Travel to Costa Rica

Browse listings of  Home Exchange, Vacation Rentals, Homestay, B&B (furnished apartments, villas, cottages, condos, farmhouses and other types of accommodations) of Costa Rica:

Vacation Rentals

Home Exchange

Bed and Breakfast

Homestay

Last Minute Tips Before you Travel to Costa Rica

• Time Zone: GMT/UTC -6
• Electricity: 120V, 60 Hz (bring an adapter/transformer for your hair drier, laptop, cellular phone etc.)
• Currency:
• Country Dialing Code: 506

Must See - Properties on UNESCO World Heritage List

• Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park
• Cocos Island National Park
• Area de Conservación Guanacaste

Costa Rica

Location
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama

Capital
San Jose

Population
4,016,173 (July 2005 est.)

Regions
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose

Largest cities of Costa Rica
San José, Puerto Limón, San Francisco, Alajuela, Liberia, Paraíso, Puntarenas

Climate
tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands

Ethnic groups
white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%

Religions
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

Languages
Spanish (official), English

Government type
democratic republic

Background
Costa Rica is a Central American success story: since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred its democratic development. Although still a largely agricultural country, it has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism sectors. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.

Flag of Costa Rica
Costa Rica retained the earlier blue-white-blue flag of Central America until 1848 when, in response to revolutionary activity in Europe, it was decided to incorporate the French colors into the national flag and a central red stripe was added; today the blue color is said to stand for the sky, opportunity, and perseverance, white denotes peace, happiness, and wisdom, while red represents the blood shed for freedom, as well as the generosity and vibrancy of the people note: somewhat resembles the flag of North Korea; similar to the flag of Thailand but with the blue and red colors reversed.

Costa Rica Travel and Accommodation – Your Tips for Travelers

If you would like to share your experiences of traveling to Costa Rica or to any other country, please send us your article and we will gladly post it at this website.