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Nolitours Costa Rica

Jaco | Jaco Beach | Liberia | Playa Tambor | Puntarenas | San Jose
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Costa Rica is a true vacation paradise, offering practically everything a visitor would like, with such a diversity of natural resources and a very well developed eco-tourism. There are secluded white sand beaches with great surf and amazing scuba diving. There are active volcanoes and towering rain forests. Getting around is easy via rental car, plane, or public bus, and the warm and friendly people make travel relatively safe and fun.

Most mountain ranges are volcanic, and some are quite accessible to visitors. In the province of Cartago, for example, you will find the Irazu volcano, which erupted in the early sixties. The Poas volcano has one of the largest active craters in the world. And, the Arenal volcano treats thousands of visitors each year to a constant stream of red, hot lava rocks tumbling down its slopes.
 
  • Capital :
    San Jose
  • Currency :
    Colon
  • Driver's License :
    An international driver's license is recommended but your current driver's license is valid for the first 3 months. Must be 21 years old.
  • Electricity :
    110 V, 60 Hz
  • Entry Requirements :
    A passport, valid 6 months beyond intended stay, and an ongoing or return ticket are required.
  • GMT Time :
    -6 hr. Daylight savings time is not applied.
  • Government :
    Democratic Republic
  • Land size :
    51,100 km2
  • Language :
    Spanish, some English
  • National Airlines :
    Sansa, Nature Air
  • Population :
    4,253,877 approx
  • Religion :
    Roman Catholic 76%, Evangelical 14%, other 10%
  • Requirred Vaccines :
    none
  • Tourist Season :
    December through May
  • Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada :
    Consult the "Country Travel Report" of Costa rica

    • Cuisine
    Costa Rican cuisine is known for being tasty but quite mild, compared to its neighbour countries, and laden with delicious seafood from the coast, and fresh fruits and vegetables. A breakfast favourite is Gallo pinto, a mixture of rice and beans with a little cilantro or onion thrown in. It is usually accompanied, as most dishes are, with the Lizano Salsa, a mild salsa that has a hint of curry and is slightly sweet. Natilla, a Costa Rican sour cream, is sometimes also added for variation. The traditional national dish is called Casado (which means married) contains rice and beans with meat, chicken or fish, and is always served with salad and fried plantain or a piece of white cheese in accompaniment. Another typical meal consists of egg on chicken with rice and beans, vegetables, fried plantain, and cooked bananas.

    Other food staples include; corn tortillas; white cheese; picadillos (a meat and vegetable combination, garnished with spices); tamales (corn-based dough); chorreadas (corn pancake); pozole (corn soup); and empanadas (corn-based turnover stuffed with beans, cheese, or meat). Common vegetables used in picadillos are potatoes, green beans, squash, ayote, chayote and zucchini.

    The local coffee, banana and plantain staples are also the three main agricultural exports of the country. Costa Rican coffee enjoys worldwide popularity, with seven varieties grown within the country. Refrescos are beverages made from fresh fruit (cas, guanabana, watermelon, blackberry, strawberry and passion fruit), sugar and either water or milk. Agua Dulce (sweet water) and is made from tapa de dulce (boiled down sugar cane juice to a solid form) which is dissolved into boiling water or milk.

    Fermented sugar cane is used to produce the national alcoholic drink called Guaro. It is similar to vodka, and is usually drunk with water and lemon. Pilsen and Imperial are the most popular beers in the country.

    Culture
    Costa Rican traditions and culture tend to retain a strong degree of Spanish influence, best represented in the language, the Catholic religion, the architecture of churches and some other historical buildings. The indigenous influence remains rather minimal, mostly seen in corn-based food, handicrafts, ceramics and basketwork. The African slaves, brought in during the 17th and 18th centuries, have left their mark in the gastronomy, music and architecture. Many Chinese and Italian immigrated here to work on the construction of the railroad system during the 1900s.

