Our Country

Costa Rica is a country located in the meridional part of Central America. It is bounded on the northwest by Nicaragua. On the east and northeast it's bounded by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west and south by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast it borders the country of Panama.

Coco's Island located 480 km southwest of Osa Peninsula in the Pacific Ocean is part of our national territory.

Costa Rica is approximately 51,100 sq. km (19,700 square miles) in size. The population is over 4 1/2 million. It has a tropical climate with rainy and dry season.

It is one of the most stable countries in the world. The people in Costa Rica speak Spanish. The capital city is San Jose.

Beaches in Guanacaste

There are many choices for visitors in Guanacaste. Nature and animal lovers as well as those who prefer romantic beaches and active tourists who look for adventure will be able to find different options such as hiking, horseback riding, bird watching, swimming, canopying, white water rafting, surfing and diving among others.

Our popular saying: "Pura vida"

The most commonly used phrase in Costa Rica is "Pura Vida". Everything in Costa Rica is Pura Vida! The simple translation is "Pure Life"; but the saying has a far more profound meaning to people of Costa Rica, and the travelers who fall in love with this majestic country. Contextually, it means "Full of Life" "Purified life", "This is living!", "Going great!" It is used as a greeting, a farewell, and to express satisfaction. The phrase has become widely known in the USA and Europe. Some foreigners view the phrase as an expression of a leisurely lifestyle, of disregard for time and wanton friendliness. However, Costa Ricans use the phrase to express a philosophy of strong community, perseverance, good spirits, enjoying life slowly.

If you have never been to Costa Rica, you may hear this statement, but you will never feel this statement: not until you're relaxing on the beach watching the sunset and feeling content that everyone who walks by gives you the acknowledgement of a smile, nod, or a Pura Vida.

More than a vacation

Everything you look for in a tropical trip, you will find it in Costa Rica. This small country in Central America offers a natural diversity that cannot virtually be compared with any other place in the world.

There are rivers for white water rafting, the great Arenal Lake, active volcanoes, rain forests, and kilometers of breathtaking beaches. Costa Rica also has a surprising variety of wildlife that includes insects and land and water animals.

Surprising facts

Even though Costa Rica covers only a 0,03% of the earth surface, this small country houses more than 5% of all forms of life in the planet.

Costa Rica actively keeps this incredible biodiversity in protected areas that cover more than a fourth part of its territory. No doubt Costa Rica is considered a model of conservancy of the natural wealth in all parts of the world.

Besides the natural richness, Costa Rica has many other attributes from its people who value peace a lot to its relative economical stability and its historical secrets. Below there is a list of some "surprising facts" about Costa Rica.

• More than 10% of the territory of Costa Rica is protected by the Department of National Parks.
• No other country has preserved more tropical cloud forest than Costa Rica.
• With a height difference of more than 25 meters per kilometer, Costa Rica has one of the most exciting rapids in the world.
• The dense tropical rain forests contain around 2000 species of plants and trees, 75% of which remain unknown and without study.
• 1500 species of orchids have been classified here, and hundreds of them are still waiting to be studied.
• In Costa Rica there are 160 classes of amphibians, 220 species of reptiles and 208 types of mammals.
• There are more than 150 classes of tropical fruits.
• The legendary Ceiba de Costa Rica can grow more than 4 meters in a year reaching to 60 meters tall. The Mayas considered it a sacred tree of life.
• No fewer than 34.000 species of insects are known in Costa Rica.
• Costa Rica has some 850 species of birds.
• It also has more than 1000 species of butterflies.
• With 20.000 un its of gold in exhibition, Costa Rica has one of the largest golden museums of the new world.
• A puzzle for archeologists: Two mysterious almost perfect stone spheres have been excavated in the south of Costa Rica and nobody knows the origin. One of them is placed at the entrance of the Daniel Oduber International Airport near Liberia, Guanacaste.

Economy

To get or change money in Costa Rica is not a problem, especially if you have American dollars. The national currency of Costa Rica is the Colón which fluctuates against the U.S. dollar. To date (February 2011) the type of change is 508 colones per one U.S. dollar. Local currency can be obtained in the Juan Santamaria International Airport in Alajuela.

There are many financial institutions, public and private, that offer bank services such as money exchange, cash from a credit card and change of traveler's checks. Banks generally open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and some of them are open even later. The majority of international credit cards (Visa, Master Card and American Express) are accepted throughout the country.

Entering and leaving the country

Remember to bring your Passport when you visit Costa Rica. U.S. and Canadian citizens can enter the country with an original birth certificate and two other proofs of identity. Otherwise, a passport is requested.

American and Canadian citizens as well as the majority of European countries and Latin America do not need visas for stays no longer than 90 days. Australians and New Zealanders have a 30 days permit without visa. Through any local travel agency, an extension of the permit can be obtained for 30 more days, only if it is asked with a minimum of three working days before the original date of departure.