01 Fast Facts

Fast Facts for Costa Rica ...

Costa Rica is located on the Central American isthmus, with Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south.  On the east side is the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

This popular tropical country is comprised of 19,700 square miles of land and 227 square miles of territorial waters.  Within this area are found tropical wet and dry rainforests, mountains, central highlands, and miles of coastline.  Within these environments are many microclimates, depending on elevation, rainfall, topography and geography.  Over 25% of Costa Rica’s national territory is protected by the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC).

The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripo, at over 12,500 feet.  The highest volcano in the country is Irazu, at over 11,250 feet.   The most regularly active volcano is Arenal.  The largest lake is Lake Arenal. 

The most rain falls on the Caribbean slopes of the Central Cordillera Mountains, with an average of 196.9 inches, making the Caribbean side more humid than the Pacific side.  The mean annual temperature on the coastal lowlands is around 81 degrees F.  The main populated areas of the Central Cordillera average around 68 degrees F, with the summits of the highest mountains below 50 degrees F.

Be sure to schedule activities to accommodate the traditional latin American siesta.  You'll find many shops and businesses shut down at noon for a couple hours.  On Saturdays most stores are open, and on Sundays almost everything is closed.

Tips are appreciated by the service industry.  It is customary to tip US$2 at the airport, for the bellhop, for maid service, the pool attendant, bartenders, and more for parking lot attendants.  Feel free to reward guides and service professionals on their performance.  Usually 10 percent is already included in mid to up scale restarants, more is appreciated is service is exceptional.

Temperature conversions
32 degrees F is equal to 0 degrees C
To convert F to C, subtract 32 and then multiply by .555
To convert C to F, multiply by 1.8 and then add 32

Mileage conversions
1 mile = 1.61 kilometers
1 kilometer = .62 mile

Telephone tips
To make a call within Costa Rica, dial the 7 digit number.
To make a call into Costa Rica, dial your international code, followed by the Costa Rica country code 506, then dial the local number.  For example, dialing into Guanacaste from the US would be 011-506-000-0000.
For domestic directory assistance, dial 113. 
For international directory assistance, dial 124. 
For an international operator, dial 116.