Costa Rica Vacations Packages | Costa Rica Tourism | Costa Rica Hotels | Costa Rica Attractions

Costa Rica Vacations Packages | Costa Rica Tourism | Costa Rica Hotels | Costa Rica Attractions

Costa Rica Vacations Packages
Costa Rica Vacations Packages

About Costa Rica:

Costa Rica Tourism
Costa Rica Tourism
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Costa Rica constitutionally abolished its army permanently in 1949. It is the only Latin American country in the list of the world's 22 older democracies. Costa Rica has consistently been among the top Latin American countries in the Human Development Index (HDI), ranked 69th in the world in 2011.


Costa Rica was cited by the United Nations United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2010 as one of the countries that have attained much higher human development than other countries at the same income levels, and in 2011 was highlighted by UNDP for being a good performer on environmental sustainability and having a better record on human development and inequality than the median of their region. It was also the only country to meet all five criteria established to measure environmental sustainability. The country is ranked fifth in the world, and first among the Americas, in terms of the 2012 Environmental Performance Index.

In 2007, the Costa Rican government announced plans for Costa Rica to become the first carbon-neutral country by 2021. The New Economics Foundation (NEF) ranked Costa Rica first in its 2009 Happy Planet Index, and once again in 2012. The NEF also ranked Costa Rica in 2009 as the greenest country in the world. In 2012 Costa Rica became the first country in the American continent to ban recreational hunting after the country’s legislature approved the popular measure by a wide margin.

Costa Rica Weather:



Geography of Costa Rica:

Costa Rica is located on the Central American isthmus, lying between latitudes 8° and 12°N, and longitudes 82° and 86°W. It borders the Caribbean Sea (to the east) and the Pacific Ocean (to the west), with a total of 1,290 kilometres (800 mi) of coastline, 212 km (132 mi) on the Caribbean coast and 1,016 km (631 mi) on the Pacific.

Costa Rica also borders Nicaragua to the north (309 km or 192 mi of border) and Panama to the south-southeast (639 km or 397 mi of border). In total, Costa Rica comprises 51,100 square kilometres (19,700 sq mi) plus 589 square kilometres (227 sq mi) of territorial waters.

The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripó, at 3,819 metres (12,530 ft); it is the fifth highest peak in Central America. The highest volcano in the country is the Irazú Volcano (3,431 m or 11,257 ft). The largest lake in Costa Rica is Lake Arenal.

Costa Rica also comprises several islands. Cocos Island (24 square kilometres / 9.3 square miles) stands out because of its distance from continental landmass, 300 mi (480 km) from Puntarenas, but Calero Island is the largest island of the country (151.6 square kilometres / 58.5 square miles). Over 25% of Costa Rica's national territory is protected by SINAC (the National System of Conservation Areas), which oversees all of the country's protected areas. Costa Rica also possesses the greatest density of species in the world.

Flag of Costa Rica:

Flag of Costa Rica
Flag of Costa Rica

Costa Rica Vacations Packages | Costa Rica Tourism | Costa Rica Hotels | Costa Rica Attractions | About Costa Rica | Geography of Costa Rica | Costa Rica Weather | Flag of Costa Rica

Costa Rica Attractions

Costa Rica Attractions:

Tourism in Costa Rica is one of the fastest growing economic sectors of the country and by 1995 became the largest foreign exchange earner. Since 1999, tourism earns more foreign exchange than bananas, pineapples and coffee exports combined.

Since the late 1980s Costa Rica became a popular nature travel destination, and its main competitive advantage is its well-established system of national parks and protected areas, covering around 23.4% of the country's land area, the largest in the world as a percentage of the country's territory, and home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, in a country that has only 0.03% of the world's landmass, but that is estimated to contain 5% of the world's biodiversity. The country also has plenty of beaches, both in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, within short travel distances, and also several volcanoes that can be visited with safety. By the early 1990s, Costa Rica became known as the poster child of ecotourism, with tourist arrivals reaching an average annual growth rate of 14% between 1986 to 1994. According to the Costa Rican Tourism Board, 46% of international tourists visiting the country in 2009 engaged in activities related to ecotourism, which includes trekking, flora, fauna, and bird watching, and visits to rural communities. However, most visitors look for adventure activities. Costa Rica was included by Ethical Traveler magazine in the 2011 and the 2012 list of The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations.

