Are you a romantic person? Would you like to spend incredible days with your girlfriend or fiancée in a paradisiacal place? If you are the type of man who would run away with your special someone to a place where the problems of your daily hectic life fade away, you should definitely give Costa Rica a try.

Costa Rica is not only one of the most romantic places in the world, but also one of the most adventurous. So it is the perfect combination to spend an incredible honeymoon or a getaway. You and your girlfriend can walk along the beach holding hands and listening to the sound of the crystal water of the Pacific Ocean or the Caribbean Sea. You can also have a delicious and romantic dinner, prepared by one of the famous chefs of Costa Rica, in the beach and under the sparkling stars. Afterwards, if you would like to have fun and dance to some upbeat Caribbean music, you may attend one of several parties that are organized in the beaches, where the only condition is that you dance and laugh until dawn. At these parties, you can try the amazing, colorful and sweet drinks prepared by professional bartenders with the most exotic fruits in the world.

Moreover, you can hike through the gigantic tropical rainforests, where you will be able to see a wide variety of native plants and trees; you will also enjoy over 150 beautiful and exotic animal species. Believe or not, in these rainforests there is also room for romanticism, and you’ll be delighted by the breathtaking Bijagual waterfalls that seem to hide a mystic secret. You can also visit the Poas Volcano or the Arenal Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the Americas, and spend an incredible time enjoying the geothermal activities, which are both relaxing and romantic. The town of Sachi is worth a visit for its woodworking and handicrafts markets, where you can buy a special present for your loved one.

If you are a more adventurous type of couple, there are excellent activities for you to enjoy together. Costa Rica has more than 65 different adventures, including: canopy tours, river rafting, surfing, horseback riding, crocodile tours, windsurfing, snorkeling, rafting and kayaking, among many others.

Furthermore, if you are wild and risky enough, you can ask your fiancée to marry you in this awesome paradise, and if you are lucky and she accepts you, you can organize an unforgettable beach wedding with exotic colorful flowers. Or you can get married and later go to Costa Rica to spend the most romantic and adventurous honeymoon ever.

In a nutshell, Costa Rica vacations offer different options for different couples and without a doubt, it is the ideal place where you and your beloved may spend the most romantic days of your lives. Costa Rica is a breathtaking paradise, where adventure, risk and romance are combined.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Costa Rica vacation website as the original source).

According to researchers at Yale and Columbia University, among 163 countries that were included in their 2010 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), Costa Rica ranks third in cleanliness, preceded only by Iceland in the first place and Switzerland in second.

The countries were ranked based on 25 indicators, including water and air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and the impact of the environment on its people’s health.

The index is influenced by metrics that track how the governments are doing in relation to environmental policy goals like access to good sanitation and water, habitat protection, and industrial emissions.

A country may achieve a top EPI position in two ways:

1.It could be gifted with a rich legacy of clean water and diverse biology that hasn’t been violated by uncontrolled industrialism.

2.It could have industrialized and polluted its environment but got rich enough to begin the clean up.

Costa Rica got to the third place the first way, while the countries that made the top of the list achieved it the second way.

The perfect score is 100.  Costa Rica scored 86.4, with a GDP per capita of $9,600 and a population of 4.5 million.

According to the index, “That such a relatively poor and developing country ranks third in the EPI is testament to the natural endowments of Costa Rica, with dense forests, plentiful water and abundant wildlife. With smart development, Costa Rica can avoid the standard path that growing nations take of polluting their environment, only to clean it up again once they become wealthy. Costa Rica touts its EPI ranking in ads for its tourism sector.”

In the past, Costa Rica was recognized as the best country regarding rainforest conservation efforts, and is one of the originators of REDD, Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation project.  In this sense, it is not a surprise that this small country was able to achieve such a meaningful position worldwide.

If you haven’t yet, try a Costa Rica vacation, and judge for yourself.  The country is a nature lover’s paradise, and there is something for everyone, from five-star luxury hotels right next to a gorgeous beach, to wild, natural adventures that are an absolute adrenaline rush.  And best of all, it is all clean!

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Costa Rica vacation website as the original source).

There is no better place than Costa Rica to plan the perfect romantic getaway for you and your loved one. It is fast becoming one of the World’s favorite spots for lovers because of the breathtaking scenery, first-class resorts, and resort services and opportunities to enjoy adventure, relaxation or indulgence as taste might have it.

