Costa Rica General Information
Guanacaste Information | San
José the Central Valley Information | Mid-Pacific
Information | South Pacific Information
| Northern Plains Information
| Corcovado National Park
NATIONAL
HOLIDAYS and CALENDAR OF EVENTS
OFFICIAL
HOLIDAYS
- January 1st: New Year’s Day
- March/April: Holy Thursday and Good Friday
- April 11th: Juan Santamaría Day
- May 1st: Labor Day
- September 15th: Independence Day
- December 25th: Christmas Day
FESTIVALS
JANUARY: |
| Alajuelita |
Santa
Cruz |
Palmares |
Escazú |
Fiestas Patronales parade and pilgrimage |
Fiestas de Santa Cruz, Folk dances, music
and Tico-style bullfighting—i.e. the bull isn’t
killed |
Folk dances, music and bullfighting |
Copa del Café—tennis tournament
featuring top international junior players |
|
FEBRUARY: |
|
San Isidro de El General |
Rey
Curré |
Agricultural fair, bullfights, orchid exhibition |
Indian festival of Fiesta de los Diablitos,
masked dancing, Fair of National and imported products
An interesting recreation of the culture collision between
Indians and Spaniards at the time of the conquest |
|
MARCH: |
Escazú |
San
José |
Ujarras |
National Oxcart Day—Día del
Boyero
Colorful festival in San Antonio de Escazú featuring
a parade of brightly painted oxcarts and a blessing of the
animals
(2nd Sunday) |
National Orchid Show
International Arts Fair—musicians and theatre groups
from around the world
Carrera de la Paz marathon
Bonanza Cattle Show--bullfights, rodeo, and horse races
Book Fair |
Religious procession to the ruins of the
first colonial church in Costa Rica |
Tierra
Blanca |
Paraíso |
|
(March 15th) Farmer’s Day |
A holy pilgrimage |
|
|
APRIL: |
Alajuela |
Juan Santamaría Day, parade
with marching bands |
|
MAY: |
Puerto
Limón |
Escazú,
San Isidro |
San
José |
(May 1st) May Day, cricket matches, dances |
(May 15th) Día de San Isidro Labrador
Oxcart parades—blessing of animals |
University Week
Parades, dances, cultural events, marathon |
|
JUNE: |
Nationwide
|
Puntarenas |
(Third Sunday) Father’s Day |
Long board championships |
|
JULY: |
Alajuela |
Liberia,
Santa Cruz |
Puntarenas |
Mango festival, parades, music, craft fairs |
Guanacaste Day (July 25th)
Folkloric dancing, music, bullfighting |
Regatta of decorated fishing boats and yachts
celebrating the Fiesta of the Virgin of the Sea |
|
AUGUST: |
Cartago |
San
José |
San
Ramón |
Virgin of Los Angeles Day
(Aug.2nd) Religious processions and pilgrimage |
Afro-Costa Rican Culture Week
Lectures, panels and displays on black culture |
San Ramón Day (Aug. 31st)
Religious Processions |
|
SEPTEMBER: |
Nationwide |
Guanacaste |
Independence Day (Sept. 15th)
parades, marching bands, parties and celebrations |
Festival Marino held in Playa
Hermosa
Sandcastle-making and water events |
|
OCTOBER: |
Puntarenas
|
Puerto
Limón |
Upala |
Costa Rica Yacht Club’s annual regatta |
Carnival (Oct. 10-12)
Parades, floats and dancing—resembles Mardi Gras in
Río |
Corn festival, Corn Queen contest
|
|
NOVEMBER: |
Nationwide |
Meseta
Central |
All Soul’s Day (Nov. 2nd) Church processions,
pilgrimages to cemeteries
International Surf Tourney |
Coffee picking contests, music and dancing |
|
DECEMBER: |
Boruca |
Nicoya |
Nationwide |
Fiesta de los Negritos (Dec.8th)
Held in an indigenous village, this festival honors the
patron saint with ancient rituals, including costumed dancing |
Fiesta de la Yeguita (Dec.12th)
Processions, bullfights, fireworks, concerts |
Los Posades (Dec.15th) Caroling—families
and musicians go door-to-door recreating the holy family’s
biblical search for lodging
Dec.26th—Tope Caballos, horse parades in the Sevillian
tradition
Three annual Christmas Birds Counts in different parts of
the country
Information available through La Selva (710-1515) |
San
José |
Zapote |
|
Gift Fair
Year-end fiestas (Dec.26th)
Bullfighting, horse processions and parade |
Festival, bullfighting, street games |
|
|
TICO
INFORMATION
Banking:
Banks are generally open from 9:00am to 3:00pm and do not close for
lunch. Private banks are generally open until 5:00pm or 7:00pm.
