Information
CLIMATE
Costa Rica is a tropical country which contains several distinct climatic zones. There is no winter or summer as such and most regions have a rainy season from May to November and a dry season from December to April. Temperature is more a matter of elevation than location with a mean of around 72 degrees in the Central Valley, 82 degrees on the Atlantic Coast and 89 degrees on the Pacific Coast.
The length of daylight varies only slightly throughout the year. Sunrise is around 6 am and sunset about 6 pm. The sun's path is never far from overhead, so seasonal variations in temperatures rarely exceed five degrees in any given location.
March to May are the hottest months, with September and October not far behind. Cool winds bearing down from northern latitudes lower temperatures during December, January, and February, particularly on the northern Pacific coast, where certain days during dry season months can be surprisingly cool. The most extreme daily fluctuations occur during the dry season, when clear skies at night allow maximum heat loss. In the wet season, nights are generally warmer, as the heat built up during the day is trapped by clouds.
HEALTH ISSUES
You are unlikely to encounter any serious diseases in Costa Rica. Sanitary standards are high and the health system is excellent. No vaccinations are required to enter Costa Rica as epidemic diseases have been all but eradicated throughout the country but we are not medical experts and would advise that you seek medical advice on this issue.
Several private hospitals in San Jose offer emergency medical services to foreigners at reasonable prices. Costa Rica's Social Security system offers a medical insurance assistance program for foreigners needing emergency medical assistance.
PUBLIC SERVICES
Electric Power - Costa Rica has a nationwide power grid standard 110 volt, 60 Hertz electricity.
Water - The water throughout most the country is pure and quite potable.
Road Network – There is a good network of paved roads and highways throughout the country but very few signposts which make navigation challenging. Distances on maps are deceiving as the country is very mountainous and so what looks to be a short distance can be much longer when climbing and descending elevations.
TRANSPORTATION
Bus – There is a good public bus network both within and between provinces, as well as internationally but travelling times can be long and buses crowded.
Train - Within San Jose there are two train routes but this does not extend to other parts of the country.
Taxi - these are red and are hailed by raising your arm, although their lights are unfortunately no indication of their availability. In rural areas, the taxis are often 4-wheel drive vehicles in order to give easy access to farming zones. Orange taxis provide service to and from the Juan Santamaría International Airport.
Ferry - A river ferry provides regular service across the Tempisque River while a seagoing ferry service connects Puntarenas with the Nicoya Peninsula across the Gulf of Nicoya.
Car Rental – There are several choices of companies and this is easily arranged through Coast to Coast Adventures but bear in mind that signage is very sporadic making journey times longer and possibly more stressful than you would like.
Semi-Private – There is a network of mini buses that cover most areas of the country where clients join other travellers to popular destinations.
Private – This is by far the most time conserving way to travel throughout the country, giving flexibility and comfort.
FINANCE
Both local and international banking services are available at numerous state and private institutions. Banking hours are from 9 am to 3 pm. Evening banking services are often available from 4 pm to 6pm. The national currency is the "colon" which has a varying exchange rate against the US dollar. American dollars are usually accepted as well although you are generally better off paying in colones and it's great to have small 1,000 colones notes on hand. The only reason to pay in dollars is if the price is in dollars. A lot of people will bring money or travellers checks to change, but you'll get the best rates by withdrawing cash in colones with your ATM card (every town has at least one ATM). Travellers checks are not always easy to exchange in some places outside of San Jose. Credit cards are also accepted at most hotels, restaurants and stores. However, this depends on the area you are visiting. More remote areas may be less likely to have restaurants and hotels equipped for credit card transactions. This is due to inconsistent electrical service (which is required to get authorization on credit cards) and difficulty for businesses in collecting on credit card slips. The merchant fees for credit cards are very high in Costa Rica from 7-9%. Therefore, you will usually get better deals using cash. For smaller local restaurants consider paying in local currency just to assist these smaller businesses.
For travellers checks you'll usually do better to cash a lump sum every few days at a bank. Bank costs for exchanging travelers checks are around 1%, sometimes with an additional flat fee of $US 1-5 per transaction. Your passport is required.
COMMUNICATIONS
Costa Rica has one of the most advanced telephone systems is Latin America. There are public telephones throughout the country and in the few rural populations where these are not available there are often operator assisted phones. International calls can be dialled directly from almost any point in the country.
INTERNET
Outside the central valley, Wi-Fi is not readily available as broadband connection is simply not available everywhere as yet, but things are changing every day.
