Costa Rica
North America · San José · CR
Costa Rica is the green heart of Central America, a small country that has built its modern identity on the preservation of the wild, with a quarter of its land protected in parks and reserves and a famous slogan of the pure life at the centre of its welcome. The rainforests of the coasts and the cloud forests of the highlands hold a remarkable share of the planet's species, and the volcanoes, the rivers and the beaches of two oceans give the landscape its variety. The capital of San Jose spreads its urban life through the central highlands, and the country's real story plays out in the mountain villages, the surf towns and the wilderness lodges. Wildlife viewing, adventure sports and the simple pleasures of the tropical coast fill the itinerary. Warm, easy, safe and beautifully green, Costa Rica has turned conservation into one of the world's best-loved travel experiences.
Overview
Costa Rica is a country in North America. Its capital is San José and the international dialling code is +506. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include Spanish. Local currency is the Costa Rican Colón (CRC). Our guide covers 1 airport, including Juan Santamaría International Airport. We also list 1 city in Costa Rica: San José.
The Volcano of the Arenal and the Hot Springs of the North
The volcano of Arenal, the perfect cone at the north of the country, dominates the whole region of the lake of its name, and although its eruptions have slowed, it remains the dramatic heart of the northern highlands. The area around the volcano holds the network of the hot springs that the thermal waters of the mountain feed, and the lodges and the spas of the region have turned the soaking pools into an art of the tropical night. The hanging bridges of the forest cross the canopy of the surrounding jungle, and the kayaks and the board sports of the lake add the water to the picture. The whole region is a model of the eco-tourism that the country has made its own, a comfortable base of the trails, the waterfalls and the wildlife that draws the majority of the visitors each year.
The Cloud Forest of Monteverde and the Walks of the Mist
The cloud forest of Monteverde, suspended on the ridge of the continental divide above the Gulf of Nicoya, is the most famous of the country's cloud-forest reserves, a wet, green, mist-wrapped world where the fog of the clouds condenses on the bromeliads and the mosses of the high branches. The trails of the reserve cross the hanging bridges and climb the towers of the canopy, and the wildlife of the forest, the quetzals with their impossibly long tails, the howler monkeys and the hummingbirds, is the true treasure of the region. The town of Santa Elena, the small, rain-soaked tourist centre of the mountain, holds the coffee farms, the dairies of the local hills and the galleries of the artisan crafts. It is cool, wet and profoundly beautiful, and the walks through the mist are among the most atmospheric of the continent.
The Corcovado and the Wild Coast of the Pacific
The Corcovado, on the Osa peninsula at the far south of the Pacific coast, is the wildest and the least touched of the country's great parks, a wet, isolated wilderness of the lowland rainforest that holds the largest concentration of the jaguars, the tapirs and the scarlet macaws of the region. The park is reached by the light aircraft and the boats of the coast, and the trails of its interior cross the rivers, the lagoons and the beaches where the crocodiles and the sea turtles meet the jungle. The lodges of the neighbouring farms and the coastline of the peninsula run the wildlife watching, the surfing and the simple beach life of the far south. It is the essential destination of the naturalists, and the reward for the effort is an encounter with the wildest of the country.
The Turtles of the Tortuguero and the Canals of the Caribbean
The north coast of the Caribbean holds the remote park of the Tortuguero, a network of the brackish canals, the rivers and the rainforest islands that runs along the shore of the Caribbean Sea, reachable only by the boats that follow the water highways of the region. The canals of the park are the domain of the manatees, the monkeys and the birds of the wetlands, and the beaches of the park, the nesting grounds of the green turtles of the region, draw the visitors of the season for the night watches of the nesting. The village of the same name, the small, sandy settlement at the edge of the park, is the base of the boat tours and the wildlife guides. The turtle nesting of the Tortuguero is one of the great natural events of the mainland of the Americas.
The Pura Vida, the Coffee and the Everyday of the Highlands
The everyday rhythm of the country is summed up in the famous phrase of the pura vida, the pure life, a greeting, a philosophy and a whole attitude to the pace of the day. The highlands of the centre, the green saddle between the volcanoes where the capital and the coffee lands spread, hold the working heart of the country, with the estates of the Tarrazu region producing some of the most prized beans of the world. The markets of the mountain towns sell the fresh fruits, the cheeses of the local farms and the crafts of the communities, and the small restaurants of the roadside serve the casado, the simple plate of the rice, the beans and the plantain. The welcome is warm, honest and unpretentious, and the quality of the everyday life is one of the main reasons the country is so beloved.
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- Capital
- San José
- Currency
- Costa Rican Colón (CRC)
- Languages
- Spanish
- Calling code
- +506
- Internet TLD
- cr
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Costa Rica.
Which nationalities can enter Costa Rica?
Current visa status for tourism for the origins we cover, with links to the detailed requirements.
Airports (1)
All airports →Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit Costa Rica?
For the origins we track, travellers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Italy currently enter Costa Rica visa-free for tourism, and 3 more origins are visa-free too. Entry rules depend on your passport and the purpose of your trip, so check the current requirements for your own nationality with our entry requirements tool.
What is the capital of Costa Rica?
San José is the capital of Costa Rica, and the country sits in North America.
What currency is used in Costa Rica?
You pay with Costa Rican Colón (CRC) in Costa Rica. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Costa Rica?
The languages we list for Costa Rica are Spanish. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Costa Rica?
The dialling code for Costa Rica is +506 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which airports serve Costa Rica?
Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San José is the airport we cover for Costa Rica.
Which cities in Costa Rica do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Costa Rica: San José (capital).