Currency – The official currency of Costa Rica is the colon. The colon is divided into 100 centimos, however, coins below 5 colons are rarely used. It’s good to get a handle on the slang names for the currency before you arrive. The 100-colon bill is a “teja”, the 500-colon bill is a “cinco teja”, 1,000 colons is the “rojo”, and a 5,000-colon bill is known as a “tucan”. Many of the tourist areas accept US dollars.

 

Climate – Costa Rica boasts a tropical climate made up of several distinct climatic zones. There is no distinct summer or winter. The rainy season lasts from May to November. Costa Rica’s rainfall averages change from location to location. While the average national rainfall is 100 inches annually, some of the mountainous areas received as much as 25 feet per year. Average temperatures are about 89 F on the Pacific Coast, 82 F on the Atlantic side, and 72 F in the Central Valley.

 

Religion – Nearly 90% of Costa Ricans are Roman Catholic, but the country remains fairly secular in attitude. A small percentage of Costa Ricans have embraced the Protestant denominations and one can find a synagogue in the capital city of San Jose. Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam are also represented in small numbers.

 

Visas/Passports – Citizens from the United States, Canada, and Panama are permitted to enter Costa Rica with just a tourist card (obtainable from a Costa Rican embassy or consulate) and one additional form of identification, such as a passport, birth certificate, or photo driver’s license. Residents of all other countries must present a valid passport. Both the tourist card and passport should be kept with you at all times while traversing the country.

 

Language – The official language of Costa Rica is Spanish, though it tends to be a little more formal than the version spoken in Spain. Some English is spoken in San Jose and in the large tourist hotels at the beaches, but visitors will find that hardly any English is spoken in the rural areas.