Costa Rica Travel Information

A great way to see Costa Rica is by hanging via a harness and wire 100 feet in the air above a rain forest.

We saw plenty of monkeys, exotic birds and other creatures, although we didn't see any jaguars.

No matter. Zipping from one tree to another is a thrilling way to remember one of the great eco-tourism destinations of the western Caribbean.

Costa Rica ranks 10th in total tourism with an estimated 1.5 million cruise and stopover visits annually.

The growth rate is one of the highest in the Caribbean because of the country's strong reputation for eco-tourism.

It is a popular destination for western Caribbean cruises.


The country has devoted 27 percent of the total land area to 20 natural parks and eight biological reserves. creating boundless opportunities such as hiking, rafting, canopying and rain forest tours.

White water rafting is available on the Pacuare, Reventazon, Corobici, Sarapiqui, Naranjo or Savegre rivers.

The country also is know for its sea turtles at Tortuguero National Park in the Caribbean.

Canopying allows visitors to see the rain forest by aerial tram or by gliding individually on a harness over wires from tree to tree.


U.S. and Canadian stopover visits require passports and valid return tickets. The popularity of the country by month is not available.


Overall climate conditions are tropical and subtropical with a dry season from December to April and a  rainy season from May to November.

Average daytime temperature is x, but it is cooler in the highlands.

The average temperature and rainfall both vary greatly depending on the location, with more rain and cooler temperatures in the mountains.


The Costa Rican currency is the Colon. U.S. currency and major credit cards are widely accepted.

A 10 percent service charge often is added to hotel and restaurant bills. The sales tax is 13 percent. The departure tax for stopover visitors is $26.


Spanish is the official language with English somewhat widely spoken.

For the sake of eco-tourists and excursions, the number of people who know English declines rapidly toward the center of the country.

The economy relies heavily on agriculture with tourism a rising force; the number of visitors has grown 100 percent in 10 years.

The terrain is coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes.

• U.S. State Department Travel
  
• CIA Factbook
  
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration