Geography
Costa Rica is bordered to the north by Nicaragua and to the southeast by Panama. It has a Pacific and a Caribbean coastline, separated by a backbone of volcanoes and mountains, an extension of the Andes-Sierra Madre chain, which runs along the western side of the Americas. Lying on the Pacific “Rim of Fire” Costa Rica has seven of the Central American isthmus’s 42 active volcanoes, plus dozens of dormant and extinct cones. The country’s highest point is Mount Chirripo (3820m.). To the northeast of the volcanic highlands the hot, wet Caribbean coast stretches for 212km/131 miles and consists of mangrove swamp and intracoastal waterways. To the west the much more extensive Pacific coast is drier and more rugged, its 1016 km/ 631 miles length composed of rocky headlands, sandy beaches and off-shore islands. This small country, only 51,100 square kilometres/ 19700 square miles in area has a tremendous variety of landscape and tropical habitat giving rise to some of the most varied fauna on the planet. Costa Rica is world renowned for its efforts in conservation and has no less than 36 national parks and wildlife refuges. These, together with buffer zones around the parks account for over 25% of the total land area of the country. The capital, San Jose, lies in the middle of the fertile Central Valley where almost two-thirds of the three and a half million population live.

Time Zone
The time in Costa Rica is GMT -6 hours.

Climate
Costa Rica is a tropical country which contains several distinct climatic zones. There is no winter or summer as such and most regions have a rainy season from May to October and a dry season from November to April. There is very little rain during the dry season in the highlands and on the northern Pacific coast. Rainfall is greater on the southern end of the Pacific coast and on the Caribbean coast. Temperature is more a matter of elevation than location, with a mean of around 22 degrees centigrade in the Central Valley and 32 degrees centigrade on the Pacific coast.

History
There are very few signs of pre-Columbian cultures in Costa Rica and when Columbus arrived in Limon in September 1502 on his third voyage to the Americas, there were probably no more than 20,000 indigenous inhabitants. Several early attempts to colonise the Atlantic coast failed, mainly due to swamps and disease, and for half a century Costa Rica was overlooked while the Spanish colonised countries to the north and south. Central America gained independence from Spain on 15 September 1821 but news reached Costa Rica a month after the event. After a short conflict with Mexico, Juan Mora Fernandez was elected the country’s first head of state in 1824. His progressive administration expanded public education and encouraged the cultivation of coffee, which led to the establishment of the new Costa Rican elite, the coffee barons. After several eras of political turmoil Jose (Don Pepe) Figueres Ferrer came to power in 1948. He banned the Communist Party, gave women the vote and granted full citizenship to blacks, and also abolished the armed forces. He died in 1990 a national hero, for his deeds set the scene for the social and economic progress that has earned Costa Rica the reputation as the most peaceful and stable country in Central America.

Currency
Costa Rica’s unit of currency is the Colon. As of February 2006, the exchange rates are:

£1 = 877 Colons
$1 = 502 Colons
€1 = 597 Colons

It is not necessary to purchase local currency outside the country. Your travel money should be carried in the form of cash or travellers cheques in US dollars. US dollars can be used to purchase most goods and services in Costa Rica. Credit and debit cards can be used to withdraw cash at ATMs in San Jose and often this is at the most favourable rate of exchange. Credit cards can also be used to purchase goods and at most restaurants in San Jose, and are particularly useful for more expensive souvenirs.

Visas
At the present time, nationals of countries which are members of the European Union and nationals of the United States need only an onward air ticket and a passport which is valid for six months after your return date. This is sufficient to stay in Costa Rica for up to three months. A visa is not required. Other nationalities should contact the High Commission of Costa Rica in their own countries for information on how to obtain their visa.

Vaccinations
You should visit your own doctor and dentist for a check-up prior to taking your trip to Costa Rica.
The following is a ROUGH GUIDE for immunization. (We must stress that this is only a basic guide to the most commonly required vaccinations for travel worldwide. You must seek and abide by the specific advice of your local doctor/medical professional).

(a) Polio (normally you will just need a booster.)
(b) Tetanus.
(c) Typhoid. A full course requires 2 injections separated by an interval of 4-6 weeks.
(d) Hepatitis (A) and (B).
(e) Anti-malarial prophylaxis: Please refer to your doctor for the most up to date information about anti-malarial medication for the areas that you will be visiting.
(f) Rabies pre-exposure vaccination. Please refer to your doctor for advice on whether you need rabies pre-exposure vaccination. In the unlikely case of your being bitten, this vaccination does not eliminate the need for urgent evacuation to a suitable medical facility for additional treatment,. However, it does simplify that additional treatment and also prolongs the period that you can safely delay before receiving post-exposure treatment.

Given enough notice, your doctor will be able to administer all the above vaccinations.

Additional Sources of Information

Books
Costa Rica - Lonely Planet
Central America Adventure Travellers - AA World Travel Guides
The Trekkers Handbook - Tom Gilchrist.
Latin American Spanish Phrasebook - Lonely Planet
A guide to the Birds of Costa Rica - David Rains Wallace
The Costa Ricans - Richard Biesanz

Maps
Good tourist maps can be purchased in San Jose.

Available from Cordee. 3A De Montfort Street, Leicester. (tel. 0116 2543579).
Stanfords, 12-14 Long Acre, London. Covent Garden. WC2E 9LP. (Tel. 0207 836 1321).

Our trip dossiers/itineraries give details of books and maps that are specific to a particular trip. Click here for details of book and map retailers.

Web
Lonely PLanet - www.lonelyplanet.com
Rough Guides - www.roughguides.com