Costa RIca Travel Planner - (Page 15)

Costa Rica In Brief Land: Costa Rica, almost the size of West Virginia, stretches 288 miles north to south, with 631 miles of Pacific coastline and 132 miles on the Caribbean side. The total land mass is 19,750 sq. miles, and the neighboring countries are Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the east-southeast. People: According to the CIA World Factbook (2013), Costa Rica has a population of 4,695,942, of which 94 percent are white or mestizo (mostly Spanish ancestry with significant number of Italian, German, Jewish and Italian descent). Three percent of the people are black, 1 percent Amerindian, and 1 percent other. Capital: San Jose Provinces: Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Punta Arenas and San Jose Entry documents: For maximum stays of 90 days, no visa is required for U.S. or Canadian tourists, only a passport valid 30 days beyond the expected exit date. Weather: The tourist high season, December through April, is also the dry season, and one can mostly depend on clear, sunny weather. The rainy season takes a while to get started in May, often diminishing totally in July. The rainy months in Guanacaste on the Pacific coast are October and November, and on the Caribbean coast, the only predictably dry months are September and October. Temperatures vary according to altitude: 50-60°F in the highlands; an average of 78°F in the Central Valley; and from 85-95°F at sea level. Time: Same as U.S. Central Time (GMT-6); daylight savings time is not observed. Peninsula Papagayo. Language: Spanish is the official language, but English is widely spoken. Health requirements: No immunizations are required at this time. Potable water is available at all lodging locations. Country code: 506 Electric current: 110 volts, 60 cycles Money matters: The currency unit is the Colon, and prices are quoted in colones (approximately 500 colones to US$1). ATMs are available at the airports and in major towns. All major credit cards are accepted; Visa is the most widely accepted, followed by MasterCard. Shopping cart: The best buys in Costa Rica are reproductions of pre-Columbian gold jewelry, ceramics, masks carved by the indigenous Boruca people, and wood crafts from salad bowls to the signature painted oxcarts, coffee and coffee products. Departure tax: $29 Information please: Costa Rica Institute of Tourism; (866) COSTA RICA or visitcostarica.com GETTING THERE BY AIR GETTING AROUND BY AIR To San Jose: Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), located 12 miles from San Jose. The following airlines offer service to San Jose: Air Canada from Toronto, (800) 630-3299, aircanada.com; American Airlines from Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami and New York (JFK), (800) 433-7300, aa.com; Delta Air Lines from Atlanta, (800) 221-1212, delta.com; JetBlue from Fort Lauderdale, (800) 538-2583, jetblue.com; Spirit Airlines from Ft. Lauderdale, (800) 772-7117, spirit.com; TACA from Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New York (JFK), Miami, and Washington, D.C., (800) 400-8222, taca.com; United Airlines from Houston and New York (EWR), (800) 231-0856, united.com; and US Airways from Charlotte and Ft. Lauderdale, (800) 428-4322, usairways.com. To Liberia: Daniel Obduber International Airport (LIR), located eight miles from Liberia. The following airlines offer service to Liberia: American Airlines from Dallas and Miami; Delta Air Lines from Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York (JFK); United Airlines from Houston, and US Airways from Charlotte. Nature Air (natureair.com) and Sansa (flysansa.com) are the two major domestic carriers, serving more than a dozen destinations throughout the country. Privately owned Nature Air operates from the domestic terminal, Tobias Bolanos Airport (four miles from San Jose), although in recent years many of its domestic flights are going in and out of the Juan Santamaria International Airport to facilitate connecting to international flights. Government-subsidized Sansa operates from Juan Santamaria International Airport. Baggage allowances on both these carriers are 12 kgs. and 11 kgs., respectively. GETTING AROUND BY RENTAL CAR Leading international car rental companies have franchises in Costa Rica, along with several excellent local rental companies. Drivers must be over 21 years old. When checking out a rented car, drivers must submit a valid U.S. or Canadian license. To qualify for unlimited mileage, cars must be rented for a minimum of three days. Insurance is mandatory, as is a collision damage waiver. 15 14-15 SpaGetting.indd 15 1/21/14 1:35 PM http://www.visitcostarica.com http://www.natureair.com http://www.flysansa.com http://www.aircanada.com http://www.aa.com http://www.delta.com http://www.jetblue.com http://www.spirit.com http://www.taca.com http://http:// http://www.united.com http://www.usairways.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Costa RIca Travel Planner

Going Green
Rainforest Rambles
Beach Bound
Best of Both Worlds
Family Holidays
Romantico
A Natural Playground
48 Hours in San Jose
Ahhhh, the Spa
Costa Rica in Brief
Getting There & Around

Costa RIca Travel Planner