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On this page, you’ll find lots of general information about Costa Rica. When through reading, you can return to the All About Costa Rica topic list.

• An Ecologist’s Dream
• Birds, Reptiles and Mammals
• Botanical Life
• Weather
• Geography
• History
• Population
• The Economy
• Public Holidays
• Time Zone
• Religion
• The People
• The Provinces

An Ecologist’s Dream

From the tropical forest and beaches along the Pacific Coast to misty cloud forest at its highest altitudes, the little but fertile country of Costa Rica protects more than 25% of its national territory in national reserves. Extensive conservation efforts have earned Costa Rica its eco-conscious reputation and contributed to the remarkable success of its ecotourism industry. Its signature biodiversity extends over wetland sanctuaries, black and white sand beaches, rivers, waterfalls volcanoes and rainforests, which collectively comprise a haven for countless species of plants and animals.

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Birds, Reptiles and Mammals

When we imagine Costa Rica, do not visions of toucans, hummingbirds, howler monkeys, snakes, butterflies and other mystical winged creatures dance in our heads? Costa Rica is home to nearly as many bird species as all of North America combined. In addition to feathered friends, you can gaze in awe of thousands of reptile species, including fascinating crocs and caymans, lizards and snakes in tourist-attraction parks that are maintained as sanctuaries for these slithery co-inhabitants of our planet Earth. And mammal lovers might not consider their Costa Rica adventure complete without catching a glimpse of a jaguar, tapir or even a sloth hanging out in one of 33 of the country’s National Parks and at least hearing, if not witnessing, a pack of howler monkeys swing from branch to branch while serenading an electric orange jungle sunset.

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Botanical Life

The diverse terrain of Costa Rica sustains the life of countless varieties of flora and fauna, including 1,400 species of orchids! (Did you know only 18% of Costa Rica’s biodiversity has been scientifically classified?)

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Weather

In the midst of unpredictable, extreme global weather patterns as of late, Costa Rica is a tropical paradise. Sunshine is plentiful throughout both dry and rainy seasons, with an average year-found temperature of 72ºF in the Central Valley. These weather conditions save people big bucks on utility bills, as air conditioning is rarely necessary and heaters are a thing of the past. Not to mention, the months that North America considers “winter” are actually Costa Rica’s “summer” and the warmest months of the year.

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Geography

Costa Rica is centrally located, with Nicaragua on the north and Panama to the southeast. The Caribbean shoreline lies on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Both coastlines have an abundance of beautiful beaches. Between the coasts, the interior of the country is fashioned by four mountain ranges, which run from north to south, with several active volcanoes. This small country is 19,305 square miles, comparable in size to West Virginia. The capital city of San José is situated roughly in the center of the country in a highland valley. Cascading down from the Central Valley are Costa Ricas many grand rivers. Costa Rica is situated very near the equator at just 8 degrees latitude.

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History

Humans have lived in Costa Rica for 10,000 years, giving it a unique history. More about which is constantly discovered beneath the layers of earth. As for more modern times, the Spanish conquistadors did little to preserve its rich indigenous heritage. In fact, Christopher Columbus’s fourth and final voyage landed him in Limón in 1502 and his descriptions of “la costa rica” (the rich coast) gave Costa Rica its name. In modern times, Costa Rica has become known for its “green revolution,” with roots dating back to the 1970s when its national park reserve system emerged. Today the people of Costa Rica enjoy a stable democracy (in contrast to cycles of dictatorship experienced by some neighboring nations) and one of the highest standards of living in Central America.

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Population

The population of Costa Rica is 4,133,884. The combined white and Mestizo groups comprise 94% of the population, while 3% are Black/Afro-Caribbean, 1% Amerindian, 1% Chinese and 1% are of other ethnic groups.

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The Economy

In a country boasting so much natural beauty, it’s no wonder that tourism is a top source of employment and investment. As for the economics of daily life, Costa Rica enjoys a higher standard of living than its Latin America neighbors. Yet the prices of everyday items are usually a deal in comparison to North American standards.

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Public Holidays

When it comes to official holidays (feriados), you’ll quickly discover that the Costa Ricans are proud to “live up” their national celebrations, as well as honor the various religious holidays that fall throughout the calendar year. Here is a list of them:

January 1 New Year’s Day*
March 1 Saint Joseph’s Day, patron saint of San Jose and San José province.
Easter Holy Week (Semana Santa). Dates vary annually.*
April 11 Juan Santamaría’s Day, a public holiday to commemorate the national hero
who fought at the battle of Rivas against the American invader William
Walker in 1856.*
May 1 Labor Day (Día de los Trabajadores)*
June Corpus Christi
June Father’s Day (celebrated on the third Sunday)
June 29 St. Peter and St. Paul’s Day
July 25 Guanacaste Day, marks the annexation of Guanacaste from Nicaragua in 1824.*
August 2 Virgin of Los Angeles Day, patron saint of Costa Rica
August 15 Mother’s Day*
Sept. 15 Independence Day (1821)*
October 12 Columbus Day (Discovery of America)
October 12 Día de la Raza Carnival, held the week prior to October 12 (Limón).
October 31 Halloween
November 2 All Soul’s Day
December 8 Immaculate Conception
December 25 Christmas Day*
December 31 Bank and Financial Sector Holiday

*Denotes a paid holiday for Costa Rican workers.

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Time Zone

Costa Rica is on Central Standard Time (same as Chicago and St. Louis) which is six hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. Costa Rica does not use daylight saving time.

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Religion

The official religion in Costa Rica is Roman Catholic. Costa Rica is a Spanish conquest maintaining the language and religion of Spain. Ninety percent of Ticos call themselves Catholic, though it’s recognized that not all are devout and you will notice progressive trends that are not traditionally Catholic, such as government promotion of contraception. Ten percent affiliate with other religious institutions.

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The People

The culture is noticeably friendly and family oriented. The most definitive aspect of the Costa Rica culture is the people’s devotion to maintaining good relations with everybody. Costa Ricans begin and end every conversation with greetings and compliments to retain warm relations with everyone they meet. Having long called themselves “Ticos,” they are not offended if an outsider refers to them as such. The Ticos are a hard working people and are also highly literate which makes for trustworthy working relationships.

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The Provinces

Costa Rica is divided into seven provinces: San José, Heredia, Cartago, Alajuela, Puntarenas, Guanacaste and Limón. The first four fan out from the Central Valley, whereas Guanacaste and Limón extend north along both coasts to the Nicaraguan border. The largest is Puntarenas, which accounts for most of the Pacific Coast.

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We hope this information has been helpful. If you still have questions about Costa Rica real estate and living or retiring in Costa Rica, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will respond to your questions as soon as possible and will be happy to assist you in any way possible.

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