    The locals refer to themselves as tico or tica (female). This comes from the locally popular usage of "tico" diminutive suffixes, added to many words to sound more polite and courteous. Costa Ricans are known as very friendly, helpful, laid back, unhurried, educated and environmental people. Spending quality time with family and friends is paramount. Visitors are normally referred to as Gringos, but without the derogatory meaning of other Latin American countries. The common expression Pura Vida (pure life) truly embodies the lifestyle, and is used widely in conversation, meaning This is living! or Cool!

    Folkloric Costa Rican music includes rhythms known as tambito and punto. The Punto Guanacasteco is a folkloric dance performed by couples. The African musical heritage is also present, with the sounds of rumba, calypso and reggae. Rock music is very popular and a newer local rock style emerged some 20 years ago, led bands such as Gandhi, Evolucion, and Kadeho.

    Flora & Fauna
    Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of plants and animals, as it contains 6% of the world's biodiversity; and 25% of the land is designated protected forests and reserves. The Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad is entrusted with all genetic and biochemical research. To this date, Costa Rica counts around 850 species of birds, 228 species of mammals, 218 species of reptiles, 160 species of amphibian, 360,000 species of insects, and 10,353 plant species. Favourite sightings include the loggerhead turtles, several monkey species and the three-toed sloth.

    The list of nature parks is long and one can not possibly see all of them in a single trip. A few stand out in popularity for travelers: the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, the Tortuguero National Park, the Manuel Antonio National Park, and the Corcovado National Park.

    Always attracting visitors, all of the Costa Rican volcanoes are designated national parks. The Irazu Volcano remains astounding with its green-water crater. A walking path has been established around the Turrialba Volcano. The active Arenal Volcano erupt about 40 times a day, the best time to visit is at night where you can see lava flows.

    Geography
    The landmass of Costa Rica is primarily of volcanic origins, making up the mountain system that spreads centrally across the country: the Cordillera de Guanacaste, the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera de Talamanca. A few of these volcanoes remains active (Arenal Volcano, Irazu Volcano, Rincon de la Vieja Volcano and Turrialba Volcano) and make for interesting visits. The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripo, at 3,810m. The nation's long coastal plains long both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Politically, Costa Rica is divided into 7 provinces: San Jose, Heredia, Alajuela, Cartago, Limon, Puntarenas and Guanacaste.

    The country plays a big part in the neotropic ecozone, the land that form a natural bridge between North and South America, which facilitates the coming together and displacement of innumerable animal and plants species.

    History
    Although we now there has been human inhabitants in Costa Rica since Pre-Columbian times, today's population mostly consists of European descent. Few of the native Indians survived contact with the European settlers. The indigenous population today represents a mere 1% of the population.

    Christopher Columbus was the first to land on Costa Rica's shores in 1502. Spanish colonizers began to establish themselves in 1522, after several failed attempts due to disease, heat, native resistance, and pirate raids. Costa Rica remained a Spanish colony for nearly three centuries, until 1821, when the country joined other Central American provinces in a joint declaration of independence from Spain. With the termination of the United Provinces of Central America in 1838, Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence.

    Several unique factors contributed to the development of an autonomous and individualistic agrarian and egalitarian society. Costa Rica has mostly always been peaceful and democratic. Only two violent incidents occurred (in 1917-19 Federico Tinoco ruled as a dictator; and an armed uprising in 1948 led by Jose Figueres).The army was abolished in 1948.

    Sports
    If there is one sport Costa Rica can claim to be excellent for, it would be surfing hands down. The real attraction for surfers is the variety of surf categories, and year round waves. The Pacific coast particularly has some of the best surfing in Central America. Tamarindo is a perfect beach to learn to surf, while Playa del Coco is ideal for advanced surfers.

    Here is a brief list of other activities to choose from:

    Biking
    Bird Watching
    Fishing
    Golf
    Hiking and trekking
    Horseback Riding
    Rock Climbing
    Snorkeling & Scuba Diving
    Hang Gliding, Paragliding, and Ballooning
    Canopy Tours
    Windsurfing
    River Rafting, Kayaking, and Canoeing

     
     
     
     
     
     
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