If you’re set on booking a holiday to Costa Rica, here are 7 ideas to help you make the most of what the country has to offer…and ignite the romance in your relationship!

1.Get off to a good start
You’ll want your partner to know how much they are loved as soon as they arrive. Ask your resort to organize a special surprise for them when they enter their villa. Have the room filled with some of the country’s beautiful tropical flowers, ask for champagne and chocolates to be on hand, and have the bed sprinkled with rose petals. It’s the ultimate romantic gesture which is sure to start your holiday the right way.

2.Take advantage of Costa Rica’s gems
Costa Rica is fortunate to have untouched, private beaches for couples looking for a secluded spot. Ask your concierge to suggest a beach where you can take your loved one for a hand-in-hand stroll along the shore. Enhance the occasion by planning your stroll to coincide with sunset. Take a picnic with you or maybe just a couple of glasses and a bottle of champagne to savor the moment. Or you might find a beautiful waterfall to enjoy a quick shower underneath or opt for a relaxed stroll through a butterfly garden.

3.Satisfy your taste buds
Costa Rica has world-class restaurants and your loved one will enjoy being treated to a top-notch meal. Ask your concierge to book a table for you where you can sit outside and enjoy a sea view or dine by moonlight. Or go that step further and book a private chef for your villa. Have dinner served on your patio and plan a night in with a hot bath full of bubbles to follow.

4.Get your hearts pumping
Organize a surprise adrenaline-rush activity to make sure your loved one has an experience they will never forget. Talk to your concierge and let them help you organize one of many adventure tours on offer. Opt for something that will really take your partner’s breath away - on the list to choose from are horseback riding, canopy tours, sport fishing, surfing, sea kayaking or a day’s hiking through a beautiful national park.

5.Indulge yourselves
At the end of a busy day of activities, gift yourself and your partner with the ultimate relaxation treat - a couple’s massage. Enjoy unwinding together as you’re pampered from head to toe by therapists trained to ease any tension away - your partner is sure to appreciate the treat!

6.Take in the beauty and wildlife
Arrange a day to enjoy absorbing the country’s natural beauty and wildlife. There is so much to experience from tropical rainforests to wildlife hot spots where you can take in the sights and sounds of monkeys, iguanas and tropical birds. Ask your concierge to suggest a gentle trail or trip that will allow you to enjoy some of the country’s best beauty. Bring a couple of camping chairs with you so you can stop and relax every now and again…and just savor being alone and surrounded by some of the World’s most amazing scenery.

7.Arrange some friendly competition
There’s nothing like a bit of friendly competition to raise a few laughs and get romantic sparks flying between you two. Why not arrange a game of golf or a night of casino gaming? Set some romantic penalties for the loser - for example having to give the winner a back rub or run a bubble bath each night. You can be as imaginative as you like with your penalties!

Here are some facts about Costa Rica.  Its citizens may not even know some of these, so here’s your chance to impress people while on your Costa Rica vacation.

.TOPOGRAPHY
Costa Rica is located in Central America, flanked by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, Nicaragua, and Panama.  A volcanic mountain chain crosses the country from the northwest to the southeast and divides the country in two.

The Atlantic coastline is 132 miles long and the Pacific coast is 635 miles long.  There are 112 volcanic craters in the country, some of which are still active.  Poas volcano has the biggest crater in the world and Arenal volcano is one of the most active volcanoes worldwide.

In the center of the country there is a plateau called “Valle Central” (Central Valley).

.COORDINATES
Costa Rica is located 10 00 N 84 00 W from the Equator line.

.AREA
The country measures a total of 51,100 sq Km, including the Cocos Island territory, this is, 50,660 sq Km of land, and 440 sq Km of water.

.LAND BOUNDARIES
Costa Rica is bordered by Nicaragua in 309 Km and Panama in 330 Km.

CAPITAL CITY
The capital city is San José.

.WEATHER
Costa Rica is a tropical country and only has two seasons: the dry season, which goes from December to April, and the rainy season, which goes from May to November.  The Caribbean is normally humid all year round, and the towns on the coast are very hot and humid.

The temperature ranges from 15C, or 60s F, during the night, to the 30C, or 90s F, during the day.

.POPULATION
Costa Rica has a population of 4,509,209 inhabitants.  The majority, more than 50%, lives on the “Valle Central”, which comprises 4% of the whole country’s territory.

