Costa Rica is a roughly, rainforested country in central America with coastlines on the Caribbean and the Pacific. It’s capital is San Jose. The best time to visit Costa Rica is from Mid-December to late April, that is the dry season as it is ideal for exploring the rainforest and lounging beaches then from May to November is mostly the rainy season but during June and July the downpour usually subsides revealing beautiful burst of green foliage.
Costa Rica is home to a vibrant blend of culture including the indigenous heritage, Spanish colonial influence, Chinese, Jamaican and other immigrant cultures that lend their characters and customs.
The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish, but also English, bribri, Creole mekatelyu , and Mandarin Chinese are common.
Costa Rican food is a wonderful delight and is usually characterised with the use of basic grains like rice, beans and corn which is usually included in mostly every meal.
Catholicism is the official religion in Costa Rica as mostly 77% of the population are Catholics and this also has it’s impacts on the laws in Costa Rica and also requires being taught in schools.
The best way to get around Costa Rica is by bus, which is reliable, navigable, cheap and usually runs through San José , the city capital. A better alternative to renting your own set of wheels is hiring a car-and-driver service, so you can enjoy the country's gorgeous scenery without having to tackle roads with confusing signage, or you could flag a taxi. The people in Costa Rica are very friendly and it is a clean and safe place to visit and there are not really major weather event like earthquakes or hurricane that occur regularly.
However there are some things to know about Costa Rica including the intense amount of sunlight as it is located close to the equator places to avoid such as San Gerardo de Dota because it experiences more sunlight preferred places like Playa Manzanillo and beaches along the Papagayo Gulf as they are calmer. Also dengue and malaria are not uncommon in Costa Rica.
The most popular place in Costa Rica is San Jose it’s capital city which is also it’s largest city, it is located in the central valley, it is a modern city filled with Costa Rican traditions and history. The fact that this city is located at the centre of Costa Rica makes it the perfect place to camp and also for easy access to all other parts of the city.
Costa Rica is home to a lot of festivals and celebrations including a bull fighting festival called the Fiesta Zapote where bulls from all over Costa Rica are brought to the city’s capital to compete in the biggest rodeo of the year, the Limon Carnival at the Caribbean port city of Limon where floats and parades through the city showcase the countries rich Caribbean culture, and also the Envision festival which involves a four day experience of art, yoga, music and sacred movement, then also the Fiesta palmares also known as Fiestas de los Diablitos meaning the festival of the little devils, it is the biggest cowboy party in Costa Rica and it last for two weeks.
Costa Rica is one of the most visited countries in the world by tourist from all around but there are some places that are visited the most and are most popular for their beauty, hospitality and recommendation. These places include:
- Puerto Viejo – It is located on the Caribbean coast near Panama. The town is very lively and you’ll find something going on every night and it is popular with young people and backpackers because of its great beaches, surfing, and party atmosphere. It seemingly is the most popular destination on the Caribbean coast. There are also many quiet beach hotels around for those who are looking for some peace and quiet. There is also a jaguar rescue center nearby that rehabilitates all sorts of local wildlife and releases them back into the wild.
- Cahuita – Cahuita is a small town located right next to a beautiful national park which has the same name, and it is nearly an hour north of Puerto Viejo. It is a place to relax . There are bars that are usually lively and most time half full but for the most part, you could go animal spotting, swimming, hiking, or surfing, or just sit in the beautiful serene environment and read. This region is known for its Afro-Caribbean influences, which can be noticed in the food and local culture.
- Corcovado – This is a national park located on the remote Osa Peninsula in south-western Costa Rica, and was established in 1975. It covers an area of 424 square kilometres which makes it the largest park in the country and is filled with deserted beaches, wildlife, hiking sites, camping sites, and also lots of marine life. The park is still rugged and not easy to get around so this keep most tourist away.
- Tortuguero – Tortuguero which also stands for land of the turtles, dominates the northern coast, with Tortuguero National Park spanning over 77,000 acres , and a massive area of series of rivers and canals that crisscross the jungle. There are a lot of wildlife but mostly turtles hence giving it the name land of the turtles, these turtles come to the shores to lay their eggs mostly during April and May.
- Arenal - Arenal is one of Costa Rica’s many volcanoes Sitting at an elevation of 1,670m above sea level , It still erupts from time to time so one can see the Laval from these eruptions, although it has been 7years since it’s last eruptions. This area has a wonderful waterfall called La Fortuna, and a national park with great hiking, sunset views over the lake, caves, rafting options, and fabulous hot springs. Costa Rica is home to around 200 volcanoes although not all of them are active, it is also home to the world’s second biggest volcano crater the Poas volcano. One thing that is really fascinating about Costa Rica is that it is a country without an army, Costa Rica disbanded their army in 1949.
There are over 500 hotels and accommodations in Costa Rica.
