Exploring Costa Rica Guidebook

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Welcome to Paradise

COSTA Rica is rightly famous for its friendly inhabitants, stunning natural beauty, hundreds of miles of pristine beaches, world-class fishing and birding, and most of all for being a beacon of hope and stability in a region that has often been torn by conflict. That, along with the abolition of the army more than 50 years ago by visionary leader José (Pepe) Figueres, continue to attract both new residents and more than a million and a half tourists a year.

The Indigenous Population

SUBJECTED to abysmal suffering for generations, the Indigenous Costa Ricans are slowly gaining recognition through advocacy groups and government policies.

Costa Rica Today

COSTA Rica is a country in transition. Once almost totally dependent

on agriculture, Costa Rica now counts on tourism as its number-

one source of foreign exchange income. A growing export

economy led by a burgeoning tech sector is also rapidly changing the

country.

Geography & Climate

COSTA Rica, though diminutive in size, is geographically a land of extreme contrasts. Straddling a rugged mountain chain, its topography is responsible for constant seismic activity, spewing volcanoes, distinctive climatic zones and immense biodiversity.

Biodiversity & National Parks

THANKS to its geographical position as a land bridge linking North and South America, Costa Rica is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. Although the country covers only about 0.03 percent of the earth’s area, it contains an astonishing 4 percent of the world’s estimated 13 to 14 million species of flora and fauna.

Accommodations

VISITORS to Costa Rica increased 15% over the previous year, with  some 1.6 million heading into every corner of the country. Although new hotels have added to the available 20,000 beds, it is worth booking beforehand if visiting a popular area during the high season. Choice of accommodations is wide and varied, from luxury resorts to beach cabins, B&Bs, community-based lodgings and eco-lodges. Be aware that “motels” usually refer to per-hour venues for slightly more salacious purposes than convenient drive-ins for weary wanderers.

Banks

COSTA Rica's banking options include both private and public banks, with each alternative offering its benefits and drawbacks. The four public banks can be slower, with long lines especially  during the lunch hour, at the end of the day, and on pay day but are making efforts to increase efficiency and tend to offer better access with many branches and ATMs throughout the country.

Buses

BUS travel is inexpensive and very good. Fares are usually posted in the bus's front window or inside above the driver's head. Direct buses (directos) are more expensive, and rarely stop until they reach their destination. Regular buses (indirectos or corrientes) stop at different points along the route. Busetas and microbuses charge a little more, but all riders must be seated, making the trip more pleasant. Note: On the list below, 'RT:' means return trip. Fares change frequently, ask someone in line or call ahead.

Day Trips

AFTER you arrive in San José, there’s no quicker way to “discover” Costa Rica than by taking an all-in-one-day tour covering mountains, jungle and rivers, all in the company of a bilingual guide. Once you’ve seen the trailers, you can decide on a feature tour, to see butterflies, rain forest, wildlife, volcanoes, fruit farms or historical sites.

Dialing & Dollars

HERE'S that requisite hodgepodge of guidebook info that doesn't quite fit anywhere else:

Emergency Contacts

FOR every emergency, call 911. Operators guide you to the correct service.

The 9-1-1 emergency service is available nationwide to summon ambulances, police and fire-fighters, and to report domestic violence and traffic accidents. The Red Cross provides ambulance and emergency-rescue service even in the smallest towns, although poor roads and rural distances can slow arrival times. For urgent medical emergencies in remote towns, it is always faster to appeal to the nearest person with a car.

Ferries: A Smooth Ride

WITH roads in many parts of Costa Rica a bumpy ride, the ferry offers a welcome respite smooth sailing and majestic views. Travelers headed to southern Nicoya Peninsula must head across the Gulf of Nicoya on one of several car and passenger ferries that leave daily from the Pacific port city of Puntarenas. The same used to be true of the northern coast, until the Taiwan Friendship Bridge was built several years ago over the Tempisque River, which feeds into the gulf.

Gay & Lesbian Travelers

SAN José is no San Francisco, but, compared to elsewhere in Latin America, the city and the country are relatively open for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. However, community leaders caution that there’s still a long way to go to confront age-old discrimination.

Getting In

CITIZENS of the U.S. and Canada need valid passports to stay for 90 days. No visas are required. The Tico Times has had some reports of difficulties arising with children traveling on parents' passports; individual passports may be advisable.

