Costa Rica

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If you are embarking on a Central or South American
journey and Costa Rica is one of your vacation stopovers,
then you certainly need to find a reliable Costa Rica
vacation guide book to make the most out of your stay. To
get a brief overview of what you should learn from a good
vacation guide book, read on and be armed with the basics.

Costa Rica is part of Central America and its neighboring
countries are Nicaragua on the north and Panama on the
south. On its western side, there are the beaches of the
Pacific Ocean and on its eastern side, there is the beautiful
Caribbean Sea.

You will be surprised to know that the best time to visit
Costa Rica is during the early parts of the rainy season of
May to July. Some towns in the country even experience an
elevation in terms of visitors, making the tourist officials
regard it as a ‘mini-high season’. During this period,
traveling might a bit more challenging due to the slight
downpours and rain showers. Pack your raingear and bit
more patience for the ultimate Costa Rican wild adventure.
There are many different regions in Costa Rica. There are
the Plains of the North, Guanacaste, Nicoya Peninsula,
Central Valley, Central Pacific, Caribbean Costa Rica,
South Costa Rica and Cocos Island National Park.

The capital city is Costa Rica is San Jose and their official
language is Spanish. Other cities in the country are
Alajuela which is the location of Juan Santamaría
International Airport, Cartago which is the country’s first
capital and Heredia where tourists can visit coffee
plantations. Quepos city is also notable as it is located in
the Central Pacific coast and is one of the entry points to
the Manuel Antonio National Park.

There are also the cities of Jacó which has a worldwide
reputation as a surfing paradise and where superb
resturant dining selection abounds, Liberia which is the
gateway to the fantastic beaches of Guanacaste and
Pochote which is located on Whale Bay near Puntarenas.
Costa Rica’s second largest international airport is also
located just outside of Liberia providing easy access.

Of course, an excellent Costa Rica vacation guide book
should not be quick to miss the cities of Puerto Limón
which considered the main city on the Caribbean side of
the country, Puntarenas where one can take the ferry
going to Nicoya Peninsula, Parismina which is located in
Tortuguero Canals and Tamarindo City which is also quite
famous as a beach haven for tourists.

Although English is widely used in some areas populated
by tourists and many businesses are operated by
European entrepreneurs, it is recommended that you learn
some Spanish and a few frequently used Costa Rican
expressions.

The Spanish words 'Ma'e' means 'dude' and is generally
used among friends; 'Pura Vida' literally means 'pure life'
but is used by Costa Ricans to express agreement or
enthusiasm. A 'pulpería' is a general merchandise store,
while if you hear the word ‘tuanis’, it should be an
expression of ‘okay’ for most natives.

Costa Rica is a beautiful tropical paradise that welcomes all
visitors seeking an escape from the hectic everyday stress
of urban life. The people are friendly and helpful in
providing you with a great vacation.



                 
 Costa Rican Vacation Guide