Costa Rica

geography

Costa Rica is the penultimate link in a chain of small nations that together comprise the isthmus of Central America. Located at the nexus of two continents and two oceans, this confluence of land and water makes the region one of mother nature’s great bottlenecks. It is not without reason that Costa Rica scores so high in the world happiness index. The combination of efforts and assets also led to a boom in tourism, and more specifically eco-tourism and nature-based tourismBoth coastlines of Costa Rica have an abundance of beaches, though the Pacific ones are generally both less developed and less spacious. The interior of the country is shaped by four cordilleras, or mountain ranges, which run from North to South. The capital, San José, sits roughly in the nation’s center, settled within a highland valley. Cascading down to the Caribbean from the central mountains are Costa Rica’s many great rivers. The Pacific side is marked by two broad peninsulas that hook out into the Pacific, Nicoya and Osa.

biodiversity

Though relatively small in size, Costa Rica is home to one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. Here, geography constricts a breathtaking amount of plant and animal life within a modest 19,563 square miles (50,900 sq. km), an area comparable in size to Denmark or West Virginia. Within this diminutive nation is found an astonishing five percent of the world’s biodiversity, including more than 900 species of birds of which 50 species of hummingbirds, 800 different ferns, 1,000 types of orchids, 2,000 kinds of trees, and 200 species of mammals. That amazing biodiversity benefits from the country’s efforts for conservation: 27% of Costa Rica has officially been designated as protected land, and rather than devoting resources to developing a military, for example, Costa Rican officials instead chose to build educational and social security programs. The country is peaceful, the people open and friendly, and very appreciative of the many natural treasures of their country.

climate

The climate in Costa Rica is hot all year round in the plains and along the coasts, while it’s milder in the interior. Temperature variations vary mainly accord–ing to elevation. They generally fluctuate between 15°C/59°F and 35°C/95°F, but in the highlands (above 2,000m/6,600ft) it can get really cold, even freezing at night. The main difference between the seasons is found in the rains. The Caribbean coast and plains have an equatorial climate, that is, hot and wet year-round and no dry season. On the Pacific coast and the central plateau between the cordilleras, there is a dry season from December to April and a rainy sea–son from May to November, during which rainfall is abundant. On the Pacific coast and plains, there is a well-defined dry season that runs from November to April, at least in the central-northern part. Going south, the dry season becomes progressively shorter, and in the southernmost part the climate is again equatorial, like in the Caribbean.

Culture

Costa Rica’s official and predominant language is Spanish. Some other languages are spoken too. About 10.7% of Costa Rica’s adult population also speaks English, 0.7% French, and 0.3% Portuguese or German as a second language. Costa Rica is also home to at least five living local indigenous languages: Maléku or Guatuso, Cabécar, Bribri, Guaymí or Ngäbere or Movere, Buglere or Bocotá. There is also Creole-English, Jamaican patois or Mekatelyu along the Caribbean coast.

Costa Rica has around 5 millions inhabitants, this represent 0.07% of the world’s population.

best time for birding

End of September to mid May.

recommended bird guides/apps

Books:

Birds of Central America by Andrew C. Vallely & Dale Dyer

Peterson Field Guide to the Birds of Northern Central America by Jesse Fagan & Oliver Komar (also available as eBook / pdf)

A Guide of the Books of Costa Rica by Alexander F. Skutch and Dana Gardner

Apps:

Merlin by Cornell Lab of Ornithology (download Honduras package)

eBird by Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Money

Costa Rica’s national currency is known as the colón (plural: colones), but dollars are widely accepted in tourist areas and other places around the country. 1 colón currently stands at about 0,0017 USD. Bear in mind that while some places will accept credit cards, the likelihood of this diminishes the further you go out into the countryside. Most major towns and even some small villages have at least one ATM.

1 USD = 0.0016 CRC

1 EUR = 737.27 CRC

1 GBP = 852.83 CRC

Most bigger towns and cities have ATM’s that will work with VISA or Mastercard. You can also easily exchange US dollars at the airport upon arrival (not euros nor pounds, though). Most hotels accept credit cards.

Tipping

Tipping is never compulsory on any of our tours, but many visitors do choose to tip guides, drivers, and other ground staff, especially if they feel they have worked hard and done a good job, and we get many questions about what would be an appropriate amount, so we have tried to figure out some guidelines. Again, this is entirely up to your discretion, and we mention this merely for your information and in answer to questions we regularly receive from our clients.

Restaurants: 2-3USD/meal

Hotels: 5USD/room/day

Luggage porters: 1USD/bag

Local guide: 5-10USD/p/day

Drivers: 5USD/p/day

Tour guide/leader: 15-20USD/p/day

Health & hygiene

Consult your doctor timely about vaccinations and medication and inform us of any health issues or dietary requirements, so we can take the best possible care of you. Make sure you carry enough of your personal medicine for the whole trip. You may not always be able to find exactly that in a different country.Tap water in Costa Rica is not for drinking. Hotels will provide purified water for drink–ing, brushing teeth etc. Hotels we visit are the best in their class in any of the locations we visit. They are clean, have hot water, usually have a fan or A/C, provide purified water for drinking, and good overall service.Restaurants we select to take our clients have been trained to cater for tourists. They maintain the highest possible hygiene standards and use purified water in all drinks (and ice) and food preparations.Costa Rica plumbing is not the same as in most western countries. That means that nothing that hasn’t been through your body should go into the toilet. Paper, women’s towels, tampons etc. go in the bin, which is emptied daily.Even when taking all possible precautionary measures, the change of climate, food, activity level etc. sometimes weighs on people, causing nausea or diarrhea, which can ruin a day. Bring the necessary medicine to alleviate symptoms of the most common traveller’s conditions. We also always carry a first aid kit, so let us know if you need anything.