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Costa Rica holidays & tours
Diverse wildlife and pura vida
The mere mention of Costa Rica is enough to have you daydreaming of tropical rainforests, cloud-shrouded volcanoes, and exotic wildlife. This is one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet, and whether you’re hiking through its lush interior or ziplining through the tree canopy, it’s a place where outdoor adventures reign supreme.
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Highlights of Costa Rica holidays
When you set off on holiday, Costa Rica will wow you with spectacular wildlife, culture and scenery.
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With its eponymous capital city, San José is where most travellers will enter the country. The lovely colonial city centre in well worth exploring, and don’t miss a visit to the dazzling Pre-Columbian Gold Museum. Elsewhere in this region you’ll find the Talamanca Mountains and, of course, several national parks.
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Key Costa Rica travel information
It takes just over 11 hours and 30 minutes to fly to San Jose in Costa Rica from the UK.
Costa Rica is in Central America in between the countries of Nicaragua in the north and Panama in the south.
The UK is six hours ahead of Costa Rica (seven hours ahead during British Summer Time).
British passport holders don’t need a visa to enter Costa Rica. You can stay as a visitor for up to 90 days, but your passport must be valid for the length of your stay. However, entry requirements can change so we recommend that you check before you travel. CIBT provide a useful tool to do this at CIBT Visas or you can visit GOV UK.
Despite its small size, Costa Rice has a variety of microclimates, which makes it difficult to typify the weather. It’s a tropical country so expect rain, especially between May and November. March through to May are usually the hottest months and the average annual temperature is between 21ºC and 27ºC.
The currency in Costa Rica is the Costa Rican colon (CRC or ₡), and each colon is divided into 100 centimos. CRC bills start at 1000, which is worth roughly £1.50. Large retailers accept major credit cards and you’ll find ATMs in most places (except very remote beach or jungle areas) for withdrawing cash.
Tipping is not always expected in Costa Rica but it is appreciated. Many restaurants will add a 10% surcharge to the bill, so it’s a good idea to check before paying. If you take a taxi, round up the fare to the nearest dollar unless you are on a long journey or the traffic is bad, in which case you should offer a bit more.
The official language is Spanish - in fact the Costa Ricans claim that they speak the purest Spanish in Latin America. English is also widely spoken in the main tourist areas.
Just over five million people currently live in Costa Rica, mainly concentrated in urban areas around San Jose in the central valley region.
Costa Rica is best known for its biodiversity. The country is home to an astonishing range of wildlife and is a hotspot for animal lovers looking to see sloths, jaguars and the famous red-eyed tree frog. It is also a popular destination for birdwatchers, with over 850 species including toucans, hummingbirds, macaws and the resplendent quetzal. Despite all these colourful topical birds, it is the clay-coloured thrush that is the country's national bird.
Costa Rica is also famous for its beaches, with incredible stretches of coastline on both the Pacific and the Caribbean sides.
Costa Rica is well known for its motto "pura vida", meaning "pure life". In Costa Rica, pura vida is a way of life. It is all about having a positive outlook and enjoying the simple things in life. It is often used as a greeting, a farewell or an expression.
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