.LITERACY RATE
98% of the population knows how to read and write.

.LIFE EXPECTANCY
Costa Ricans are expected to live an average of 79 years.

.LANGUAGE
Costa Rica’s official language is Spanish, but a lot of people speak English.

.RELIGION
The leading religion is Catholicism; however, you can find Jewish, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Anglicans, among many others.

Catholic masses are offered all week long throughout most of the country’s territory.

.GOVERNMENT
Costa Rica is a republic and the government is elected democratically every 4 years.  The new recently elected president is Mrs. Laura Chinchilla Miranda, the first woman ever to be elected president in the country.

.HEALTH CARE
Sanitary assistance is excellent and the standards are very high.  There are private clinics and hospitals all over San José and in the most populated areas of the country.  You can find many private clinics that specialize in orthodontics and plastic surgery.

.UNIVERSITIES
The majority of young people go to the university after they finish high school.  There are state and private universities, and many graduates go to the United States or Europe to earn Masters, Doctorate, or PhD degrees.

.ELECTRICITY
The national voltage is 110.  European plugs don’t work in Costa Rica; thus, you will need an adaptor of the American type to use your electric appliances.  You can ask for one at your hotel or get it in advance.

.WATER
You can drink tap water safely in Costa Rica.

.COMMUNICATIONS
The majority of tourist areas have direct dial telephone service, fax, and Internet with email access.  The telephone system is automatic.  You may have problems when talking on your cell phone from certain remote areas, however satellite phones might work.

.INDUSTRIES
Costa Rica is home to companies that range from electronics to food processing, as well as apparel, medical services, construction materials, and plastic products.

You can find almost everything you find in the United States, and prices are normally set in American dollars.  You can pay in dollars or colones, the national coin.

.UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
Around 6.4% of Costa Ricans are estimated to have no employment as of 2010.

.PATRIOTIC SYMBOLS

Costa Rica’s flag

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-Costa Rica’s great seal

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-Costa Rica’s national tree: Guanacaste tree

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-Costa Rica’s national bird: Yigüirro

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-Costa Rica’s national flower: Guaria morada

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Costa Rica’s typical transportation vehicle: Oxcart

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Costa Rica’s national anthem: National Hymn of Costa Rica

Are you bored of your daily routine?  Need a new adventure?  Want some time to disappear and relax?

There is a small place right in the middle of the Americas where you can experience life at a very unique level: Costa Rica.  Called by many the Central American Switzerland, Costa Rica’s beauty will amaze you in more than one way.

Here we give you 10 fantastic reasons to choose Costa Rica as your next vacation spot:

1.The high tourist season is over, so you will find great travel deals to visit Costa Rica in the next few months.

2.Costa Rica has 780 miles of perfect coastline housing hundreds of beautiful beaches, many of them isolated and hidden from crowds.

3.Do you like fauna?  Well, in Costa Rica you will be able to see hundreds of interesting animal species, and there are more butterfly species than in the entire African continent, including the only butterfly in the world that makes a sound.  Likewise, Costa Rica is a favorite destination for bird watchers because there are almost as many species as on the entire European continent and the continental United States.

4.Costa Rica is about the same size as West Virginia, and in it you will find around 5% of all the kinds of plants and animals in the planet, this is, one of every five species of plants and animals in the world is found in Costa Rica.

5.Can you think of another place in the planet where you can drive all the way up to the top of a volcano and see the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, at the same time, on a clear day?  Don’t think so!

6.Are you in need of health care but North American medicine is too expensive for you?  Consider doing medical tourism in Costa Rica and get world-class care at a third of the price you would pay in the United States.  Many insurance companies happily cover health care in Costa Rica because of its prime quality and prices.

7.Costa Rica is the place to be adventurous.  Learn to surf or windsurf, go bungee jumping, experience canopy, or cross the mountains over a horse.  There is nothing conventional about a Costa Rican vacation.

8.Can you imagine having sunny days all year round?  Swimming in warm ocean waters every single day of the year?  Well, this is how it is in Costa Rica, great weather always.

9.Do you like fishing?  Costa Rica fishing is famous around the world for a good reason; you can catch a 200-pound tarpon in a small river.  The rule is to catch and release.