Costa Rica Ecotourism:

Costa-Rica-Ecotourism

Costa Rica Ecotourism

Ecotourism is extremely popular with the many tourists visiting the extensive national parks and protected areas around the country. Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism and the country is recognized as one of the few with real ecotourism. As of 2006, a total of 54% international tourists visited national parks or protected areas, visiting at least two such natural refuges, and it goes up to three for European visitors.

In recent years, several of its top travel service providers have been internationally recognized for their commitment to planet-positive tourism. Examples include Nature Air and Hotel Punta Islita as winners of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, sponsored by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), and Lapa Rios Ecolodge as winner of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Standard-Setter.

The "Bandera Azul" Program:

Implemented in 1996 and inspired in a similar program developed in Europe in 1985, the "Bandera Azul Ecológica" (Ecological Blue Flag) Program is intended to promote development while curbing the negative impacts of mass tourism by helping the local community to work against pollution and protecting the environment. The program evaluates the environmental quality of coastal areas, in terms of the quality of the beaches and sea water, access and quality of drinking water, water and waste management, security, and environmental education. Depending on the degree of compliance against the optimal criteria established, a certain number of stars are awarded to the Blue Flag. After the first evaluation, ten beaches were awarded the distinction, which usually is highly publicized to potential visitors. In 2008, based on the evaluation carried out in 2007, 59 beaches kept the distinction while eight beaches lost it. In 2009, out of 81 applicants, only 61 beaches won the distinction, and just two obtained the maximum 5 stars, Playa Blanca in Punta Leona and Playa Langosta in Santa Cruz.

Voluntary Certification Program:

Developed in 1997 by the Costa Rican Tourism Board, the public agency responsible for tourism development and regulation in the country, a voluntary Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program (known as CST) was introduced in order to turn "the concept of sustainability into something real" by "improving the way in which the natural and social resources are utilized, to motivate the active participation of the local communities, and to support the competitiveness of the business sector." The program was aimed for all types of businesses in the tourism industry, but it began only with lodging providers. By 2007, a total of 108 parameters are considered for the CST evaluation. As of October 2009, out of approximately 3,000 hotels and tours operators, only 105 have a Certification for Sustainable Tourism. Some tour operators in the U.S. and Europe promote several small hotels that hold this certification through their travel packages.

Ethical Traveler Destination:

Costa Rica was included in both the 2011 and 2012 lists of The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations. This is an annual ranking produced by Ethical Traveler magazine, which is based on a study of developing nations from around the world to identify the best tourism destinations among them. The benchmarking uses categories such as environmental protection, social welfare, and human rights.

Costa Rica was absent from the list for several years because World Vision considered the country among the world's most notorious destinations for sexual predators. Even though the problem has not completely disappeared, Ethical Traveler included Costa Rica back on the 2011 list of ethical destinations due to the government's serious efforts to address human trafficking through increased public awareness campaigns, creating a new office devoted to human trafficking, and training officials.

Costa Rica Beaches and Adventure:

Most of the main attractions are nature related, a combination of ecotourism with leisure and adventure activities: sun, sea and sand (55%); flora and wildlife watching (44%); visiting volcanoes (43%); trekking (41%); bird watching (30%); canopy tours (26%);bungee jumping from bridges (11%); surfing (11%); snorkeling (10%); and rafting (7%). Cultural activities such as visiting museums, art galleries and theaters corresponds to 11%, and business travel corresponds to 17%.

Seven Costa Rican resorts were included in the 2012 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards, ranking among the top 15 resorts in Central and South America. The resorts are:
Xandari Resort and Spa (2), 
Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo (3), 
Hotel Punta Islita (8), 
El Silencio Lodge and Spa (9), 
Los Sueños Marriott Ocean and Golf Resort (11), 
Arenas del Mar (12) 
and the Westin Playa Conchal, Resort and Spa at Playa Conchal (15). 

The award selection is based on surveys among the magazine's subscribers, who evaluate the resort's quality of rooms, service, food, location, design, and activities. Two hotels were also chosen by the magazine readers among the top 5 in Central America Hotel Grano de Oro (3) in San José and Hotel Villa Caletas (4) in Puntarenas Central Pacific.

Costa Rica Attractions1

Costa Rica Attractions2


Costa Rica Attractions, Costa Rica Ecotourism, The "Bandera Azul" Program, Voluntary Certification Program, Ethical Traveler Destination, Costa Rica Beaches and Adventure

Costa Rica Cities | Cities of Costa Rica

Costa-Rica-Cities
Costa Rica Cities

Costa Rica is filled with picturesque cities & towns like Sarchi where you will find pretty handicrafts, Arenal famous for its active volcano, Alajuela home of the Poas Volcano, & Puerto Viejo de Limon known for its laid-back Caribbean atmosphere.

Soon on this web page you will find information about different Costa Rica cities & towns in case you need information about a specific place let us know they will be over glad to assist you with any information you may need.

San José:

San-José-Costa-Rica
San José Costa Rica
San José is the capital of Costa Rica. It is located in the central part of the country, and borders (clockwise beginning in the north) the provinces of Alajuela, Heredia, Limón, Cartago and Puntarenas. The provincial capital is San José. The province covers an area of 4,965.9 km². and has a population of 1,404,242.

San José has plenty of attractive theatres, plenty of with European-inspired architecture. These buildings serve as the city's main tourist attractions; not only because of the architectural beauty, but because of the numerous cultural, musical, & artistic presentations & activities, which include traditional & modern Costa Rican & San José culture.

The most well-known are:

  • The National Theatre of Costa Rica (Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica).
  • The Melico Salazar Theatre (Teatro Popular Melico Salazar).
  • The National Auditorium of The Children's Museum of Costa Rica (Museo de los Niños).
  • The National Theatre (Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica) and the Melico Salazar Theatre present drama, dance performances and concerts throughout the year. Nevertheless, other 'smaller' theatres can be found throughout the city and provide a large array of entertainment.

Teatro Variedades is San José's oldest theatre.

San-José-Costa-Rica1
San-José-Costa-Rica1
San José is home to many parks and squares (plazas in Spanish); where one can find gazebos, open green areas, recreational areas, lakes, fountains, statues and sculptures by Costa Rican artists and many different bird, tree and plant species.

Some of the main Parks are:

  • The National Park (Parque Nacional)
  • Morazán Park; where you can find the Temple of Music (Templo de la Música)
  • San José Central Park (Parque Central)
  • La Sabana Metropolitan Park (Parque Metropolitano La Sabana)
  • Peace Park (Parque de la Paz)
  • Parque Okayama, which contains Japanese inspired architecture, artificial lakes, and sculptures.

San José's largest park and perhaps the city's most iconic is La Sabana Metropolitan Park. It is located in the western part of the city, in the district of 'Mata Redonda'.

Plazas, or squares, are very prominent in San José. La Plaza de La Cultura, literally 'Culture Square', is one example.

Simón Bolivar Zoo is the city's only zoological institution, and includes a large variety of species of animals and plants, both national and international.

Cartago:

Cartago-Costa-Rica
Cartago Costa Rica
Cartago is a city in Costa Rica, about 25 km (16 mi) east of the capital, San José. It is at an elevation of about 1435 m (some 4,707 ft) above sea level, at the base of the Irazú Volcano. Cartago is the capital of Cartago province. The city covers an area of 152,68 km². It includes the districts of city downtown: Oriental, Occidental (known as the typical downtown area), San Nicolás (the main entrance to the city, at west), El Carmen (north), Dulce Nombre, San Francisco (at south, San Francisco is known commonly as Aguacaliente), and Guadalupe (Arenilla). The city is part, with the cities of San Rafael de Oreamuno and Tejar del Guarco, of a continuous urban area that, in 2008, had a population of 156,600 inhabitants, according to the Statistics and Census Institute of Costa Rica.

