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Costa Rica country information

Coast Rica map
Republic of Costa Rica
Area: 51,100 sq km
Population: 4,133,884
Population density: 85 per sq km
Capital: San José
Passport & Visa
Passport Required?
British Yes
Australian Yes
Canadian Yes
USA Yes
Other EU Yes
Visa Required?
British No/1
Australian No/2
Canadian No/1
USA No/1
Other EU No/1/2

Passports

Passport valid for at least 30 days after arrival or for the length of stay, whichever is greater.

Passport Note

(a) Nationals listed above must obtain an exit visa from the Immigration Department in San José at least three weeks before leaving Costa Rica. Those who stay for less than 30 days are exempt if in possession of a disembarkation card.

Visas

Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:
(a) 1. nationals of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA for stays of over 90 days;
(b) 2. nationals of Bulgaria and Ireland for stays of over 30 days.

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements.

Visa Note

The immigration authorities are strict about detaining foreigners who are undocumented or tourists who have overstayed.
Getting there

Getting There by Air

The national airline is Grupo Taca (TA) (website: www.taca.com ), a consortium of five national Central American airlines.

Approximate Flight Times

From New York to San José is 7 hours. From London to Liberia is 11 hours 30 minutes.

Main Airports

Juan Santamaría (SJO) (website: www.alterra.co.cr ) is outside Alajuela, 23km (14 miles) northwest of San José. To/from the airport: Coaches depart regularly; return pickups stop at various hotels. Buses depart to the city every 15 minutes (journey time - 20 minutes). Some hotels have shuttle services to the airport; these are 24 hours and free of charge. Taxis are also available to the city (journey time - 15 minutes). Facilities: ATM, bank, restaurants, shops and duty-free stores.

Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR) is 8 km (5 miles) west of Liberia.  To/from the airport: Regular buses serve the airport, connecting Liberia with Playas del Coco and other beach resorts. Rental cars are available. Facilities: ATM, bank and restaurant.
Air Passes
The Visit Central America Pass, available from Grupo Taca, is an economical way to travel to Costa Rica from the USA and from Costa Rica to other Central American countries.
Departure Tax
US$26, payable if staying more than 24 hours.

Getting There by Water

Main ports: Puntarenas is the main port in the Costa Rican Pacific coast. Puerto Limón receives cruise ships on the Caribbean side.

Getting There by Road

The Inter-American Highway runs through Costa Rica from La Cruz on the Nicaraguan border through San José to Paso Canoas on the Panamanian border.
Cycling & Maps

Cycling in Costa Rica
The most commonly cycled border crossing, coming from the north using the Pan American, leading from Peñas Blancas to Liberia is a reasonably surfaced road. However, it has no or little shoulder to speak of. Luckily, the route is only moderately busy and while traffic is generally courteous enough, bus drivers can be incredibly impatient and come dangerously close. The Nicoya Peninsula has much the same road conditions with hardly any safe haven for the cyclist, except the traffic here is at a glorious minumum.

Considering the affluence in Costa Rica, the roads are considerably poor compared to neighbouring Central American countries. Broadly speaking, the Costa Rican stretch of the Pan American is known for its horrendous traffic and road conditions, though the government has done much in the last years to improve surfaces and widen well used paths.

Alternative side routes will take you through some of the most beautiful and challenging areas, depending whether you ride coastal (fairly flat) or inland (mountainous) areas. Either way, the scenery in Costa Rica, when it is green and luscious, is so diverse and simply breathtaking. The roads here range from impeccable to the worst dirt-rubble circumstances you can possibly think of, so be prepared for a few slow moving days.

Road signage in Costa Rica is unbelievably inconsistent and terribly confusing. While there are plenty of official road signs (more than you will have experienced in any other Central American country) pointing you correctly in the right direction, the kilometre readings are contradictorily inaccurate. Better to trust your map for the mileage count.

Not only do locals consider cycling as an efficient way of commuting from place to place, but both the road and mountain-terrain sport has become increasingly popular in recent years. Costa Rica even has its own annual cycling event taking participants on a long arduous journey up into the mountains and back again. This means that vehicles using the road have developed a certain bike-awareness and conveniently for the loaded cyclist, bicycle paths are becoming more and more prevalent in the country as well.

To read more about the Pan American leading to and from San Jose take a look at information on the costa-rica-guide.com website.