ICT Info Offices

THE Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) (299-5800, visit costarica. com) has information kiosks at the main entry points to the country: Peñas Blancas (tel/fax: 677-0138), border crossing with Nicaragua on Inter-American Highway, 6 a.m.-8 p.m.; Paso Canoas (732-2035), southern border to Panama, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Juan Santamaría International Airport (443-1535), 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

Internet & Cafes

COSTA Rica is fully connected to the world through the Internet. Internet cafés can be found in just about every tourist destination, as well as less-visited towns. Recent projects and legislation are also helping make Internet access faster, cheaper and more widely spread.  Many Internet cafés will let you download photos, burn CDs and make international phone calls through the Web. Prices are generally $0.75-1.00 in San José, and can be as high as $3/hour in tourist attractions, but are cheaper in small, outlying towns.

Investing

PLENTY of options for would-be investors exist here, from stocks to debt bonds to real-estate funds – but doing your homework, and getting good advice, is the name of the game.

Laundromats

Living & Working Here

COSTA Rica attracts many to set up home thanks to its climate, economic and political stability. Laws on residency are changing, however,  and procedures for buying property are different from back home, so the best recommendation for success is – do your homework and be patient!

Maps

WITH few street signs posted and even fewer people around who know street numbers or names, a city map is essential to get your bearings in San José. Look for a map that shows landmark buildings, so you can orient yourself. Outside the city, faded or obsolete road signs and unexpected detours can lead you astray, so a good map is basic survival gear.

Media and the Message

TOP of the list in English is The Tico Times (258-1558, Fax: 233-6378, www.ticotimes.net). Founded in 1956, it covers news, politics, culture, crime and opinions w/sections on tourism, residency and Central America. A Nica Times insert appears each week plus Real Estate, Construction and other supplements periodically. A weekly, free calendar lists activities, meetings, classes, churches, clubs, more.

Medical Care

COSTA RICA’s Social Security System (Caja), the government health-care system, gets high marks for the services it provides, but dwindling resources, long waits and red tape dog the system, a problem common to socialized medicine everywhere from Sweden to Saskatchewan. It may require a wait, but you’ll get treated; clinics and hospitals are in most communities.

Medicine:

MEDICAL treatments in Costa Rica are cheaper than in the United States, and the number of foreigners opting to take advantage is increasing. How much cheaper varies per state in the U.S., and per treatment.

Medicine

WHEN it comes to health, sometimes a shot in the bottom doesn’t cut it. When looking for care that takes a broader vision of health, practitioners, centers and products can be found concentrated in the Central Valley, as well as scattered throughout the rest of the country.

Pets

WHEN pets become part of the family, they can hardly be left behind. Whether bringing your pet to Costa Rica for an extended vacation or to live, or taking the friend you made here home, traveling with a pet is not difficult, but requires some preparation.

Recycling

RECYCLING gets a little easier in Costa Rica each year, but there still aren’t as many programs as we’d hope to see. (San José has a long way to go in this regard; the provinces have made far greater strides.)

Take Care

Taxes and Tipping

THOUGH waiters and waitresses across the country might prefer that you didn’t know, our number-one tipping tip for Costa Rica is that a 10% tip and 13% sales tax are automatically included in the bill at restaurants – so, unless you want to add an extra reward for exceptional service, you can hold onto those extra coins. Many restaurants (somewhat unnecessarily) put both prices, with and without tax, on the menu, and some may sneakily list only the pre-tax price. When in doubt, ask, to avoid an unpleasant surprise at meal’s end.

Tour Operators

TOUR operators can be one-stop trip planners and can make vacation preparations seem less like work and more like a real vacation. These are just a few of the hordes of agencies that will arrange your stay in Costa Rica – both the known travelers’ routes and the hidden bits that only a local would know. For more complete listings, try the Internet or the yellow pages under “Agencias de Viajes.”

Volunteering

TRAVELING can be even more worthwhile if you decide to help improve the environment or do humanitarian work. Spanish is not always a must. See Emergency Contacts for hospital numbers to ask about volunteering at a hospital.

What to Bring

IF you plan to spend your entire vacation at a classy beach resort, you will probably pack differently from intrepid travelers who want to go hiking, birding and horseback riding. The beauty of Costa Rica lies in its diverse terrain, and packing lightly, while being ready for the dramatic fluctuations in temperatures and climatic conditions, can be quite a challenge.