Costa Rica Vacations » Country Guide

Country Guide

Welcome to our Costa Rica Information and Travel Guide. We are attempting to assemble the largest online travel guide for Costa Rica. Check back often for free information about things to see and do, maps, restaurant suggestions and other Costa Rica travel tips.

About Costa Rica

Why Choose Costa Rica?

When people hear “Costa Rica”, images of a tropical paradise come to mind. Whether it’s the...

About Costa Rica
Top Ten Costa Rican Info Sites

Check out the list below for the best Costa Rica-related sites that you need to keep you informed and up...

About Costa Rica
Costa Rica Guidebooks

Costa Rica is a great subject for reading material! From the best travel guides to Costa Rica-based...

About Costa Rica
News Costa Rica

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Costa Rica. Stay in touch with the following links: The Tico...

About Costa Rica
Costa Rica Capital

The city of San José became the Costa Rican capital in the year 1823, after a long period during which it...

About Costa Rica
How to Call

Costa Rica has an international country code of 506 (the US country code is 1), and anyone calling Costa...

About Costa Rica
Time in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is situated on Central America, and follows (along with Mexico, Guatamala, Belize, Honduras, El...

About Costa Rica
Top Costa Rica Facts

Costa Rica is small on size but big on things that we bet you didn’t know before! Keep on reading to...

About Costa Rica

Beaches

Playa Hermosa – Guanacaste

Located in sunny Guanacaste, Playa Hermosa, as its name suggests, is one of the most stunning beaches in...

Beaches
Playa Langosta

Playa Langosta is one of the most popular beaches in Guanacaste. Because of its proximity to Tamarindo, it...

Beaches
Best Beaches of Costa Rica

Costa Rica beaches are as varied as they are plentiful, from the volcanic black sands of Playa Hermosa,...

Beaches
Playa Negra

Playa Negra is located in the Guanacaste Province, next what is known as Little Hawaii or Playa Avellanas....

Beaches
Playa Tambor

Playa Tambor is located in the Nicoya Peninsula, in the province of Puntarenas. It is set along the large...

About Costa Rica
Playa Carrillo

Playa Carrillo was recently voted the 27th most beautiful beach of the world, and it is easy to see why...

Beaches
Playa Herradura

Herradura is a quiet little beach town 3.5 kilometers north of Jaco in the province of Puntarenas. Until...

Beaches
Playa Montezuma

The southern Nicoya Peninsula possesses two jewels – the beaches of Mal Pais/Santa Teresa and the...

Beaches
Playa Esterillos

Esterillos is situated on the Central Pacific coast, about half way between Jaco and Manuel Antonio....

Beaches
Playa Flamingo

Playa Flamingo is simply irresistibly beautiful with its brilliant white sand and turquoise water. Located...

Beaches
Playa Samara

Playa Samara is located in Guanacaste, along the Gold Coast of Costa Rica, on the northern edge of the...

Beaches
Playa Puerto Viejo

The Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica is a different country. You know you’re in the Caribbean when the...

Beaches
Potrero

Potrero is a hidden jewel in the north-west of Guanacaste, named after the eponymous beach. This rural...

Beaches

Culture

Top Costa Rican Souvenirs

There's no way of going wrong with these when coming back home from Costa Rica. This list of Top Costa...

Culture
Costa Rica Holidays

Many of Costa Rica’s holidays are based on religious holidays coming from the Catholic faith. On most of...

Culture
Costa Rica Flag

The flag is formed by five horizontal stripes (two blue, two white and one red) and also makes use of the...

Culture
Costa Rican Art

Costa Rica isn’t particularly renowned for its art and has throughout history remained a viewer more...

Culture
Costa Rica Music

Costa Rican music is as varied as the cultural influences from which it sprang. Music in the Caribbean...

Culture
Costa Rica Products

Costa Rica is famous for its colorful culture, which is well represented in the variety of souvenirs found...

Culture
Women of Costa Rica

Costa Rica is an amazing country located in Central America, between Panama and Nicaragua. Each year we...

Culture
Semana Santa

Semana Santa, or Easter Holy Week, is a major Catholic holiday celebrated the world over. Costa Rica is...

Culture
Pura Vida

If you’ve been to Costa Rica, or if you’re planning on coming to Costa Rica, one term you should be...

Culture
Costa Rica Culture

With European, Afro-caribbean and South American influences, Costa Rica has become a true cultural melting...

Culture
Costa Rica Coffee

Nowadays Costa Rica is famous for its gourmet coffee beans, with the famous Tarrazu considered among the...

Culture
Costa Rica Indigenous Art and Crafts

Making local crafts is one of the few profitable economic activities Costa Rican indigenous tribes pursue....

Culture

Destinations

San Ramon

San Ramon is located in the lush green Central Valley of Costa Rica, in the province of Alajuela, just...

Destinations
Drake Bay

Drake Bay, or Bahia Drake is it is also locally called, is located in the northern part of the Osa...

Destinations
Golfo Dulce

Those seeking lush pristine rainforests, monkeys, scarlet macaws, toucans, ocelots and many big cats, as...

Destinations
Escazu

Escazu is a suburb of San Jose, situated about 4 miles west of downtown. Despite it’s proximity to San...

Destinations
Puntarenas

Puntarenas is a city and province in Costa Rica. The province consists of the southern two-thirds of Costa...

Destinations
Cocos Island

Hard to imagine that a country as popular as Costa Rica could have any part left of it considered to be...

Destinations
Cahuita

Cahuita is a relaxing little Caribbean paradise located south of the city of Limon. Its roots can be...

