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Costa Rica´s official currency is the colon, plural colones - named after Colón ( Columbus ) himself. At present $1.00 U.S. dollar is equivalent to C.520.69 colones. The colón floats freely against the American dollar, which means the exchange rate varies. The U.S. dollars, in cash or in travelers checks can be exchanged in almost all hotels and in the banks. The exchange rate in hotels and at the banks is almost always the same and in some cases, when there is a difference, it is minimal. It is recommended to exchange your money at the hotel, otherwise you will spend a lot of time at the bank. All hotels accept your U.S. dollars or your credit cards as a payment. Most of the times you will receive your change in local money and not in dollars. If you are staying in a small hotel or a lodge, the money exchange will depend upon the availability of money at the cashier. It is recommended to exchange some money on arrival to the country. Most restaurants accept credit cards. The one that is used the most is VISA ( on first place ), Mastercard and American Express. There is a black market in San Jose, where you can obtain a little more for your U.S. dollars, but the difference is minimal and the counterfeit risks are very high and therefore not recommended. Obtaining cash with your credit card is possible in some banks or automatic cashiers in San Jose city. It is easier with VISA or Mastercard. This is an operation that lasts between half an hour and an hour. You can also do this transaction in some chief cities, but is easier to do in San Jose.
Restaurants charge an addicional 23%, which is found on your check: a 13% belongs to a sales tax and a 10% for service. Both are law binding. The 10%, at first, was considered as a tip for the waiter, but in many cases this tax is the salary of the service personnel, so people leave a tip if the service is good. This tip is not mandatory. The bellboys at the airport and the hotels expect a tip for their service. They usually receive a dollar for each large bag. It is customary to tip the tour guides and the drivers if they have done a good job and you receive what you have expected. The tip is also voluntary. At the airport you have to pay a departure tax of US$26.00 per person. You can pay for this tax in dollars or colones. You also find a state bank that accepts your colones in exchange for dollars up to a maximum of US $50.00. The bank opens at 8:00 a.m. and closes at 3:00 p.m.
Costa Rica abolished it's army almost 50 years ago, and it
has remained as the most stable democracy of Central America.
Costa Rica is located 10 degrees north of the Equator, and has no seasons as
found in the temperate zones. The temperatures are the same all year long with
small variations. In the Central Valley, where the capital city San Jose is
located, the temperature average is 21 degrees centigrade ( 74 Fahrenheit ).
On the coast the temperatures vary from 24 to 30 degrees. During the months
of December, January and February the temperature may decrease 3 or 5 degrees
centigrade due to a north breeze.
The electric flow is of 110 volts nation wide - the same as Canada and the US - although plugs are two-prunged, without the round grounding prong. Most of hotel and lodges have electricity.
Costa Rica is a montainous country, and it is full of forests.
Water is one of the most abundant resources in the country. Drinking water is
found almost everywhere, including the Central Valley cities as San Jose and
others. Water supplies in most places are clean and bacteria-freeOn the other
hand, you can buy bottled mineral water in every supermarket or grocery store
in the country. Travelling in Costa Rica is generally very safe, health-wise.
Food tends to be well and higienically prepared, so bugs and upsets are normally
limited to the ususl "travellers´tummy".
Costa Rica has direct dial service to almost every country in the world. The
population's access to the phone service is of 93%. In most hotels you have
the opportunity to make international calls and also send a fax. Though calls
within Costa Rica are relatively cheap, calling long-distance can work out very
expensive. You can call collect to virtually any foreign country from any phone
or payphone in Costa Rica; simply dial 09 or 116 to get an English-speaking
operator.
This country is very joyful and specially during weekends. Many places organize
dances and events for everybody. Many hotels have bars and live music, or casinos.
San Jose city has many discotheques, bars, restaurants, night clubs, theaters
and museums of different types.
Costa Rica is the perfect place to buy leather and wood craft, as well as a big quantity of different souvenirs. The best places are : the Moravia location in San Jose, and Sarchi to purchase typical Costa Rican oxcarts. In every touristic place there are small stores for the visitors needs.Due to the high taxes, imported clothing, electronic appliances, etc., are not a good purchase.
Costa Rica has the most efficient and developed medical services in the Central American area, the Costa Rican Social Security is in charge. It is country wide, with ambulance service and drugstores in most towns. The country has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in Latin America and a life expectancy of 76 years for both, men and women. It has a very low risk of malaria diseases or any other type of diseases. Vaccination is unnecesary.
For any departure from the country you need to confirm your flight with the airline at least 72 hours in advance. We remind you that any confirmation or changes have to be done by the passenger. Our staff will gladly help providing you with the telephone numbers of the airlines.
The Juan Santamaria International Airport in the Province of Alajuela, is located at 17 kilometers ( 10 miles ) from the capital city. The taxis have an established fare of US $12.00 to take you downtown San Jose. There are convenient flight connections to different places, specially to the United States of America. There is another International Airport Daniel Oduber Quiros in the city of Liberia, Guanacaste province. At the time, it is only used for charters and few international flights. For local flights, the airports used are the Juan Santamaria and the domestic airport Tobias Bolaños, also located in San Jose. The two local airlines are called SANSA and TRAVELAIR. The national airline is LACSA, a member of the Grupo Taca.
In San Jose and in the different cities you will find good taxi service. The prices are controlled so they have to operate using a taximeter called Maria. All of the cabs are red and have an official number painted inside a yellow triangle on the front doors. They use a basic fare to start the run.
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