Business
Hours:
Government offices are open from 8:00am to 4:00pm—and often close
for lunch. Commercial offices are generally open from 8:00 am to 5:00pm.
Stores and other business are generally open from 10:00 am to varying
times between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm.
Churches:
Like all Latin American countries, Costa Rica is predominantly Catholic,
but other denominations are found throughout the country.
Climate:
Costa Rica is a tropical country and experiences only two seasons: wet
and dry. The dry season is generally between late December and April,
and the wet season lasts the rest of the year. The Caribbean coast tends
to be wet for a greater period of time during the year. Temperatures
vary little between the seasons; the main influence on temperature is
altitude. The coasts are very hot and humid, with the Caribbean averaging
69 degrees Fahrenheit at night and over 86 degrees Fahrenheit during
the day; the Pacific can be a few degrees higher.
Clothing:
Pack light for your travels. The highland areas can be very cold, so
pack a sweater if you’re planning on traveling in those regions.
For the lowland areas, light, loose-fitting shirts and pants are essential.
A wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses are recommended. A rain jacket or
poncho is also recommended when traveling in the “green season”.
Communications:
Direct-dial telephone service, facsimile, telex, radio, internet service
and cable television are all available within most areas of the country.
There are more telephones per capita than in any other Latin American
country. Many international long distance services are available. GSM
cellular phone service is currently being installed in the country.
Bilingual operator assistance for international calls—116
Local information – 113
Long distance information—124.
Credit
Cards and Travelers Checks:
Most major credit cards are accepted throughout the country, but VISA
seems to be the most commonly seen. Some smaller businesses will only
accept cash. Travelers’ checks can be easily cashed but some banks
will only accept a certain kind. Banks also usually require your passport
in order to cash these checks.
Currency
Exchange:
The official currency is the Colón and is easier to use than
dollars, although US dollars are accepted throughout the country. Currency
can be exchanged at banks, although they often require your passport.
Most hotels have an exchange counter. You can also exchange money at
the International Airport. The currency rate fluctuates without notice.
Customs:
Arrivals are allowed 500 cigarettes plus five liters of wine or spirits
duty free.
Departure
Tax:
The average rate is US $17 to depart by air. (Hans please confirm)
Electricity:
110-volt AC is found nationwide. A few outlying areas use their own
power source, so check ahead before traveling.
Entry
Requirements:
Citizens of all other countries require a valid passport to enter. Visas
are needed by certain nationalities, so check ahead before traveling.
Government:
Costa Rica is a democratic republic. Elections are held every four years.
Hospitals:
Health care in Costa Rica is very good and sanitary standards are high.
First class hospitals are found throughout San Jose and some of the
other largely populated areas.
Language:
Spanish is the official language. English is spoken in tourist areas
throughout the country.
Population:
Costa Rica has become a nation of 4 million people. Over thirty percent
live in the Central Valley, which comprises only 4% of the entire country.
Taxes:
There is a 13% sales tax at hotels, restaurants and most service industries,
and an additional 3% tourist tax at hotels.
Time
Zones:
Costa Rica is the same as U.S. central standard time but does not observe
daylight savings time (GMT –6:00)
Tipping:
A 10% tip in a restaurant is appropriate, but most restaurants add it
directly to your bill, so check whether this is the case before paying
an additional tip. Taxi drivers generally do not receive a tip. Tour
guides generally do.
Topography:
Costa Rica is bordered to the north by Nicaragua and to the south by
Panama. It has both a Caribbean and a Pacific coast. A series of volcanic
mountain chains runs from the Nicaraguan border in the northwest to
the Panamanian border in the southeast, splitting the country in two.
In the center of these ranges is a high-altitude plain, with coastal
lowlands on either side. Over half of the population lives on this plain,
which has fertile volcanic soils. The Caribbean coast is 132 miles long
and the Pacific coast is 635 miles long.
Water:
Unless specified otherwise, the water is safe to drink in all areas
of the country.
Other
Useful Information:
Airlines-
International
Air
France: |
280-0069 |
Alitalia: |
295-6820 |
American: |
257-1266 |
British Airways: |
256-6509 |
Continental: |
296-4911 |
COPA: |
222-6640 |
Cubana de Aviacion: |
|
Delta: |
08000562002 |
Grupo Taca: |
296-9353 |
Iberia: |
257-8266 |
KLM: |
220-4111 |
Lufthansa: |
256-6161 |
LTU: |
234-9292 |
Mexicana: |
257-6334 |
SAM: |
233-3066 |
United: |
220-4844 |
Varig: |
290-5222 |
Airlines-
Domestic
SANSA: |
441-8035 |
NatureAir: |
220-3054
|
Taxi Aereo Charter: |
232-1317
|
Buses-
International
