Costa
Rica
General Information
Description
Costa
Rica the gem of tourism in Central America is located between
Nicaragua and Panama. With an area of 51,100 square kilometers
(19,730 square miles), that is roughly the size of West
Virginia, its borders span 309 kilometers (192 miles) with
Nicaragua and 330 kilometers (205 miles) with Panama. Costa
Rica also borders the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea,
its coastline reaching across 1,290 kilometers (802 miles).
Costa Rica enjoys an unsurpassed diversity of climates and
environmental regions in a relatively small area due to
its location and topography-mountains and valleys-. Twelve
major life zones harbor an astounding amount of plants and
animals. Experts agree on this outstanding characteristic
of biological diversity found in such a small area. That
is a trademark for Costa Rica. Provisions have been made
to preserve this invaluable biodiversity in protected areas
covering fully one-quarter of the land and organized into
major units called Conservations Areas. No other country
in the world has so much actively protected area per capita.
Costa Rica is often cited as a model for conservation in
harmony with community development and economic growth.
National Parks and reserves for wild life are generally
open to the public at modest and official established fees.
Private reserves set their own entrance rates. An impressive
22,647miles (36,447 km.) network of roads and highways,
plus a well-developed nature trails system offer easy access
to every habitat and all but he most remote areas. You can
drive to the very edge of a volcanic crater, or through
the heart of a mountain jungle, take an aerial tram ride
in the rainforest canopy and soak up deserted beach all
on the same day, unless it is an extremely remote area.
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Location
Located
on the Central America isthmus, between Nicaragua and Panama,
it is at the midway point of the Western Hemisphere - a
mere 2.5 hours south of Miami and about the same from the
northern part of South America. |
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Some
Images of Costa Rica
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Better
than ever !!! |
Information of Interest
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Population |
| Costa
Rica with a population of more than 4,2 million inhabitants
is well known for having one of the highest literacy rate
in the Americas. |
| Climate |
Costa
Rica’s climate is spring like throughout the year,
although there are two clearly defined “seasons”,
a dry season from December to April, and a rainy or "green
" season from May to November. Transitional months
can bring surprises, and the rainy season is not constantly
wet. There are plenty of microclimates, too, with temperatures
descending as altitude rises. In the dry season San José
and other Central Valley towns enjoy a fresh, breezy, spring
like climate requiring a jacket or sweater in the evenings,
while Guanacaste (Paradisus Playa Conchal and Four Seasons
Hotel Area), Herradura (Los Suenos Marriott Hotel Area)
arid interior endures stifling temperatures. Rain still
occurs in high mountainous areas and, above all, in the
Caribbean lowlands, where downpours can last for days- or
break into brilliant sunshine after a couple of hours
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Costa
Rica's Weather for next days |
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| Language |
Spanish
is the official language. English is spoken in the tourist
areas throughout the country.
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| Money
& Banks |
The
official currency is the Colon. Credit cards, US dollars
and travelers checks are widely accepted throughout the
country. Bills and travelers checks can easily be changed
at banks with your passport, low denomination dollar bills-twenty
or under- are widely accepted. Bank hours are: weekdays
09:00 a.m. - 3:00 PM (some banks open until 6:00 p.m.) |
| Main
Industry Tourism |
Tourism
is the main industry of the Costa Rican economy. As such
it receives the best attention to improve the quality of
what the visitor gets when he or she comes to Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is ever so popular and favored destination that
it has had an outstanding growth rate in the whole area.
Last year more than 1 million tourists visited Costa Rica,
spending more than 500 million dollars. Almost three-quarters
of these visitors came from the United States and Canada. |
| Time
Zone |
Costa
Rica has the same US Central Standard Time, one hour behind
Eastern Standard Time (U.S.) and eight hours ahead of Central
European Time. Daylight saving time does not apply. |
| Electric
Currency |
| The
electric current all over Costa Rica is 110-volt AC, same
as in the U.S. |
| Phone
Calls |
Direct-dial
service is efficient and there are more telephones per capita
than any other Latin American country. Many long distance
services are available. Also there isa government tax on
long distance calls in Costa Rica, so if you plan to call
home, it is less expensive to call collect, since a charge
paid in other country cannot be taxed in Costa Rica. |
| Valuables |
| A
safe deposit box is available at the hotel for jewellery,
cash, cameras or other valuables. |
| Incentive
Destinations within the country….. |
Costa
Rica offers the visitor the option of three markedly outstanding
destinations, right next to each other. Each appeals to
the visitor in its own right. The north Pacific with its
incredible beaches and high end resorts and hotels is now
famous world wide. The central Pacific also offers great
scenery and infrastructure for the nature and adventure
lover right next door to a five star resort and marina.
And then is the Tico heartland at the Central Valley with
all the flavour of Tico culture and tradition and uniqueness
of Costa Rican biodiversity. Two international airports
service them insuring expedite arrivals and departures.
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| What
to see & what to do ? |
Pacific
and Caribbean beautiful beaches, active volcanoes, Rain
and Cloud Forests, Aerial Tram, National Parks, White Water
Rafting, Horseback Riding, Scuba Diving, Sport Fishing,
Sea and River Cruises, Golf, Ballooning, Surfing. Variety
of theme parties and much, much more!
More Information
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| Dress
Code |
Pack
light for your day trips. The highland areas can be cold,
so pack a sweater and for the lowland areas use light, loose-fitted
cloth. Dressing in layers is the best way of dealing with
Costa Rica's constantly changing elevations and climate.
Cotton T-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, cotton trousers, and
a sweater are the essential basics. A waterproof poncho
is needed for higher altitudes, and beachwear for the coast.
Avoid wearing beach clothes in towns. |
| What
is an IVI Event Coordinator? |
A
human being, who can run faster than a speeding locomotive,
be in two places at once, and who is knowledgeable, witty,
and beautiful or handsome, though not necessarily in that
order. His or her job is to make your program as pleasant
as possible. You will find them at the airport, sightseeing
tours, cruises, dine around and at the hospitality desk
in your hotel. They will be more than happy to assist you
anytime, anywhere, no matter what." |
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