Dominical:

Dominical
Dominical
Dominical is the South Pacific coast's largest city, among brilliantly biodiversity & natural beauty. Dominical is a beach-front town in the province of Puntarenas in Costa Rica about 45 km south of Quepos. It is famous for giant, year-round waves & is widely known by most surfers in Costa Rica. The town began as a little fishing village but has since grown in to a tourist location, most notably for surfers.

Access from the capital, San José can be by San Isidro de El General to the east or down the coast from Quepos. Although similar in distance, the trip down the coast is much faster due to the winding nature of the inland route. The area between Quepos and Dominical is dotted with African oil palm plantations producing palm oil. Farther south are the villages of Uvita, Ojochal, Coronado on the Costanera Highway.

Dominical-Map
Dominical-Map
The number attraction in Dominical is the beach & ocean. There is all the amenities to help you enjoy a safe & exhilarating time. Lifeguards are not a given in Costa Rica. Children are not taught to swim & the Red Cross comes to the beach only two or thrice a year for a few days (& then without ocean safety provisions). Funding continuously challenges the professionally trained Dominical Lifeguards program as they are wholly donation funded. This mean these shepherds of the sea are always happy to accept donations from travelers of surf fins, red swim trunks, sunscreen, floats, cans, & \. Preventative measures are strong (training, public awareness, manning the lifeguard tower & walking /running the beach) as strong waves need alert beach-goers & fortunately there's Lifeguards in Dominical, dedicated to serving both national & international visitors. Everyone is encouraged to visit the Dominical Lifeguards official web-site to keep current with the program (plenty of Dominical Surf Pics). The Annual 4th of July Sunday Lifeguards Fundraiser Extravaganza at Roca Verde Hotel/Bar/Restaurant has live music, Auction, Kid's Games, Surfing, Beach Party, & a giant BBQ with "Tooo Much" Fixin's.

Fishing & Waterfalls tie for second in area attractions. Ziplines, caves, horseback riding, yoga, massage, socializing, & hiking are as well favorites here. Parque Reptilandia has local snakes & frogs & a crocodile & a Komodo Dragon for a unique experience. Hacienda Baru has fascinating eco tours including a night venture.

Being less than five miles from Marino Ballena National Park, whales are seen along the shoreline 9 months of the year. Thus, whale watching tours are popular & normally successful. This piece of the Pacific Ocean is of only places in the world where whales from the Northern Hemisphere & those from the Southern Hemisphere meet (the other is in North Africa). The Humpback is the star of the show, but six other species are also common.

Alajuela:

AlajuelaCostaRica
AlajuelaCostaRica
Alajuela is the second largest city in Costa Rica after the capital, San José. It is also the capital of the namesake province. Because of its location in the Costa Rican Central Valley, Alajuela is nowadays englobed in the conurbation of Great Metropolitan Area (GAM). The city is the birthplace of Juan Santamaría, the national hero of Costa Rica and the figure who gives the name to the country's main international airport, which is located south of Alajuela downtown.




Heredia:

HerediaCostaRica
HerediaCostaRica
Heredia is a city located in the Heredia province of Costa Rica and is the capital of that province. It is currently undergoing a rapid process of industrialization and is located 10 kilometers north of the country's capital, San José.

The city is home to one of the largest colleges in Costa Rica, the National University of Costa Rica, that accepts many international students.





Liberia:

Liberia is the capital and largest city of Guanacaste province, Costa Rica, located 215 kilometres (134 mi) northwest of the national capital, San José. Liberia is often called "la ciudad blanca" (the white city) by its residents because of the white gravel once used to make the city’s roads and the whitewashed colonial houses that once made up a large part of the city.

