Costa Rica Tours

• Costa Rica has coastlines on both the Pacific and Caribbean Sea. It borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south.
• More than 25% of land in Costa Rica is protected national parks and wildlife refuges.
• Costa Ricans refer to themselves as Ticos (males) and Ticas (females).
• There are approximately 120 volcanoes in Costa Rica and about 7 of those are active. • The dietary staples are rice and black beans.
• Chirripo Mountain is the tallest point at 12,500 feet, and the lowest point is 790 feet below sea level in the caves of Barra Honda National Park.
• The average wage for a labourer is approximately $10 (USD) per day—one of the highest rates in Central America.
• Many Costa Ricans are bilingual, speaking their native language of Spanish and also English.

Australian passport holders travelling to Costa Rica do not need a visa at this time.

We require that your passport is valid for travel for at least six months from the date you are planning to return to Australia. Your passport must be valid to travel internationally and must be machine-readable. You also need to carry a valid return ticket on you.

Whether travelling on an Australian passport or the passport of another country, all travellers require visas for a number of countries, and it is your responsibility to secure what may be required before departing Australia. You can consult with your travel agent, but it is also recommended that you check the foreign embassy website for your respective destination as it can also provide you with useful information.

The Australian Embassy in Mexico is responsible for Costa Rica:

Ruben Dario 55, Polanco
Colonia Bosque de Chapultepec, CP
11580 Mexico City
Ph: +52 55 1101 2200
Fax: +52 55 1101 2201

Australian Honorary Consulate in Costa Rica:

Third Floor, Oficentro Torre La Sabana
La Sabana, San José
Ph: +506 8995 9900

The official currency of Costa Rica is the Costa Rica Colon (CRC; symbol ₡.) Notes come in denominations of ₡50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000 and 1,000. Ensure you change a small amount into small denominations.

The recommended currency to take to Central America is the USD. Advise your bank of your travel plans so that they can make a note of it, otherwise they may cancel your credit card as a safety measure due to the overseas transactions. Also make a note of the 24-hour emergency contact number of the bank or building society which issued your credit card in the unlikely event that your card is lost or stolen.

Whenever possible use ATMs when the banks are open (Mon – Fri) so that if a machine ‘eats’ your card you can then deal with it straight away. It is always advisable to carry a supply of cash in addition to your credit card.

If you don’t have Costa Rica Colon with you on arrival, we advise you to exchange some money into the local currency at the airport even if the exchange rate is not the best, this way you’ll have money to get a drink, snack or give a tip during those first few hours of arrival. Your guide will be able to advise you on the best places to exchange money.

Small change is also useful for paying for toilets while on tour which is customary in many places outside of Australia.

• The price of a cappuccino in Costa Rica is approximately $2.75 USD
• The price of an inexpensive lunch is approximately $9.50 USD
• The price dinner in a moderate restaurant is approximately $23 USD
• The price of a beer in a local pub is approximately $3.50 USD

Along with most Central American countries, rice and beans are a staple food in Costa Rica. Many dishes include a variation of meat with rice. Due to its location on both the Pacific coast and Caribbean coast, it’s no surprise that seafood features heavily on the menu. Local dishes worth trying are ceviche (raw fish marinated in lime juice, coriander and capsicum); pargo (red snapper) and corvina (sea bass). Casado is the name given to a plate of rice, meat or fish and a coleslaw type salad. Salsa Lizano is a delicious sauce made of vegetables and is slightly sweet, known as Costa Rican ketchup! Costa Rica has a wonderful array of fresh fruit—papaya, mango, banana, pineapple, strawberries—and some new fruit to try, such as guanabana, anona (custard fruit) and pejibaye fruit. Unlike other Central American countries, Costa Rica offers quite a variety for vegetarians, too.

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in Costa Rica due to its top quality, as is beer, wine and refrescos (refreshing drinks usually made with water or milk and fruit). There are 8 national beers, although the most widely sold are Imperial and Pilsen.

Important: When dining at buffets (i.e. breakfast) please refrain from taking food away with you to ‘save’ for later!  If you feel that you’ll need snacks between meals, pack some dried fruit, nuts, muesli bars etc.

If you have specific food allergies and/or preferences, we highly recommend you take every precaution before your tour, including carrying a small card with your food allergy listed in each language of every country you are travelling to show to table staff when ordering. Whilst we take all dietary requirements seriously, due to the serious nature of potential allergic reactions, it is your responsibility to be as prepared as possible.

Like many other Central American countries, Costa Rica has two pronounced seasons—a wet season and a dry season. The dry season is the ideal time to visit Costa Rica, which runs roughly from November/December through to the end of April. The wet season runs from May through to November and is characterised by almost daily rain showers in the afternoons. The scenery is generally prettier during this time, as the rain brings the countryside to a lush green. Temperatures are tropical all year round, although the higher in altitude you go, the cooler and less steamy it gets.

Want to get out and explore on your own?

In San Jose, taxis are freely available on the streets. They should all have a meter and it is illegal for the taxi driver not to use the meter, so make sure it is on before you drive off. Walking is also a great way to explore local cities and towns.

When catching taxis, make sure you have small change on you and choose one with a meter, if it doesn’t have one then negotiate the price before getting in. We recommend you ask your guide or hotel staff the names of reputable taxi companies.

So, you’d love to bring home a special souvenir from Costa Rica…

Surprisingly, there is a lack of local handcrafted items for sale in Costa Rica and many of the locally made souvenirs are made from wood. It’s advisable to be very careful before deciding to purchase a wooden artefact, especially as these are usually tropical woods that may be confiscated by customs when you return to Australia. Also, any items made from coral or tortoise shell should be avoided. Sealed bags of roasted coffee are a lovely reminder of your trip. The markets also have replica pre-Colombian earrings and pendants for sale, which are usually gold plated. Indonesian style batiked fabric and clothing is available in the resort beach towns.

• Costa Ricans are generally polite people, they like to greet each other with eye contact, a smile and a hello.
• People can be uncomfortable about having their photo taken, especially in local villages, so always ask permission first
• On most restaurant bills a 10% tip is automatically added to the total, so leaving an extra tip is not necessary unless you choose.
• Public toilet facilities are not great, so it’s a good idea to keep some tissues or toilet paper with you for emergencies!
• Costa Ricans view boasting, public displays of anger or impatience or raising your voice in public as bad manners.

Costa Rica may be a Catholic country, but its people absolutely know how to party. Oftentimes they even use religious holidays as an excuse to do so.

Small festivals take place throughout the country all year round, but the celebrations ramp up during the holiday season, and involve everything from bullfighting and carnival rides to fireworks, marimba music, feasts, and jubilant dancing. Zapote, which happens in the eponymous neighborhood in San José, is the biggest of these festivals and features elaborate rollercoasters and the largest bullfights of the year. Palmares—Costa Rica’s equivalent of Octoberfest—is the longest party of the year. And down on the Southern Pacific coast, the traditions of the area’s indigenous people are honored during the Fiestas de Los Diablitos.

Other national public holidays to be aware of include:

• New Year’s Day
• Saint Joseph’s Day (16 Mar)
• Good Friday
• Assumption Day
• Cultures National Day
• Easter
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Christmas Day