Welcome to Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a small country, approx 51,100 square kilometres (19,700 sq miles) located in the tropics, specifically in the Central American isthmus, lying between latitudes 8° and 12°N, and longitudes 82° and 86°W. Its limits are the Caribbean Sea (to the east) and the Pacific Ocean (to the west), with a total of 1,290 kilometers (800 miles) of coastline, 212 km (132 mi) on the Caribbean coast and 1,016 km (631 miles) on the Pacific. Also bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the southeast. It's diversed topography and elongated shape, along with the influence of different wind sistems make this country a biological paradise for nature lovers and active travellers. The diversity of its tropical flora and fauna makes it a great place for ecotourism. The warm and kind people are always open to help. Costa Rica has been recognized as one of the best destinations of the world. We invite you to enjoy this natural paradise with us.

Basic Information

The Capital: San José. Administrative division: 7 Provinces/ 82 cantones/ 463 districts.

The Highest Point: Cerro Chirripo(3,820 m.s.n.m ) (12532 feet above sea level).

The Highest Volcano: Irazu (3,432 meters above sea level).

Language: Spanish. Indigenuos languages spoken as well.

Electricity: The nationwide voltage is 110-v AC.

Water: The water is safe to drink in most areas of the country.

Time Zone: Costa Rica is on Central Standard Time (GMT -6), but does not observe daylight saving time.

Weather

Costa Rica's climate periods are defined by how much it rains during a particular period and not to the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere. The year can be split into two periods, the dry: known by the residents as summer, and the rainy: known locally as winter. The dry period goes from December through April and the rainy period goes from May through November, however this climate pattern is only for certain regions of the country, several other areas have different climatic conditions where it rains constantly like the northern region, caribbean lowlands and foothills, south pacific region, in general microclimates are determined by elevation, rainfall and topography.