About Costa Rica

Overview

The words that best describe Costa Rica are perhaps “pura vida”. It means “pure life” and that is what visitors to this Central American country will find. From exotic animal life to exotic scenery, travelers will find themselves inexorably drawn to Costa Rica and its residents.

The abundance of activities available will have travelers checking and re – checking their lists to make sure they haven’t passed anything up. Itineraries can include witnessing a spectacular volcano eruption from the luxurious warmth of a hot spring or a rushing trip through a cloud forest canopy. Of course, there are those who will do both!

Costa Rica means “rich coast” in Spanish and the words are not lost of this country. Named by Christopher Columbus, the country was colonized in the mid-1500s with Spanish settlers heading for the fertile central highlands.

People

One of the country’s most important assets is its people. Gregarious and hospitable, the “Ticos” set themselves apart when it comes to welcoming visitors. Whether helping you out with some complicated road directions or finding a good place to eat, Costa Ricans will go out of their way to help out a puzzled visitor.

Ticos are considered the happiest people in the world according to World Database of happiness as published on Jan 6th, 2010 in the NY times

Standard of Living Indicators

• Life expectancy: 76.1 years
• Literacy rate: 95.5%
• Educational Institutions: 6147 primary and secondary schools and 50 universities
• Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2002)
• Youth literacy: 98.3%
• Population served with piped water: 99%
• Public health services coverage: 90.4% of population
• Health expenditures: 27.8% of government budget
• Access to telephone service: 92% of population

Political Environment

• Traditional and stable democracy, army abolished in 1949.
• 2nd highest per capita US foreign aid after Israel
• Lowest risk rating in Latin America.
• Business environment and legal framework open to foreign investment.
• No limitation on foreign control of corporations and ownership of property

Proximity

Costa Rica is located only 2-4 hours by air from most urban points in the U.S.
Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría (SJO) is Costa Rica’s main airport. It’s about 30 minutes north of downtown San José, in Alajuela.

Weather

Costa Rica is a tropical country situated between 8 and 11 degrees above the equator. It has only two seasons: dry and green. The dry season with very little rain is generally between late December and April and the green or wet season lasts the rest of the year – May through November and still offers an average of about 5 hours of daily sunshine.

Temperatures

Temperatures vary little between seasons. The main influence on temperature is altitude. Average temperature ranges in San José are from 14 to 24 degrees Celsius (57 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit) in December to 17 to 27 degrees Celsius (63 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit) in May. The coasts are much hotter, with the Caribbean averaging 21°C (70°F) at night and over 30°C (86°F) during the day. The Pacific side is a few degrees warmer still, but the humidity is generally less, so it tends to be more comfortable.

Health

Standards of health and hygiene in Costa Rica are among the best in Latin America. Reliable medical services are widely available and costs are considerably lower than in the U.S.