Frequently Asked Questions
Costa Rica is located in Central America, roughly 10 degrees north of the equator. It is bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. The Caribbean Sea is to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
Costa Rica is -6 hours Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The country does not change for Daylight Savings Time, so from mid-March to October, the time is the same as Mountain Standard Time (MST) in the United States. From November to mid-March, the time is the equivalent of Central Standard Time (CST) in the United States.
The main staples of Costa Rican food are rice, beans, vegetables, fruits and meats. The food is generally tasty and comes in several popular variants. You can also usually find traditional American or European style plates on most menus.
Spanish! Since English is taught in schools, many locals, especially those who work in the tourism industry speak a high level of English as well!
Yes, a passport is mandatory and you must have a plane ticket showing you are leaving Costa Rica within 90 days.
Be sure to check that your passport will be valid at the time of entry into Costa Rica.
Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted in Costa Rica. A much smaller percentage of businesses accept American Express or Discover. You should contact your credit card company or bank prior to visiting Costa Rica as they may place a security block for unusual foreign transaction if not. Some credit card companies will charge a 1 – 2% international transaction fee. You can often avoid this by changing your plan in advance or using a different credit card that does not charge foreign transaction fees instead. ATM machines are available in most towns. You will have to contact your bank in advance as not all ATM cards are set up for foreign transactions. Similar to credit cards, there is a chance you could be charged a foreign transaction fee.
Nearly everybody accepts the U.S. dollar, so if you have dollars, you do not need to convert it. You will usually receive change in local Costa Rica colones. The exchange rate goes between 500 and 585 colones to $1 USD. You can exchange money at banks or at the airport.
Check with your phone carrier but most phone providers offer a daily rate to use your phone while traveling internationally.
Another option is you can turn off roaming and only use the phone when connected to a local wifi like at your hotel or an area restaurant. iphones for example you can use Facetime and text without fees while connected to a wifi.
Temperature: Average highs in the upper 80's °f and average low of 70-80 °f .