According to ezinesports, Costa Rica is a country in North America bordering Panama and Nicaragua. The name Costa Rica literally means “Rich Coast”. The capital of Costa Rica is San Jose. A number of large cities in Costa Rica are: Alajuela, Cartago and Puntarenas.
Costa Rica is known for the many volcanoes in the country. Of these, 3 are still active: Arenal, Irazú and Poás. The last eruption was from the Arenal on August 23, 2000. In terms of flora and fauna, there is much to discover in Costa Rica. You will find rainforests, mangroves and tropical beaches that are excellent for diving because of the coral reefs. There are also many National Parks where you can find 150 amphibian species, 215 reptile species, 865 bird species and 240 mammal species. The country also has several coffee, pineapple and banana plantations. The country is also notable for the lack of a national army. Costa Rica has become increasingly popular as a tour destination in recent years. See fashionissupreme for Costa Rica as a tourist country.
Where is Costa Rica located?
Travel information of Costa Rica
Official name: Republic of Costa Rica
Continent: North America
Area: 51,100 km²
Capital: San José
Country code: CR, CRI
Population: 5,097,988 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 3,820 m (Cerro Chirripó)
Distance (Amsterdam – San José): 9,062 km
Flight time: approximately 11 hours and 15 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: Attention, safety risks.
Current color code: Yellow.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Costa Rica that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Costa Rica, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Costa Rica. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Costa Rica?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Costa Rica at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Costa Rica has a tropical climate. Throughout the year, temperatures in Costa Rica are between 20 and 30 degrees. In the mountains the temperatures are around 10 to 15 degrees. May to December is called the green time (rainy season), with the highest rainfall in the months of October and November. Thousands of earthquakes occur in Costa Rica every year. You hardly notice most of them, but sometimes there is a major earthquake that causes serious damage.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Costa Rica can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Costa Rica can be found at Climate info.
Best time
January, February, March, April and December are the best months to travel to the highlands of Costa Rica.
January, February and March are the best months to travel to Eastern Costa Rica.
January, February and December are the best months to travel to Western Costa Rica.
This avoids the prolonged rainy season.
Language
Spanish is the official language in Costa Rica. In addition, English is spoken on a small scale.
Would you like to translate from or into Spanish for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 1 month upon arrival in Costa Rica.
A visa is not necessary if you stay in Costa Rica for less than 90 days.
You must pay a departure tax of approximately 20 euros per person upon departure from Costa Rica.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Costa Rica: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Costa Rica in the Netherlands: embacr.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory for Costa Rica if you have visited a yellow fever country in the seven days before you visit Costa Rica. In addition, it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria
Malaria occurs in Costa Rica (with the exception of Puerto Limón). Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In Costa Rica, payment is made with the Costa Rican colón (CRC).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Costa Rica can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Costa Rica are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -20% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (44% cheaper), food (2% more expensive), imported beer in catering (15% cheaper), cigarettes (49% cheaper) and public transport (73% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Costa Rica it is customary to tip. By default, service costs are already calculated. With good service, they give another 5-10% extra.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 8 hours earlier in Costa Rica.
During our winter time it is 7 hours earlier in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica has no difference in winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for Costa Rica can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Costa Rica you must drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Costa Rica.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Costa Rica.
Electricity
In Costa Rica you need a travel plug. In addition, in some cases you need an inverter.
More information about common plugs and sockets in Costa Rica can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 911
– Fire: 911
– Ambulance: 911
Tap water
The water from the tap is usually safe to drink, it is safer to use bottled water.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Costa Rica can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Costa Rica can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Costa Rica end in.cr.
Official website of Costa Rica: visitcostarica.com.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Costa Rica is 00506 or +506.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Costa Rica? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from Costa Rica.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Costa Rica.
Holidays
An overview of all holidays in Costa Rica can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Costa Rica, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Costa Rica?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Costa Rica. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Costa Rica can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Costa Rica can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Costa Rica? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with Costa Rica, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Costa Rica, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Costa Rica.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.75.
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoke from the age of 10.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Costa Rica literally means Rich Coast?
…25% of Costa Rica consists of protected natural areas?
…The men in Costa Rica call themselves ‘ticos’ and the women ‘ticas’?
…Costa Rica is located in an earthquake-prone area?
…Costa Rica has no army?
…Almost all churches in Costa Rica face west?
Our verdict on Costa Rica as a travel destination
Costa Rica can safely be called a gem in terms of travel destination. The country offers a mix of untouched nature, beautiful beaches and colonial cities. This in combination with the relaxed and authentic population makes it a perfect travel destination. Costa Rica is perfect for a beach holiday, cultural holiday, nature tour or a combination of these. The landscape of Costa Rica is characterized by large areas of untouched jungle, long sandy beaches, waterfalls and many volcanoes. In the middle of this natural force you will find beautiful colonial cities, including the capital San José. Our tip is to do a private tour by rental car and end it with a stay at the beach.
