Travel to Costa Rica

Costa Rica's Travel Documents Requirements

Citizens of the U.S. and Canada may enter Costa Rica with a valid passport. Please note that Costa Rican law requires your passport be valid for at least 90 days after the date you enter the country. This means that if your passport will expire within the next 90 days, you must renew it before your trip. Check with your airline or travel agent for more information.

Citizens of other countries should check with the applicable Costa Rican Consulate in your country about rules governing entrance into Costa Rica.

You are required to carry your passport with you at all times. If you are stopped by officials, a photocopy with your photo, passport number and entry stamp will usually suffice and is recommended.

Costa Rica Health Aid and Issues

You are unlikely to encounter any serious diseases in Costa Rica. Sanitary standards are high and the health system is excellent. No vaccinations are required to enter Costa Rica as epidemic diseases have been all but eradicated throughout the country. Infectious hepatitis and malaria, a serious problem throughout Central America, is reported only rarely in Costa Rica.

Several private hospitals in San Jose offer emergency medical services to foreigners at reasonable prices. Clinica Biblica (avenida 14, calles central & 1, tel. 223-6422) also has a 24-hour pharmacy. Costa Rica's Social Security system (the Caja) offers a medical insurance assistance program for foreigners needing emergency medical assistance. The coverage can be bought at travel agencies, language schools or through tour companies.

What to Bring

To make your stay at our retreats are comfortable and convenient, we suggest you bring the following: -Flashlight -Alarm clock -Sunscreen and hat -Bathing Suit -Beach towel -Day Pack -Walking or Hiking Boots -Warm sweater/sweatshirt -Rainwear, poncho is best -Sandals with Straps -Hair Dryer (optional) (May-Nov) -Insect Repellant -Toiletries ( Note: rain wears is seasona; May - November is the rainy season)

For white-water rafting you need shorts and waterproof sandals or shoes that you do not mind getting wet and that will not come off in the water (those with Velcro or strap fastenings are fine).

Money

Accepted currencies - U.S. Dollars, Colones (the Costa Rican currency) and traveler's checks. It is not necessary to exchange Dollars for Colones before you arrive in Costa Rica as almost all stores, restaurants, tour companies, etc. will accept Dollars.

Airline Flights

When booking flights to Costa Rica, you will want to come to Juan Santamarķa International Airport in San Jose (SJO). Airlines with regularly scheduled flights into this airport are Air Canada, American, Continental, Delta, United, Taca, Copa, MartinAir, and Iberia.

Airport Departure Tax

When departing Costa Rica, you will need $32 cash for the non-residency departure tax. You should pay the tax upon arrival at the airport before you check your bags.

Costa Rica -- An Amazing Country

A unique feature of Costa Rica is that it does not have an army. Costa Ricans decided there would be less chance for military coups without one, and thus it has become the global model of democracy. During the last 50 years, the money that would have gone into the military has been spent on education and health care. Today, Costa Rica has one of the highest literacy rates in the world and the highest standard of living in Central America.

A special gift Costa Rica gives to the world is a system of National Parks, Biological Reserves, Indian Reserves, Wildlife Refuges and Wildlife Corridors, more than 25% of the nation's land is dedicated to preservation. Costa Rica contains an astonishing diversity and abundance of tropical flora and fauna. Caribbean and Pacific beaches border a land filled with white-water rivers, waterfalls, tropical rain forests, active volcanoes, mountain cloud forests, and exotic wildlife.

Costa Rica Statistics
Area - 50,895 square kilometers
Population - 4.5 million Capital - San Jose
Language - Spanish
Location - C. America between Nicaragua & Panama (8°-11° N of equator)
Currency - Colon, Bills: 10,000, 5,000, 1,000, 500, Follow this link to a currency converter
Religion - More than 90 percent of Costa Ricans are Roman Catholic.
Geography of Costa Rica

A backbone of volcanoes and mountains, an extension of the Andes-Sierra Madre chain, which runs along the western side of the Americas, divide the country. Costa Rica has four distinct cordilleras or mountain ranges -- Guanacaste and Tilaran in the north, Central and Talamanca in the south. Costa Rica is part of the Pacific "Rim of Fire" and has seven of the isthmus's 42 active volcanoes plus dozens of dormant or extinct cones. Earth tremors and small quakes shake the country from time to time. The country's highest point is Mt. Chirripo (3,797 meters). The capital, San Jose, and the neighboring major cities of Alajuela and Heredia lie in the middle of the Meseta Central (Central Valley). Almost two-thirds of the nation's population lives in this small, fertile valley. The Pacific coastal plain is much narrower than its Caribbean counterpart. Both coasts are lined with white and black sand beaches.

Costa Rica's Climate

Costa Rica is a tropical country that contains several distinct climatic zones. There is no winter or summer as such and most regions have a rainy season from May to November and a dry season from December to April. Annual rainfall averages 100 inches nationwide with some mountainous regions getting as much as 25 feet on exposed eastern slopes. Temperature is more a matter of elevation than location with a mean of around 72 degrees in the Central Valley, 82 degrees on the Atlantic coast and 89 degrees on the Pacific coast.

Call us if you have any questions.
Office: 506-643-2920