10.Come see what it is like to be surrounded by a stable democracy.  Costa Rica has no army, it was abolished more than 70 years ago, and everyone there is friendly and courteous, always happy to see you.  Costa Ricans, or ‘ticos’, as they are known, truly like North Americans and Europeans.

Make up your mind and book your flight!  Costa Rica is awaiting you between two oceans of wonders, but be careful, you may not want to leave… many haven’t.

Dazzling corals of multiple colors, relaxed sharks, and giant turtles are some of the regular inhabitants of the waters along the Costa Rican coasts.

However, in order to get to view the best variety of species, you should know where to look, because Costa Rica has a lot of coastline, and there are countless places in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean where you can enjoy a wonderful diving experience.

If you are coming to Costa Rica and want to truly dive in its waters, check out these places:

1.Caño Island
This island, which is 12 miles west of Drake Bay on the southwest coast, is one of the most cherished places for diving in Costa Rica.

This is the core of a biological reserve, whose main attraction is the large pelagic species like tip reef sharks, bull sharks, more than five species of dolphins, rays, and turtles that swim around the area.

The island offers six diving sites, which show interesting rock formations that create stone peaks that rise from the sea.  The diving depth is an average of 15 to 20 meters, and the best time to visit it is between February and June.

2.Guanacaste
This is the province on the northwest coast of Costa Rica.  From there, you can access several of the best diving spots in the country, for example, Catalina islands and Bat islands, which are home to sharks, sea turtles, and large groups of manta rays.

Currents in these islands are strong, thus, they are recommended for advanced divers.

The best time to see the manta rays is from December to May, however, the best diving season in the Bat Islands, which are full of exciting caverns and bridges, is from March to November, when you will be able to see large bull sharks, eagle rays, and amazing corals.

3.The Caribbean
Although most divers go to the Pacific to practice the sport, Costa Rica offers a richness of reefs in the Caribbean that is worth exploring.

At Cahuita National Park, to the south of Cahuita town and around 43 kilometers south of the city of Limón, you can find diving sites rich in coral gardens and flooded with tropical reef fish.

You will see brain corals, sea fans, angelfish, barracudas, and stingrays, as well as the cannons of a sunken 18th century slave ship that rests north of the “Perezoso” (Lazy) river.

Costa Rica is an amazing country to visit with kids; there are fun activities and places for every age, from toddlers to teenagers, and Costa Ricans love kids. They will welcome your little ones warmly everywhere you go and will be prepared to care for them and amuse them as much as they do with you.

These are 6 great places to visit with kids in Costa Rica; all of them offer lots of natural fun and education:

1.Cloud and rain forests
Your kids will feel like Tarzan or Indiana Jones while exploring Costa Ricas forests.  There are interesting hiking trails and exhilarating hanging bridges. You can live the adventure of a night hike with flashlights and the stars as your only source of light. Your kids will love riding horses and jumping into the forest’s void hanging from a zip line.

You can visit beautiful butterfly gardens, a serpentarium, an insect museum, a frog pond, and many other environments where mysterious forest creatures live.

2.Lake Arenal
This lake is next to the Arenal Volcano, and here, kids can learn to windsurf, wakeboard, or kayak on its waters.  There are also horseback riding tours and zip lines available, as well as a striking butterfly garden.

Your kids can bathe in volcanic hot springs, and you can even go rafting on the Corobici River, where you will see crocodiles, caimans, many species of birds, and other wildlife.

3.Volcanoes
There are many volcano options to visit in Costa Rica.

Arenal Volcano is active and, if you’re lucky, you can see the orange lava coming down at night.  There are all terrain vehicles and mountain bikes available to ride around it, and your kids can go rappelling too.

Close to Poás Volcano, whose crater can be reached when the weather allows it, there is the “La Paz Waterfall Garden” where you’ll see waterfalls, butterflies, birds, monkeys, snakes, and frog exhibits.

Volcán Irazú is very close to San José and its arid surface is breathtaking.

Turrialba Volcano is surrounded by beautiful valleys, mountains, and views, and at Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, in Guanacaste, you can find natural mud ponds.

4.Beaches
Costa Rica has two oceans, the Pacific and Atlantic; thus, you can imagine the amount of beaches there are.  At Manuel Antonio National Park, on the Central Pacific, your kids will see monkeys in the wild.

