10 Interesting Facts About Costa Rica

I’ve made a list of all the fun and exciting facts about Costa Rica so that you’ll have a better understanding of why spending your summer here in this incredible country would definitely be a vacation to remember.

For one thing, driving in Costa Rica is just like driving in a big city. Although, this country may be tiny; however, it contains most of the beautiful beaches, resorts and hotels in the world. Its cities are quite developed and you’ll definitely find driving in San Jose, which is its capital and largest city, quite like any other city in the United States.

Another fact is that its locals and, of course, tourists love diving in Costa Rica. This is simply believable if you ask me. I mean if you search the total number of beautiful beaches this country has, you’ll be surprised on how many they are. One might get confused on which beach or resort to spend an awesome vacation. Some really famous diving spots are the Drake Bay in Cano Island, the Quepos in Manuel Antonio, the Playa Flamingo, the Tamarindo, the Playa del Coco and the Playa Ocotal.

Canyoning in Costa Rica is another interesting sport not a lot of people experience everyday. Tours are usually scheduled twice or thrice a day especially for tourists to experience this great adventure near the Arenal Volcano. Rappelling down the beautiful canyons is certainly an exhilarating yet worthwhile experience.

One may observe that the Costa Rica temperatures are quite peculiar. Since it is for a fact a tropical country, there are only two climates that Costa Rica is well noted for: the green and dry seasons. It is during late December and April that the wet season or green is well likely to persist while during May through November, the dry season takes its toll.

The restaurants in Costa Rica, although most of them offer traditional dishes, there are still fast food chains in this country that can also be found in the United States. The city of San Jose is usually the popular destination whenever tourists look for the best restaurants. Some of the country’s delicious traditional dishes include the arroz con polo, sopa negra, casados and many more.

Similar to diving, snorkeling in Costa Rica is perhaps one of the best in the world. Known for its unbelievable diversity, its waters is a home to 7,000 amazing marine species as well as coral reefs that support hundreds of algae, assorted shark species such as the white tip reef, hammerhead, bull, whale sharks, bull, nurse and silky.

There are also several islands of Costa Rica that is considered tourist spots. Unlike others, there’s noticeably clean, pristine and just absolutely stunning. If you’ve watched Jurassic Park then I guess you probably have an idea of what I’m talking about. One of these islands is the Tortuga island or also popularly known as Turtle island, a favorite destination for tourists who love to go kayaking, snorkeling and even swimming.

In case you fall in love and decide to stay for good, housing in Costa Rica may not come cheap. Because of the rise of tourism the prices for homes also increased. However, there are still affordable houses and apartments so it’ll depend both on how big a home you want and where it’s located. The sever provinces of Costa Rica includes San Jose, Heredia, Cartago and Alajuela are mostly populated areas while Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limon have one thing in common – its beaches.

Okay, so I expect you’ll be very psyched to go to this amazing country by now; however, Costa Rica travel requirements is something that you may have to consider first before you can actually travel to Costa Rica. The requirements actually vary from country to country; however, it’s a must to have a valid passport that wouldn’t expire for at least 6 months of the entry date and a return ticket back to your home country or to somewhere different.

Costa Rica travel safety is another fact to consider during your stay so that you can enjoy a worry-free vacation. It’s also best to ensure that you have everything you need in case of an emergency. Some of the usual tips whenever you’re traveling to a foreign country include having some of your important documents photocopied like your passport and plane ticket. It’s also advisable to keep one of these documents with you and the other copies at the hotel deposit boxes. Also make sure to bring enough cash and also credit cards in case you might need it. Just remember to always pay attention to your stuff and don’t easily trust anyone with them as well. If there’s really a need for you to ask for directions then ask from somebody significant like the hotel receptionist.

Discover Costa Rica and spend the most unforgettable vacation experience for the cost of less!

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By Praline Esguerra

Costa Rica Destinations

Costa Rica is a country in Central America. In the north it borders on Nicaragua and in the south on Panamá. To the west, there is the Pacific Ocean and to the east, the Caribbean Sea.

Regions:

* Plains of the North
* Guanacaste
* Nicoya Peninsula
* Central Valley
* Central Pacific
* Caribbean Costa Rica
* South Costa Rica
* Cocos Island National Park

Major Metropolitan Areeas:

* Alajuela – location of Juan Santamaría International Airport
* Cartago – Costa Rica’s first capital
* Heredia – Coffee plantations
* Jacó – Surfing paradise and superb dining
* Liberia – Location of Danuel Oduber International Airport and gateway to the beaches of Guanacaste
* Montezuma
* Pochote – On Whale Bay, across the Bay from Puntarenas
* Puerto Limón – Main city on the Caribbean side
* Puntarenas – Ferry to Nicoya Peninsula
* Parismina – Village on the Tortuguero Canals
* Quepos – Central Pacific coast; entry point to Manuel Antonio National Park.
* San José – The capital.
* Tamarindo – Small town on the North Pacific coast, famous for its beaches, a popular destination for tourists.
* Tortuguero – major nesting site for green and leatherback sea turtles

Popular Tourist Destinations:

* Cahuita National Park
* Chirripo National Park
* Corcovado National Park
* Arenal Volcano – active volcano
* Manuel Antonio National Park
* Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserves
* Pacuare River and Protected Zone
* Tapanti National Park
* Tenorio Volcano National Park

Costa Rica Country Info

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica, Spanish pronunciation: [re'pußlika ðe 'kosta 'rika]), is a republic in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east-southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Costa Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army. Among Latin American countries, Costa Rica ranks 4th in terms of the 2007 Human Development Index, and 48th worldwide. Costa Rica is ranked 5th in the world in terms of the 2008 Environmental Performance Index, up from the 15th place in 2006. In 2007 the government of Costa Rica stated that they want to be the first country to become carbon neutral by 2021.

Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including: disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country’s democratic development. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.

Climate is tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands

Terrain coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes

Adapted from Wikipedia and World Factbook