       

Travel Map of Costa Rica
by Toucan Maps
scale 1:470,000

Waterproof

Costa Rica Map
by International Travel Maps (ITMB)
scale 1:300 000

Waterproof

Cost of living
Costa Rica: all prices in Costa Rica Colones (CRC)
drinks and snacks

food: local markets; restaurants; and stores

water (drinking)
water (drinking)
juice
juice
soft drink (bottle)
soft drink (bottle)

1.75 litre
6 litre
200ml
1 litre
600ml
1.25 litre
590
1550
280
750-800
460-600
700

bread loaf-white
bread loaf-whole grain
tortillas wheat

430g
700g
250g-10 pack
740
1230
400
comido food-gallo pinto
papas frito (fries)
local restaurant-casado
restauarant- vege pasta
restauarant-nacho
pizza - tourist area
one serving
one service
set-meal
one serving
large serve
med
700-1,400
1-1,500
1,5-2,000
2,800
2,800
6,000+
beer-local
beer-local
wine
wine
tea
coffee (cafe / bar)
Nescafe instant
coffee - ground
350ml can
350ml bottle
1 litre cask
750ml bottle
25 bags
per cup
50g
250g
500
540
2250+
2800+
450
tba
800
750+
rice (white)
pasta
eggs
tinned tomatoes
refried beans
kg
250g
each
113g
400g
1100
343
100
270
740
potatoes
onions
tomatoes
cabbage
carrots
brocolli
cucumber
avocados
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
each
kg
450
680
500
1260
450
780
370
1800
soya milk
milk
yoghurt / curd
cheese-local white
cheese-mozarella

Magnum-like icecream
946ml
1.8 litre
150g
500g
300g

each

1753
700
360
2200
1950

700

chips
salted peanuts
salted cashews
sultanas
100g packet
80g
500g
120g
750
340
4550
280
apples
oranges
pineapple
bananas
each
kg
each
kg
550
tba
720
160

cornflakes
chocolate
muesli bars
biscuits - plain
biscuits- chocolate

350g packet
6x25g blocks
6x25g
168g packet
135g packet
1870
664
860
400
540
pineapple (can)
oil (corn)
585g can
500ml
830
580
peanut paste
jam
honey
340g jar
300g jar
150g
2030
550
800
* Majority of prices obtained from the budget supermarket chain: Super Compro in Liberia
accommodation personal
budget city hostel

city hospedaje
5,000+per dorm bed
10,000+ double share bathroom
10,000+ double with ensuite
deodorant - roll-on
soap
shampoo
toothbrush
toothpaste
disposable razor
toilet paper
50ml
125g bar
200ml
each
50g
each
each
1300
350
1440
860+
600+
320
350
camping
wild camping
2,500+ per person
many unofficial camp spots but not always easy to find
internet 500-1,000 per hour

* tba = price to be announced
* May 2009: at time of writing 1.00 USD = 575 CRC
all prices have been taken from internet resources such as wikitravel, hostel world, leading supermarket chains, travel blogs, forums and of course our own travel experiences and purchases of everyday products in food markets, bazaars and local shopping facilities. They are only an indication and designed to give you a general impression of the cost of living in Costa Rica. Items are geared towards the budget conscious traveller with an occasional craving for a bit of luxury.

A couple of extra tips:
*
Bargaining is not a tradition in Costa Rica except at markets and stalls selling craft and souvenirs.
*

Tipping is not the norm in local and budget hospitality establishments. Restaurants automatically add a 15% sales tax plus a 10% service charge to your bill, so don't add anything extra unless you have received exceptional service.

*

Taxi drivers don't usually receive tips.
*
US dollars are widely accepted and dollars can also be withdrawn at most ATMs.
*

Costa RIca operates a metric system: weights in kilograms; volumes in litres and distances in kilometres.

Accommodation
There is every conceivable type of accommodation in Costa Rica and your budget will typically define how posh you want to spend your overnight stay. Budget accommodations, generally known as pensiones or hospedajes, are available almost everywhere and in 2009, a no frills double with private ensuite, fan and television will set you back a minumum of 10,000 Colones. Standards vary so it pays to shop around and use your intuition: theft can be a problem in some budget hotels. Check the lock on your door thoroughly before accepting the room and carry your own padlock for extra peace of mind. In the more touristy areas and well frequented surf spots, you wont find much under 15,000 Colones for a basic cabina with television, fan and private bathroom (2009).

Camping in Costa Rica
Costa Rica doesn't have an abundance of commercial camping areas but most National Parks permit camping for a small fee. They have basic facilities available and also remember you'll have to pay the usually high entrance fee as well. For some very general information on these parks and reserves take a look at the CostaRica.com website. While it doesn't contain as much information about where and how much camping is, it is a good resource for getting your bearings.

Camping on beaches, especially during holiday times, is a favourite local pastime, hence more and more official camping spots are becoming available. Technically you can camp wild without permission on any beach. Maritime zone law declares the 50 metres of beach frontage public domain, but in reality this is not always easy to do. You should also consider your safety as well. Camping free anywhere else may also prove difficult as almost one quarter of the country is under some form of protection and the rest is extensively populated or used for agriculture. Please ask landowners first before pitching the tent on their property.