Kids can learn to surf, parasail, scuba dive, Jet Ski, or fish in Costa Rican beaches.  The whole family can go snorkeling, or on a turtle, or whale and dolphin watching trip, or just spend the day enjoying the warm waters of this country’s beaches.

5.The City
When in San José, the capital, you can take your kids to the Jade museum, where they will see beautiful carved pieces of this stone.

The Gold museum is another must, because it is located below street level and your kids will love venturing into an urban cave.  Outside, you can see the National Theater and buy bird food to feed the pigeons at “Plaza de la Cultura”.

Do you consider traveling more than just visiting? For those travelers who are hungry for knowledge and discovery, we’ll talk about Costa Rica and its historical places; places where native and pre-Columbian culture meets European history. A history mixed with colors, blood and music.

There is so much to see and live in Costa Rica that you won’t know where to start. Swamps. Beaches. Jungles. Streets, different sounds… Places where history comes alive, and also places where history is kept safe for the record, such as archaeological sites and museums, where your eyes can unravel the origin of Costa Rica’s current picture.

Take a historical tour to understand the background and then dive deep into its intimate heritage: the people, the streets, the stores, the taste of the food, the sound of the sea and the dreamy colors of the wilderness that shape this beautiful country.

Some say that the best starting point is San Jose, the capital city. You’ll find a lot of museums here. In fact, Costa Rica’s most important museum, the Museo Nacional De Costa Rica (National Museum) is located in the whitewashed Bellavista fortress, built in 1870. If you look carefully at this building’s turrets, you’ll find bullet holes: remains of the 1948 civil war. Also, inside this traditional Spanish-style courtyard building are displays of pre-Columbian artifacts, period dresses, colonial furniture, religious arts and photographs.

Beneath the Plaza de la Cultura you’ll find the Museo del Oro Pre-Columbino (Gold Museum). It’s famous thanks to its prized possession, the pre-Columbian gold jewelry, which happens to be the largest collection of its kind in Central America. Though many pieces are in the form of frogs and eagles, the most special pieces are the varied shaman figurines which symbolize human ties with animal deities.

The National Monument is located in the National Park, a monument dedicated to those Costa Ricans who fought in the 1856 - 1857 war against the troops of the American filibuster William Walker. Another building from those times is the Parisian-influenced National Theater, which was built in 1890.

24 kilometers southeast of San Jose is Cartago City, the first capital of Costa Rica. Founded in 1563 by Juan Vasquez de Coronado, it is the first Spanish settlement in Costa Rica, so imagine all the historical spots you’ll discover there. Hit repeatedly by earthquakes, this city has a center in which a public park winds through the ruins of a Romanesque cathedral that was never finished: an earthquake destroyed it in 1910.

Perched on the slopes of Turrialba Volcano is Guayabo National Monument, Costa Rica’s most significant archaeological site. This site is very important because it’s where the remains of a large community rest. This community covered 49 acres, had a population of around 20,000, and abandoned the city in 1400 AD. Excavated ruins consist of tiled roads, stone bridges, a house, temple substructures and gravesites.

To learn about the indigenous people, who number about 40,000 out of a population of 4 million, you should definitely visit the Dr. Maria Eugenia Bozzoli Museum of Indigenous cultures, located in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui. It provides extensive information and displays artifacts of the Boruca, Bribri, Cabezar, Guaymi and Maliku natives with collections of masks, musical instruments and shamanic healing sticks. Within the site there is a botanical garden where medicinal plants used by the indigenous people are grown.

These are just some of the hot historical places you’ll be able to enjoy in Costa Rica. We hope this information helps you have a wonderful trip, full of discoveries!

The first evidence of human occupation in what today is the territory of Costa Rica dates back to more than 10,000 years ago. In the pre-Columbian era, the country was barely occupied, and its habitants were somehow isolated. There aren’t many indications of large and organized communities from that period. However, vestiges of the pre-Columbian era have been found, like a series of perfectly spherical granite balls discovered near the west coast. The only major archaeological site is at Guayabo, 30 miles east of San Jose. It is from this region that a lot of fascinating gold, jade and pottery artifacts came, like messages from the ancient past, eager to reveal their secrets.

It was on September 18th, 1502, when Christopher Columbus, the European explorer, came across Costa Rica on his final expedition to the New World. When they disembarked, close to Puerto Limon, the local Carib Indians greeted them. Then, one of the Spaniards who saw the gold ornaments worn by the Indians, Gil Gonzalez Davila, was inspired to name the country Costa Rica, or Rich Coast.