Destinations
Golfito

Golfito is located in the Southernest part of Costa Rica, on the eastern side of Golfo Dulce, close to...

Destinations
Turrialba

Turrialba will offer you with the true essence of Costa Rica. The vibrant green pastures and magnificent...

Destinations
Mal Pais/Santa Teresa

Snaking up the left hand coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, from the countries very first National Park, Cabo...

Beaches
Alajuela

Alajuela is Costa Rica’s second largest city and is situated about 12 miles outside of the capital San...

Destinations
Liberia

Liberia is the capital and largest city in the Costa Rican province of Guanacaste, it is located 134 miles...

Destinations

Food

Best Grocery Stores in Costa Rica

Whether your seeking for great variety, low prices or U.S. products while doing your grocery shopping,...

Food
Restaurants in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has many great restaurants to choose from. Offerings are plentiful with almost all types of...

Food
Costa Rica Recipes

Drawing largely from Caribbean and Central American culture, Costa Rican food is characterized for its use...

Food

Geography

Costa Rica Location

Costa Rica is a Central American country located on the Mesoamerican isthmus. It borders Nicaragua on the...

Geography
Cartago

Cartago is a Costa Rican city that serves as capital of the eponymous province. Founded in 1565 by Spanish...

Geography
Where is Costa Rica?

Where is Costa Rica Located? Costa Rica is located in the Central American isthmus that connects North...

Geography

Health

Cosmetic Surgery in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has gone a long way since its days of banana plantations and coffee. While Costa Rican coffee...

Health
Dental Tourism in Costa Rica

Dental Tourism is today one of the main attractions for people who come to Costa Rica. Combined with...

Health

History and Politics

Costa Rica History

Because of its geographic location, Costa Rica, unlike other Central American countries, never had a...

History and Politics

Living and Working

Volunteering in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is an exciting tourist destination with great beaches, rain forests, rivers and adventure....

Living and Working
Costa Rica Exchange Rate

The Costa Rican Colon is the official currency in this country. The name of this currency is in honor of...

Living and Working
Currency

When traveling in Costa Rica you can carry either American Dollars or Costa Rican Colones. Both currencies...

Living and Working
Cost of Living

Costa Rica is no longer dirt cheap. Taxes on imported goods put prices higher than one would expect for a...

Living and Working
Teaching in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is an extremely popular relocation destination for people in search of a more relaxed...

Living and Working

National Parks

Corcovado National Park

Corcovado is a true wonder of the world, a magical place in the southern part of the Pacific Coast of...

National Parks
Arenal Volcano National Park

The Arenal National Park is on every tourist’s must list and while its perfect cone is sometimes hidden...

National Parks
The Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge

The Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge is located on the lush green exotic Caribbean coast, in the...

National Parks
The Diria National Park

The Diria National Park, formally the Diria National Forest Wildlife Refuge, became a National Park in...

National Parks
Los Quetzales National Park

The Quetzales National Park, declared in 2005, is the latest addition to the list of the National Parks of...

National Parks
Guanacaste National Park

Guanacaste National Park is located in the province of Guanacaste and lies adjacent to Santa Rosa National...

National Parks
Santa Rosa National Park

Santa Rosa National Park is located in the province of Guanacaste, about 22 miles from Liberia. The park...

National Parks
Tortuguero National Park

Located in the northeastern region of Costa Rica, Tortuguero National Park is the third most popular park...

National Parks
La Amistad National Park

La Amistad International Park occupies equal parts of Costa Rica and Panama and covers 400,000 ha of...

National Parks
Carara National Park

Carara National Park sits near the Costa Rican Pacific coast, in the Central Pacific Conservation Area....

National Parks
Chirripo National Park

Chirripó National Park is located in the Talamanca Mountain Range, about 151 kms. from San José, in the...

National Parks
Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge is located in the northern part of Costa Rica, only about two hours away from...

National Parks

Nature and Wildlife

Rainforests of Costa Rica

When we think of Costa Rica, we think rainforest, jungle, exotic animals, gorgeous pristine beaches,...

Nature and Wildlife

Things to Do

What to See in Costa Rica

Visiting Costa Rica for the first time? Not sure about what to do and what to see? Well, my first...

Things to Do
Golf in Costa Rica

While Costa Rica is now a top tier destination for eco tourism, sport fishing, and even medical tourism,...

Things to Do
Costa Rica Nightlife

Depending on wherever you are and whatever you’re into, Costa Rica is sure to offer some sort of...

Things to Do
Best Beach Bars

Costa Rica means Pura Vida. As everybody knows, Pura Vida can be best achieved sitting on a hot tropical...

Things to Do

Volcanoes

Irazu Volcano

The Irazu Volcano is the highest active volcano of Costa Rica, with 3,432 meters of altitude. It is...

Volcanoes
Tenorio Volcano

The Tenorio Volcano National Park is part of the Arenal Tilaran Conservation Area, about 26 kilometers...

Volcanoes
Poas Volcano

Located in the province of Alajuela, Poas Volcano is one of Costa Rica’s most popular active volcanoes...

Volcanoes
Volcanoes in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is situated firmly (ish!) on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of the Earth stretching from New...

Volcanoes

Weather

Costa Rica Weather

Costa Rica weather overall is quite mild. The country is unique for having over a dozen micro-climates,...

Weather
Costa Rican Seasons

Costa Rica has two seasons: dry season and rainy season. Unlike other countries with four identifiable...

Weather
Costa Rica Climate

Costa Rica climate is tropical all year long because of its proximity to the equator. Unlike other...

Weather
When to Travel to Costa Rica

The best months of the year to travel are May/June, July or November. May/June and November represent the...

Weather