Costa Rica

Facts
Google
Costa Rica
Sources
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