Costa
Rica
General
Information
Costa
Rica is a small in size and has an area of roughly 51100 square
kilometers (31.682 square miles). Even so, it is internationally
famous and recognized for the diversity and density of its natural
resources and for the fabled kindness of its inhabitants. These
facts set it apart as an especially attractive destination for foreign
tourists who, not incidentally, make far more than a million visits
a year.
Entry
Documents
Anyone
who wants to visit Costa Rica should contact the Costa Rican embassy
or consulate in their country to determinate the necessary documents
they need to enter the country.
Climate
Costa
Rica really has two seasons: a green or rainy season that runs from
May to November and dry season that begins in December and ends
in April. The average temperature in central Valley is 72 F (22
C Degrees), while on the coast and beaches it ranges from 70 F and
90 F (21 C to 32 C)
Business
Hours
In
general, business open at 9:00 am and close at 6:00 pm although
shopping centers are usually open from 10:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m State
banks usually operate between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., while private
banks are open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Ofices are generally
open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Credit
Cards
The
credit cards most commonly accepted by business and in tourist areas
are: Visa, Master Card, American Express and Dinners Club.
Lodging
Costa
Rica enjoys a wide variety of lodging types, from luxury hotels
belonging to major worldwide chains, to ecological hostels and the
more modest Bead and Breakfast.
Airports
The
country possesses three major airports. The Juan Santamaria International
Airport located in Alajuela 10 minutes from the capital and the
Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia, in the province
of Guanacaste. In Pavas, just outside San Jose, there is the Tobias
Bolaños Airport, which handles domestic flights. In addition,
there are numerous landing strips that serve the various tourist
destinations.
Ports
Visitors
who want to enter the country by sea can do so at the ports of Limon
and Moin on the Caribean, Puerto Caldera and Puntarenas on the Pacific
and Central Pacific, Golfito, and Quepos on the Southern Pacific
side.
Rivers
River
transport is possible on the Reventazon in the centre of the country,
the San Carlos, Rio Frio, San Juan, and Sarapiqui on the Northen
plains, and the Grande de Terraba and Sierpe on the Southern Pacific
side.
Roadways
Costa
Rica has an extensive network of roadways, mostly paved, that provides
access to most parts of the country.
Bus
Service
Tha
National bus system provides comfortable, economic and fast service
to most parts of the country, especially to points of interest to
tourists.
Rental
Cars
There
is a board offering of rental vehicles, due to the existence of
many agencies that provides services to the international market.
Taxis
Taxi
service to different points in the country is modern, efficient
and safe, although it is advisable that you only use the more well-known
companies.
Political
System
Costa
Rica enjoys one of the oldest and most stable democracies in Latin
America. This stance lead to its abolishing the army in 1948 and
to earning a Nobel Peace Price for ex-president Oscar Arias for
his ongoing struggle to approve the Central American Peace Plan
during the turbulent eighties. The Costa Rican political system
is a representative system with three branches: the executive, The
Legislative and the Judicial. The president is elected by popular
vote every four years.
Education
Thanks
to its free, yet mandatory public education system established in
1917, Costa Ricas enjoy a high level of education and one of the
highest literacy rates in the world: 96.2%
Technology
This
high level of education, along with the development of telecommunications,
has contributed to Costa Rica being considered as a place suitable
for foreign multi-national high-technology, investment by companies.
Intel Corp, Laser Sight Technologies, Siemens, Procter and Gamble
and others all have presence in Costa Rica.
Telecommunications
Telecommunications
services are provided by the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad
(ICE Costa Rican Electricity Institute), a state owned body. The
modern telecommunications network includes: direct communications
with outside world by self dial MIDA international telephone system.
There are also telex, telegram, fax, celular and Internet services,
along with data transmission via the use of satellites and microwaves.
Water
The
majority of cities in the country have drinkable water, although
in more remote areas it is recommended that you drink bottled water.
Gastronomy
Costa
Rican cuisine offers a wide variety of choices to the tourist, ranging
from freshest tropical fruites and vegetables to exquisite seafood
and indigenous foods such as "gallo pinto" (spotted rooster)
consisting of rise lightly sauteed with beans and served with steak
or eggs. Costa Rican dishes also include tamals, arroz con pollo
(rice with chicken), minced arracache root, potato and meat hash,
and "casado", a "marriage" of portions of rice,
beans, ripe plantains, fresh vegetable salad and some sort of meat.
The list goes on to include grilled corn on the cob, "chorreadas"
(a thick johnny cake made from tender corn), and diffrerent types
of empanadas (turnovers) filled with cheese, beans or meat.
Tourist
Attractions
Just
a tourist tastes are varied, so are the tourist attractions that
Costa Rica offers in the form of natural beauty, sun and sea, hospitality,
history, adventure and fun. All these attractions ate concentrated
in a small area where distance does not present a problem.
Tourist
Health
Although
taking a vacation in a beautiful country in and of itself contributes
to good health, there are options available as well. The country
offres high-quality professional services in plastic and reconstructive
surgery, ophtalmology and dentistry ay very good prices compared
to other countries. In the same area as tourist health, we should
mention that Costa Rica has natural hot springs bathing. There are
also therapeutic treatment destinations with volcanic muds and other
natural components that have earned the special interest of many
visitors.
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