortillas that are part of a typical meal of Costa Rica, to the handmade ceramics sold at kiosks along the road. An important aspect of Costa Rica's cultural heritage is their love for peace and democracy. The Ticos are proud of their nation, which is an exception in Latin America, where military dictatorships have long dominated politics. The citizens are proud of having more than one hundred years of democratic tradition and more than half a century without an army. The army was abolished in 1949 and the money is not spent on the maintenance of armed forces of the Government, but it is invested in improving the living conditions of Costa Ricans, who have fostered a culture of social peace that makes this country a nice place to visit. In Costa Rica, the rich cultural diversity is also found in the Villaggio. To the pre-Hispanic indigenous population, movements of immigrants who settled in these lands had been added. European (mainly Spaniards), Africans and Asians, as well as people from across the American continent have interacted with each other, enriching the cultural baggage of Costa Rica. Currently in Costa Rica there are several ethno-national groups and colonies of immigrants who maintain their particular cultural heritage: the descendants of Africans, Chinese, Hebrew, Lebanese, Italians, etc., as well as indigenous people Bribri, Cabecar, Maleku, Teribe, Boruca, Huetar and Chorotega.

Holidays in Costa Rica

Although banks and government offices remain closed for national holidays, it does not create particular problems for travelers, since money and traveler's checks can be exchanged at most hotels. It is recommended not to exchange money on the street. There are certain periods when almost all governmental offices in Costa Rica are closed, such as Christmas, New Year and Holy Week from Wednesday to Easter Sunday. Some holidays can be attractive for travelers, as the last week of the year in which you can enjoy parades and many other activities in San Jose and throughout the country. On July 25 (Feast of the Annexation of Guanacaste Province to Costa Rica), the main cities of this Province are filled with revelry and folklore. Carnival is celebrated in the Caribbean Port of Limon during the week of October 12 and is another colorful celebration.

The Education in Costa Rica

Elementary school is obligatory and free to all children in the country, and it occupies an important place in the life of Costa Ricans, who granted it a great value. Students go to school all year, except during the summer holidays, from late December to early February, not to mention other holidays throughout the year distributed. To attend school, children should wear a uniform. If you come to a school when classes start, you probably have the good fortune to witness the wave of children who come to buy soda and candy in a joyful excitement, and certainly find many curious eyes and a sincere smile.

The Work in Costa Rica

Governmental offices are generally open from 8 to 16 hours, while the banking branches between 13 and 18 hours, according to the bank and its branches. Most businesses are open between 9 to 18 hours, some open at 8 (e.g. grocery stores) and other at 7. Some shops are also open to the lunch hour, between noon and 14 hours.

Economy of Costa Rica

You don't have to spend so much time in Costa Rica, to realize that agriculture is the basis of its economy. The coffee has always been the most important crop in the country: the coffee in Costa Rica is among the best in the world. However in recent years less traditional crops have become an increasingly important role on the Costa Rican economy. Bananas are the second most important export product, with vast plantations covering parts of the lowlands of the Caribbean. There are also large areas devoted to growing pineapples, sugar, oranges, rice, timber and ornamental plants, as well as raising beef cattle and dairy products. Although agriculture remains the foundation of the national economy, tourism has become more important than any other export crop during the last years and the tourism industry continues to grow to provide new employment opportunities and encourage the preservation of the complex biodiversity of the country.

The Transport in Costa Rica

Travelling is easy in Costa Rica. If you use public transport, traveling within the country can be very convenient. There are bus services to almost all major tourist destinations. Taxis are plentiful and cheap, and San Jose has markers to calculate charges for meters since the tours are shorter trips. The fastest way around is to use domestic flights and there are several airlines that offer daily domestic flights to popular tourist destinations. There are also many car rental agencies, most of which offer vehicles with four wheels drive. The main roads are paved and have good maintenance. However, for travel within the country, a 4x4 vehicle is recommended. You can rent a car in Costa Rica with a valid license issued in your country.

Airports in Costa Rica

The main airport of Costa Rica is the Juan Santamaría International Airport located in Alajuela. This airport is located only twenty minutes from San Jose.

Other important airports:

• L'Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, situato a Liberia, Guanacaste.
• Pavas Domestic Airport (chiamato anche Tobias Bolaños), situato a Pavas, San José, utilizzato per voli locali e charter privati internazionali.

There are also landing fields for local flights located in different parts of Costa Rica, such as:

• Limon
• Tortuguero
• La Fortuna
• Tamarindo
• Samara
• Tambor
• Quepos
• Palmar Nord
• Golfito
• San Vito

The Weather in Costa Rica

Although its surface is very small, Costa Rica experienced a surprising variety of microclimates, regional or local. Its climate is generally characterized by alternating between a dry season from December to April and a rainy season from May to November. However, you can visit the country during the months of May, June, July and August, while the only period not recommended goes from September to October, during which the probability of rain is very high.

Climate of Costa Rica

In general, the climate in Costa Rica is very pleasant, not only during the dry season, which runs from December to April but also during the rainy season from May to November. Costa Rica has a tropical climate with an average temperature of 22 C degrees (72 ° F) that increases in coastal areas. Thanks to factors such as geographic location, climatic conditions, the formation of mountain ranges, valleys and mountains, Costa Rica is characterized by different microclimates that give rise to various types of vegetation and fauna.

The climate in Costa Rica can be ranked into the following regions:

• The high and cold region: With an elevation of 3000 - 3100 meters, with temperatures of C 0 °.
• The warm region: The elevation is over 1500 meters above sea level, with temperatures between C 14 ° and C 18 °.
• The humid tropical region: The height is up to 1,100 meters above sea level with temperatures between C25° and C26°.
• The tropical region: on the dry season, with temperatures between C 26 ° and C 27 °.
• The interior region of the valley surrounded by mountains is at an altitude of between 1,000 and 1,100 meters, which is a feature of the Central Valley, with temperatures ranging from C 14 -18 °.

Due to the nature of the climate and the topography of Costa Rica, you can recognize different types of forests: tropical forest, dry forest and transitional forest.

Topography of Costa Rica

There are mountainous regions throughout Costa Rica, whose elevation goes from 1,000 to 2,000 meters. The Guanacaste Range, the Central Range and Talamanca Range are the most important mountain ranges that extend throughout the country. There are several active volcanoes (Arenal Volcano, Irazu Volcano, Poás Volcano, Rincón de la Vieja, and Turrialba Volcano) and the highest mountain (Chirripó Hill) reaches a height of 3.819 m. Costa Rica has a relatively large coastline on the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean and a number of rivers and streams that attract kayak professionals from around the world.