If you mention Costa Rica to good friends or acquaintances that have hardly ever been there, visions of sandy beach locations that stretch without end, volcanoes and exotic wildlife would appear to brain. Indeed, they would be correct. “Is the nation in South America?” A close friend questioned. “No, but it truly is shut.” I replied. “It is really in Central America. Panama, the most southern Central American region, borders Costa Rica to the south and is adjacent to the South American nation of Colombia.”
Like most Central American international locations, Costa Rica has a coastline on both equally the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Our household frequented Playa Bejuco on the Pacific Ocean aspect, which is the for a longer time coastline and the seashores there have that charming black volcanic sand.
Travelers who want to escape the chilly northern winters commonly fly into San Jose, the cash city, located in the central element of the region. Liberia, a substantially more compact and much more remote metropolis to the north, is the alternate metropolis that website visitors fly into. Ought to you make your mind up to guide your flight to land in Liberia, a lot of of the roadways in this location are not paved and a four-wheel drive car is the proposed method of journey.
The most effective time of yr to pay a visit to Costa Rica is January by March. The locals will notify you that it in no way rains in Costa Rica in the course of these months, but we experienced various showers all through our continue to be in this article. The wonderful matter nevertheless is that it rained in the course of the night time giving us a reprieve from the 85 p.c humidity and freshening the air when we arose the next morning. For those of you who are unable to tolerate significant humidity blended with 85 to 95 diploma F (30 to 37 degree C) temperatures, then you may want to shell out your holiday at the increased elevations, near San Jose in the country’s interior, relatively than at the resorts and shorelines at sea level. Most visitors typically want to keep in the vicinity of the ocean and take pleasure in the stunning beaches, right?
The unit of currency right here is the Colone. There are approximately 500 Colones to the US dollar. American funds is approved in most resort cities, at stores, dining places, motels, and for taxi and bus providers. Be ready, if you spend in American dollars that corporations will spherical up the quantities you owe, in their favour.
My assistance is to hold some US bucks useful, but when
you take place to go a financial institution in the group you happen to be in, trade the US dollars you program to shell out all through your remain in Costa Rica, to Colones. Please note that a amount of shops and eating places will not settle for credit rating cards dollars only. In all those establishments indicators will be posted that state ‘cash only.’
A significant amount of Canadians and People in america own houses, land and are included in condominium developments in Costa Rica, so English is extensively spoken. You will experience the odd shopkeeper, bus driver or taxi driver in the resort cities, who discuss only Spanish, so it is a sensible precaution to discover a number of pertinent phrases to assist you get by. I suggest possibly acquiring a pocket measurement Spanish phrase e book or dictionary or download an software plan for you cellular cell phone from the World-wide-web.
For obtaining around in Costa Rica, determine regardless of whether you prepare to explore the state by auto or if you will be spending your vacation at one particular vacation resort and getting working day excursions from there. If your group will be executing some substantial journey to many parts of the country, then it is suggested that you lease an S.U.V. that satisfies your requires. As pointed out earlier, several of the streets are unpaved and some are fairly tough. It is widespread that through the rainy time listed here, a range of the roads and highways get washed out and repair operate can consider months to finish. There are very good roads listed here, 1 of them from San Jose to the west coast, is navigable by motor vehicle. Really should you decide to lease a automobile, be well prepared to spend a quality selling price. There are taxes and other fees tacked on right after you return the auto, so make certain you talk to for the whole rates, and get it in crafting, just before you depart the parking ton.
If you determine to remain in a spot though you are in the place and strategy to take working day visits to many nearby sights, then I might advocate making use of a shuttle assistance. We identified these transportation companies a trouble free way to get about. The motorists were being helpful, built extra stops for us, these kinds of as a roadside fruit vendor to decide on up papayas and pineapples, or stopping at a grocery keep to decide on up some groceries, and many others.
Taking these shuttles are considerably fewer tense than leasing your possess auto as you you should not have to be concerned about getting lost, obtaining your rental car get damaged or damaged in to and paying out individuals exorbitant expenses. They also expense significantly less that having related taxi expert services. Our group used Costa Rica Shuttle Solutions to push our social gathering from San Jose to our place on the Pacific coastline and again to the airport.
When we have been remaining at our location in Playa Bejuco, we used a one particular-gentleman shuttle company operated by owner Fernan Valverde, who spoke English nicely. He supplied exemplary support, frequently earlier mentioned and outside of the call of obligation. Shuttle and Taxi motorists, we had been educated, are the only persons you have to have to idea in Costa Rica. Recommendations are routinely included to cafe expenses and other companies.
Visitors to Costa Rica need to be conscious that petty thievery is a frequent occurrence here. Females, hold your purses on your lap and gentlemen set your wallets in your front pocket although you are taking general public transportation, taking in in dining places and soothing at the neighborhood beach locations. It is unfortunate and traumatic when your valuables, dollars or passport is stolen whilst you are on your trip and may well prematurely close your trip. It is just widespread perception to assure that you safeguard your valuables. A wise precaution, where ever achievable, would be to keep your revenue, other than what you will invest on that working day, alongside with your passport and other valuables in the resort or dwelling risk-free.
Costa Rica has an abundance of unique wildlife and there are a quantity of appealing excursions out there. Boat tours can get you to the habitat of white-faced monkeys that will consume out of your hand, or see first hand in which hundreds of crocodiles reside along with blue and white herons, falcons, Ibis, lizards and other appealing wildlife. Ahead of you guide a tour, examine the feedback the tour organization has been given on the Online by way of trip advisor. This is a valuable instrument to assist you make a decision which tour organizations to e-book with.
If you like to surf or want to learn how to surf, the Pacific Ocean shorelines from Jaco south to Dominico that provide some of the very best surfing on the continent. Whilst, the waters are somewhat secure, compared to other places in the planet, initially time surfers really should physical exercise caution when entering the ocean. Riptides, primarily potent all through the changing of the tides, can avoid surfers from swimming into shore, especially if they are fairly a length from shore. Seasoned surfers and swimmers will suggest you not to swim towards the present-day, but alternatively to swim parallel to the shore and angle a bit in the direction of the beach front. Sooner or later, you will make it back again to the seashore, possibly a tiny fatigued, but risk-free.
People with modest little ones must preserve vigilant enjoy to assure their kids do not go into the h2o earlier mentioned their knees. For grownups who are not in particular powerful swimmers should really not go in to drinking water around their waists. Adhering to these simple principles will final result in an fulfilling and safe time at the seashore for you and your family customers.
On departure from Costa Rica, as you enter the airport terminal you will be ushered to line up at a counter to shell out the exit tax of $26.00 US per human being and an further inspection tax of $2.00, for a total of $28.00. Yet again it is finest to pay this price in dollars. If you make a decision to fork out the tax as a result of your credit card then an more price will be billed to your credit score card.
A single previous take note of great importance, just after you have cleared customs and the protection check at the airport and you come to a decision to buy, let’s say a bottle of wine from the duty free of charge store to consider on the plane with you. We encountered a further carry on baggage checkpoint, just ahead of we walked on to our plane. Numerous passengers experienced their wine confiscated by the inspectors. We had been perplexed and shocked by this, what we viewed as to be an unorthodox process.
For that reason, my tips to the traveler is not to invest in, particularly wine or spirits, at the airport duty totally free retailers listed here. It would be greater to order your wine or spirits and pack them in your checked in baggage, then have them taken absent from you as you board your flight for property.
These are some tips for you, the first time visitor, to enable make your stop by to beautiful Costa Rica an satisfying and memorable expertise, as it was for our spouse and children. Pura Vida!