Tourists pass through Liberia en route to Pacific Coast beaches such as Playa del Coco, Playa Hermosa, Playa Tamarindo or the Papagayo Peninsula. An African safari attraction or zoo called "Africa Mia" is four kilometers south of town. The Museo de Sabanero is also located in Liberia.

With over 35,000 inhabitants, Liberia is the regional hub of the Costa Rican northwest. The city middle features a contemporary church, as plenty of Costa Rican towns do, facing a plaza surrounded by locally-owned shops and restaurants. Liberia is also home to an expo that takes place in the month of July, celebrating the annexation of Guanacaste Province on 25 July 1824.

Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park is located to the northeast of Liberia. Volcanic hot springs, bubbling clay pots, and numerous waterfalls and rivers may be found along the park's plenty of kilometres of hiking trails. Hot springs are also located to the southeast of Liberia along the west slopes of Miravalles volcano.

The Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport is six kilometres west of the city, following the road to Nicoya. This is the second international airport in the country, after the Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, and serves a variety of cities in the United States and Canada, as well as London.

The Liberia River bears the same name as the town.

Puerto Limón:

Puerto Limón Costa Rica
Puerto Limón Costa Rica
Puerto Limón, commonly known as Limón (Spanish for "lemon"), is the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the cantón (county) of Limón in Costa Rica. It has a population of about 60,000 (including surrounding towns), and is home to a thriving Afro-Caribbean community. Part of the community traces its roots to Jamaican laborers who worked on a late nineteenth-century railroad project that connected San José to Puerto Limón. Other parts of the population trace their roots to the Nicaraguan, Panamanian, and Colombian turtle-hunters who eventually settled along the Province of Limón's coast. Until 1948, the Costa Rican government did not recognize Afro-Caribbean people as citizens and restricted their movement outside Limón province. As a result of this "travel ban", this Afro-Caribbean population became firmly established in the region, which influenced the decision to not move even after it was legally permitted. The Afro-Caribbean community speaks Spanish and Limonese Creole, a creole of English.

Puerto Limón contains two port terminals, Limón and Moín, which permit the shipment of Costa Rican exports (primarily banana) as well as the anchoring of cruise ships. Health care is provided for the city by Hospital Dr. Tony Facio Castro. Two small islands, Uvita Island and Isla de Pájaros, are just offshore.

Puntarenas:

Puntarenas
Puntarenas
Puntarenas (Pointsands, from "punta arenas", or "sand point" in Spanish) is the capital and largest city in the province Puntarenas, Costa Rica, at the Pacific coast. The eponymous and oddly shaped province has its largest section in the South, far from the capital.

Some 100,000 live in the city and close towns. With beaches on the Pacific Ocean, it also attracts many tourists, especially surfers. It is also a possible stopover point for the tourist destination Monteverde, to the northwest.

Its port, Caldera, is one of the main ports in the country. Also, regularly scheduled ferries carry vehicles from Puntarenas to the Nicoya Peninsula

Quesada:

Quesada
Quesada
Quesada is the largest city by far in the country's North, surrounded by hot springs popular with Costa Rican vacationers. Ciudad Quesada (Quesada City) is a capital of the district of Quesada in the cantón of San Carlos in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. Although Ciudad Quesada is the official name (formerly La Unión), it is commonly called San Carlos (like the canton) so as to generalize the whole area. Nevertheless, Ciudad Quesada is the most populated city of the canton of San Carlos.

The city is the region's economic and political center. This is especially true with regards to economic agriculture and dairy activity. Ciudad Quesada and adjacent areas produces 65% of all the milk that the nation of Costa Rica utilizes.There are several hot springs in the area, some of which have developed into resorts, attracting Costa Ricans and foreign tourists.

Costa Rica Cities, Cities of Costa Rica, San José, Cartago, Dominical, Alajuela, Heredia, Liberia, Puerto Limón, Puntarenas, Quesada