| Climate:
Costa Rica
is a tropical country and experiences only two seasons: wet and dry. The
dry season is generally between late December and April, and the wet season
lasts the rest of the year. The Carribean coast tends to be wet all year.
Temperatures vary little between seasons, the main influence on temperature
is altitude. The coasts are very hot and humid, with the Caribbean averaging
21 degrees Celsius at night and over 30 degrees Celsius during the day,
the Pacific is a few degrees warmer still. Topography:
Costa
rica is bordered to the north by Nicaragua and to the south by Panamá.
It has has both a Caribberan and a Pacific coast. A series of volcanic
mountain chains runs from the Nicaraguan border in the south east, splitin
the country in two, In the center of these ranges is a high-atlitude plain,
with coastal lowlands on either side. The Caribbean coast is 132 miles
long and pacific coast is 635 miles long.
Government:
Costa Rica
is a democratically elected republic. Elections are held every four years.
Time zone:
Costa Rica
is the same as U.S. central standard time but does not observe daylight
savings time.
Language:
Spanish is
the official language. English is spoken in tourist areas throughout the
country.
Taxes:
There is
a 13% sales tax at hoteles, reastaurants and most service industries,
and an additional 3% tourist tax at hotels.
Population:
Costa Rica
has a population of 3,5 million people. Over fifty percent live in central
valley which comprises 4% of the entire country.
Electricity:
110 - volt
AC is found nationwild. A few outlying areas use their own power source
so check ahead before travelling.
Communications:
Direct-dial
telephone service, facsimile, telex, radio and cable television are all
aviable. Bilingual operator assistance for international calls is -116,
Local information -113, Long distance information -124.
Telephone:
Direct-dial
service is efficient and there are more telephones per capita than in
any other Latin American country. Many international long distance services
are aviable. Check with your hotel front desk for more information.
Currency
exchange:
The official
currency is the Colon and is easier to use than dollars. US dollars areaccepted throughout the country. Currency can be exchnged at banks. Most
hotelshave an exchange counter. You can also exchange money at the International
Airport.The currency rate fluctuates without notice.
Credit
cards and Travelers checks:
Most
major credit cards are accepted throughout the country, but some smaller businesses will only accept local currency. Travelers checks can be easily
cashedbut some will only accept a certain kind.
|
See more Hotel Pictures