Wherever you do decide to camp in Costa make sure you bring your bug repellent in plentiful supplies with you and avoid long grassy patches. Also some warm and waterproof gear for the mountains wont go astray. Don't forget though that Costa Rica has a large collection of snakes, ants and other creepy-crawlies that may find your temporary home just as cosy as you do. To scare off most snakes in the forest, make a noise when you walk; don't leave your bags or your tent open; and bang out the shoes before popping your toes in them the next morning. The most feared snake in Costa Rica is the glistening brown, yellow tipped ferdelance, locally known as terciopelo. Due to its aggressiveness, it is a good idea to give this potential three metre sisser a very wide berth.

Initial route planning can be done via the basic but clickable regional maps on the Costaricaroadmaps website.

Acommodation we used while in Costa Rica (May 2009): (prices based on two people sharing)
Star system explained: from 0 to ***** where 0 is a total disaster and ***** is luxurious (and out of our price range)
         
City / town: Name accommodation: Our experience: Price: Stars:
         
Ciudad Neily Cabinas El Rancho dirty and grotty CRC 8,500 ½
Dominical Cabinas Coco outside is better than inside CRC 8,000 **
Jacó Cabinas Iguanas is used as a brothel as well CRC 15,000
Liberia Hospedaje Condega makeshift, but adequate CRC 10,000 **
Nicoya Hotel Las Tinajas old and not too clean CRC 9,000
Palmar Norte Hotel Hong Kong spotless and friendly CRC 10,000 ***½
Playa Naranjo Hotel Maquinay seen better times CRC 10,000 **
Quepos Hotel Ramus oh so friendly and relaxed CRC 10,000 ***
Food & drink

Like much of Central American cuisine, Costa Rican food predominantly uses rice and beans with little or no flavouring from spices. The national dish, gallo pinto: fried rice and black or red beans is served up at all times of the day. The problem posed for vegetarians is that most beans are prepared with pork or pork fat, so you'll need to ask every time.

Self catering is easy enough and even little towns have a grocery shop or mini super. Other names for these generally well stocked local stores are pulperia or abastacedor. Quite often, you can pick up some great local fruit and vegetables here, though generally in limited variety. Still the produce is better than what the bigger supermarkets have on offer. Better still, are the ferias de agricultor: local street markets. Make sure you wash your fruit and veggies thoroughly before consuming them: pesticide use is unregulated in Costa Rica.

Larger supermarkets like the Super Compro, Pali, and Super Mas have just about everything you could possibly wish for and are dotted throughout the country in plentiful supply. Products like peanut butter, nutella and anything else that has to be especially imported come with a whopping price tag. Maybe its a good time to find some cheaper, local substitutes. Guava and moras (blackcurrant) jam are deliciously popular and dirt cheap.

Along the Caribbean Coast, the food is heavily influenced by the population's ties to Jamaica. Coconut, ginger, coriander and chillies that bring tears to your eyes are just some of the rich flavours found in the kitchen and supermarket. Banana bread and ginger cakes also make super delicious snacks.

 
VEGETARIAN TALK - Spanish
Soy vegetariano/a = I am vegetarian m/f
No como...ni... = I don't eat...nor...
Yo como...y... = I eat...and...
No quiero...o... = I don't want...or...
carne = meat
cerdo or puerco = pork
pollo [poh-yo] = chicken
pescado = fish
huevos = eggs
leche = milk
lácteos = milk products
queso = cheese

vedura = vegetables
fruta (fresca) = (fresh) fruit

Quiero... = I want...
Quisiera un plato que lleve... =
I want a dish containing ...
por favor = please
gracias = thank you
de nada = you're welcome

When you are sick of self catering, vegetarians can opt to eat out at a pizzeria and these can be found in nearly every township including the smaller village. The further south you go the more chance you'll have of dining in a Chinese restaurant and to stock up on a protein boosted tofu chop suey or sweet and sour dish. HappyCow has a number of listings in some of the more popular cities.

Bottled water is expensive in comparison to Mexico and other Central American countries and while what comes out of the tap is generally safe to drink, in some places it is a bit like lapping up swimming pool dregs due to high concentrations of chlorine. Mains supplies are also a little more dubious along both coastal regions. It definitely pays to have some form of water purification in rural areas, otherwise fork out for bottled water.

Besides the Central American favourite, horchata: a cinnamon spiced rice drink, coffee would have to be one of Costa Rica's finest contributions to the beverage list. It is not called grano de oro [grains of gold] for nothing. If the standard coffee tour proves a bit expensive for you, then just visit Cafe Britt on the web for more information about the history and processes involved with Costa Rican Coffee. Supermarkets are stocked to the hilt with this wonderful brew and at very reasonable prices, so self catering travellers are pretty well set up for their own private tasting.

