Knowing Costa Rica

Costa Rica extends majestically from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, and its distance is barely 200 miles. Its land portion ocuppies only 20 thousand square miles.

If you travel throughout the provinces of Costa Rica, it’s easy to notice that in no other place you shall find fields with so many variations in their landscape and climate as here.

Costa Rica is one of most highly valued tourist destinations in this planet. This small piece of land includes all of the necessary components to satisfy the taste of thousands of travellers visiting each year.

Costa Rica’s territorial division includes 7 provinces, that is: San José, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limón. Together they offer an attractive tourist destination, of almost limitless possibilities, that include extense rainforests, volcanoes, rivers travelling through the mountains, beaches and natural resources safeguarded by an important organization of national parks and forest reserves.
 
 
Geography

Rugged highlands are found throughout most of the country, ranging from approximately 1,000 to 2,000 meters (3,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level). The Guanacaste Mountain Range, Central Mountain Range, and Talamanca Mountain Range are the main mountain ranges extending the entire length of the country. There are several active volcanoes (Arenal Volcano, Irazu Volcano, Rincon de la Vieja Volcano and Turrialba Volcano) and the country’s highest mountain (Chirripo Hill) with a height of 3,819 m/12,530 ft. The country has a relatively long coastline in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as a number of rivers and streams that attract specialist kayakers and rafters from all over the world.
 

Climate

Costa Rica’s year round climate is pleasant with naturally occurring breezes, cooling down most of the coastal areas. Temperatures in the highlands and mountains are not so cold, especially during day, producing an 'eternal spring' feeling. The average annual temperatures range from 31.7°C (89°F) on the coast to 16.7°C (62°F) inland. The rainy or green season lasts from May to December with noticeably drier days during the rest of the year.
 

Enjoy the sun, but carefully

Going to the beach is a must when traveling to Costa Rica and a nice suntan is always possible. It is not advisable however, to try to tan in just one day because it takes 24 to 48 hours for the skin to produce melanin, a dark pigment that reduces the aging process caused by sunburn. The healthiest thing for you to do is to use a PABA-free suntan or UV sun blocking lotion.
 
     
Guanacaste

Generous and warm province, Guanacaste is known for its cattle ranching production and spectacular beaches. It is the driest region of Costa Rica, specially the coastal areas.

Guanacaste became part of Costa Rica in 1824; until then, it had remained an independent province. This territory certainly has a very important natural and cultural richness, for Costa Rica’s economy. Some of the best beach hotels in the world are found on the beaches of Guanacaste.

Guanacaste is well known for its beaches and the sun, which is exactly what visitors find along its coastline, with an abundance of hotels, cabins and restaurants. Some are luxury ones, others more modest, but they all guarantee that guests have the perfect option for each budget.

Panamá Beach, in the north area of the province, is one of the good options for tourism. A quiet place with white sand and easy waters, invite you to enjoy a care-free weekend.

Cocos Beach features as one of the most popular spots, due to its night life and great number of visitors; and without having to travel much you can reach Flamingo Beach, an ideal place for those preferring a mix of good hotels and a quiet atmosphere.

There are also Ocotal and Hermosa beaches, among the favorite of Guanacaste’s coast. Grande Beach is located further south, and along with Las Baulas National Park, is a sanctuary for thousands of leatherback turtles (baula) arriving to spawn in its coasts each year.

Tamarindo offers a blend of white-sand beaches and mangroves; sea birds and iguanas, making it a paradisiacal and perfect spot for those wishing to live in harmony with nature.

Many other beaches along the coast of Guanacaste will complete a matchless natural offer. Carrillo Beach, Ostional Beach, Manzanillo or Coyote, are some of those destinations giving the greatest province of Costa Rica its reputation

In Guanacaste you may enjoy delicious food, so characteristic of its people and that with the passage of time, became authentic traditional Costa Rican dishes. Santa Rosa National Park is located to the north of the province. It is a jewel of the tropical dry forest, counting with a remarkable biological inventory.

Likewise, embedded in the Guanacaste Mountain Range, are the Tenorio, Orosi, Miravalles and Rincón de La Vieja volcanoes, the latter surrounded by the national park of the same name.

Guanacaste is undoubtedly a privileged land. Possessing a mixture of forests dry and rainy, warm beaches, extense plains and an impressive volcanic range; a natural world expecting to be explored.
 
 

Alajuela

Is one of the most extense provinces of Costa Rica, is known as “The Land of Mangoes”. Its territory spreads to the north, reaching the boundary with Nicaragua. Alajuela was founded in 1782 and gave birth to such famous historical characters like Juan Santamaría, the national hero that burned down the “Mesón de Rivas” in 1856.

This province has an enviable natural richness. Its uneven topography includes the rainforest and exuberant plains to the north. Visitors have a choice of the two most impressive, active volcanoes of the country: Arenal volcano, in the City of San Carlos and the Poás Volcano, at the Central Volcanic Mountain Range.

Poás volcano is one of the most splendid volcanoes in Costa Rica, for its beautiful landscape. Around it you may appreciate different habitats, from the cloud forest to areas of scarce vegetation, where species have become adapted to emissions of gas and the climatic factor characteristic of a volcano.

The Arenal volcano, on the other hand, with its beautiful conic silhouette, is one of the most active in the world. Its charm is enhanced at night, when the color of its eruptions and lava rivers can be fully appreciated. Many of the hotels offer a panoramic view of the volcano and its evening show.

During the last decades, Alajuela has become an obliged journey for those who love Costa Rica’s natural richness.

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