Four major indigenous tribes were living in Costa Rica by then: the Caribs, the Borucas, Chibchas, and the Diquis. The immediate consequences brought on by the Spanish invasion on the land were the massive exodus, on the one hand, and death from the diseases brought by the Europeans, on the other. Once the indigenous workforce was wiped out, the colonizers had no choice but to bring in African slaves to work in their place. Nowadays, no more than one percent of the 3.8 people living in Costa Rica represent the indigenous heritage. The whites make up 98% of the population.

However, the explorers’ dream of finding gold never came true, and Costa Rica was the least influenced Spanish colony. The Spanish became more interested in other places, and ended up moving on to Mexico and Peru, where huge quantities of gold and silver were discovered. A few settlements like Heredia, San Jose and Alajuela were set up during the 18th century. Thanks to the introduction of coffee in 1808, the economy of Costa Rica improved quite a lot.

Independence

Costa Rica became independent from Spain in the year 1821. Despite the joy this brought to the country, a civil war arose because of a debate on whether Costa Rica should join Mexico or a new confederation of the states of Central America. Finally, sovereignty was achieved when San Jose and Alajuela defeated the pro-Mexican Heredia and Cartago. As a result, Juan Mora Fernandez became the country’s first chief of state, elected in 1824. His administration’s progressive policy improved the education and economy of the country, but also led to the establishment of an elite class made up of powerful coffee barons, who used their power to overthrow the country’s first president, Jose Maria Castro. Juan Rafael Mora was chosen as his successor, under whose administration Costa Rica successfully defeated the US conqueror William Walker in his attempt to turn Central America into a slave state.

Everyone knows that one must get informed and prepared before traveling to another country; this can help you prevent problems and confusion once you are there.

Every culture is different, and it is possible for a simple misunderstanding to become a big thing, so, do your homework, and learn about the basics of life, the culture, and the laws of the country you are visiting to ensure your vacation is uneventful and perfect.

If you are traveling to Costa Rica, this is what you should know:

-How to get around Costa Rica
The main public means of transportation in Costa Rica is the buses.  These are very inexpensive and practical to get around; however, they are small, crowded, and in many cases, not in the best mechanical and physical conditions.  You cannot take a lot of luggage in a bus, and if you are a big guy, you will suffer due to the limited leg space.

There are taxis that can take you virtually anywhere in Costa Rica; however, they are expensive and not the safest way to travel.

You can also rent a car in Costa Rica.  Car rentals are expensive and you must have insurance to cover you in case of an accident.  Most rental cars are standard, so, you must know how to drive one.

-Business hours
These are very similar to those in the United States.  Normally, offices run from 8-9 am to 3-5 pm.  Lunch hours go from noon until 1 or 2 pm.  On Sundays, many offices are closed, but malls are always open and restaurants are in full activity.

Costa Rica runs on Central Standard Time, which is very convenient for many people traveling from the United States.

-Health care
Health care in Costa Rica is top notch.  The system offers modern facilities, the best treatments, and very professional doctors, many of whom speak perfect English.

-Driving in Costa Rica
If you are going to rent a car, you should know that it is easy to have an accident in Costa Rica.  This is a country that does not excel at good driving.  Pay attention to the speed limit signs, which are posted on signs or painted on the pavement.  The speed limits range from 45 to 55 MPH.

-Alcohol
Alcohol is legal for those over 18.  Substances other than alcohol and cigarettes are not legal.

-High/ Low seasons
The high season in Costa Rica, when everything is more expensive and full, is between December and May of each year.  You can very well travel during the low season because, even though there is some rain, the sun always comes out and the beaches and the mountains are perfect all year long.

-Tips
Tips are included in most restaurants and other tourist places. A 10% is automatically added to the bill; however, if they know you are a foreigner, some waiters and other staff may expect an extra tip from you, but you don’t have to give it if it is included.  The locals don’t tip.

-Water
Tap water is safe to drink in Costa Rica, and the sewer systems can handle toilet paper, unlike some other countries.

-Voltage
It is the same as in the United States, however, in some places they don’t use the grounding prong, so you may need an adapter.

-Fun
Costa Ricans, or “ticos”, as they are known, love to dance, so don’t be surprised to see everyone dancing at a bar in between the tables if you go out at night.