There is nothing particularly special about Costa Rican beer. Common brands include Imperial, Pilsen and Bavaria: the latter having a dark variety for those wanting that little bit extra than the usual lager. For something a bit stronger try a shot of Café Rica: similar, though definitely more fiery than Mexican Kahlua.

Why not try these for starters?
Chorreados
Lightly fried corn pancakes often served with lashings of natilla liviana [sour cream].
Ensalada Palmito
Delicate, creamy white centers of the pejibaye palm, steamed, sliced and tossed in a zesty garlic vinaigrette together with a salad mix of tomatoes, avocado, red onion and crispy lettuce. Palm hearts, eaten both raw or cooked have a succulently distinctive taste echoing a mild cross of artichoke, mushroom and asparagus. You can pick them up preserved or fresh in supermarkets or from the start of monsoon season at local markets.

Casado
The set meal of the day consisting of the national dish: gallo pinto -arroz [rice] and frijoles [black beans] accompanied by ensalada repollo [cabbage and tomato salad] and plántano [fried plantain bananas}. It will more likely than not come with a serve of meat as well: vegetarians will have to ask to have this local dish without and also check if the beans have been prepared with pork or pork fat.

Frutas de Exoticas
If the usual sandia [watermelon], piña [pineapple], mélon [cantaloupe] mangas [mangos so big and voluptuous they get the female derivative of the word mango], granadillas [passionfruit], amarillo or cacho [elongated or round papaya], moras [blackberries] and guayabas [guavas], are not enough fruits to choose from then there are many more exotic fruits to sink your teeth into in Costa Rica. Pop down to the local market and buy up on a few unfamiliar varieties for a taste sensation.

Momones: Known in Asia as rambutan, this fruit is very similar to the lychee but has either hairy red or yellow skin. The inside flesh is sweet and as refreshing as a succulent grape, but much more meatier and intense in consistency. A handful of these are a wonderful pick me up on a hot day.

Pejibayes: eye catching vermillion coloured fruits on a stem with a thick fibrous quality and a combination taste of chestnuts and pumpkin.

Carambola:: also known as star fruit. A translucent, lightly boiled apple texture with, depending on the ripeness, a thirst-quenching sweet or sour citrus-grape flavour.

Ackee: Beware this small pear shaped fruit with pink waxy skin has poisonous seeds and flesh when unripe. The edible yellow fleshy portion resembling scrambled eggs in taste, texture and colour also hints of a slight flavour of nuts.

Bike shops
Cartago Ciclo Guilly
Tel: 2553 4500
Liberia Ciclo Guilly
Tel: 2666 7010
Limón Ciclo Guilly
Tel: 2758 7676
Santa Ana Ciclo Guilly
200 metros Oeste y 25 metros Norte de la panaderia Musmanni
Santa Ana
Tel: +506 2282-7361
Fax: +506 2282-5531
website
San José Ciclo los Ases
50m Este del Gimnasio Nacional, Av 10, calles 38 y 40
San José
Tel: 2255-0535 | 2256-6256
Fax: 2287-3484
website
  Puro MTB
200 Este y 25 Sur del Gimnasio FIT SIMONS, Sabana Sur
San José
Tel: (+506) 2231-4110 
website
  Diagonal a Muñoz y Nanne, Contiguo a Comex, San Pedro / Curridabat
San José
Tel: (+506) 2280-3071 
website
Climate
climate chart Puntarenas Costa Rica climate chart San Jose Costa Rica
Road distances
Detailed distance chart from our trip through Costa Rica May 2009 (km/alti)
  altitude (in metres) in brackets
accomm.:
km
total km
Peñas Blancas (border Nicaragua) La Cruz (250)
H
21
21
La Cruz Liberia (170)
H
59
80
Liberia Communidad
H
21
101
Communidad Filadelfia
H
11
112
Filadelfia Belen
H
7
119

Belen Santa Cruz
H
18
137
Santa Cruz Nicoya
H
23
160
Nicoya turn-off to Santa Rita
30
190
turn-off to Santa Rita Jicaral
H
21
211
Jicaral Lepanto
11
222
Lepanto Playa Naranjo (ferry)
H
11
233
Puntarenas (H) turn-off San José
13
246
turn-off San José Caldera
H
7
253
Caldera Trinidad Veijo (90)
H
9
262
Trinidad Viejo turn-off to Jacó (130)
7
269
turn-off to Jacó Tarcoles
H
19
288
Tarcoles Playa Herradura
H
23
311
Playa Herradura Jacó
H
5
316
Jacó Parrita
H
43
359
Parrita Quepos
H
24
383
Quepos Dominical
H/C/B
45
428
Dominical Uvita
H
19
447
Uvita Ojochal
H
15
462
Ojochal Palmar Norte
H
28
490
Palmar Norte Paso Canoas (border Panama)
H
18
508
         
   
   

 

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