You should enjoy Costa Rica s volcanoes, but judiciously. Among them, Arenal is active and at night

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Costa Rica Info Population 4.500.000 inhabitants National Territory princess cruise line vacation 51.100 km2 (31,682 square miles) Capital San Jose Official Language Spanish Money Colon (named after Christopher Columbus) Official Religion Catholic (with freedom of expression of other beliefs) Political System Democracy Electricity 110 volts National Bird Yigüirro (Turdus grayi) National Flower princess cruise line vacation Purple Guaria Orchid (Cattleya skinned) National Tree Guanacaste (Enterolobium cyclocarpum)
Costa Rica is small in size and has an area of roughly 51,100 square kilometers (31,682 square miles). Even so, it is internationally famous and recognized for the diversity and density of its natural resources and for the fabled kindness of its inhabitants. These facts set it apart as an especially attractive destination for foreign tourists who, not incidentally, make far more than a million visits a year.
Costa Rica really has two seasons: a green or rainy season that runs from May to November and a dry season that begins in December and ends in April. The average temperature in the Central Valley princess cruise line vacation is 72° F (22° C), while on the coast and at the beaches it ranges from 70° to 90°F (21°to princess cruise line vacation 32°C).
In general, businesses open at 9:00 am and close at 6:00 p.m., although shopping centers are usually open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. State and private banks usually princess cruise line vacation operate between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Offices are generally open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The country possesses three major airports. The Juan Santamaria International Airport princess cruise line vacation is located princess cruise line vacation in Alajuela 10 minutes from the capital, and the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia, in the province of Guanacaste. In Pavas, princess cruise line vacation just outside San Jose, there is the Tobias Bolaños Airport, which handles domestic flights. In addition, there are numerous landing strips that serve the various tourist destinations.
princess cruise line vacation Visitors who want to enter the country by sea can do so at the ports of Limón and Moín on the Caribbean, Puerto Caldera and Puntarenas princess cruise line vacation on the Pacific, and Central Pacific, Golfito, and Quepos on the Southern Pacific side.
River transport is possible on the Reventazón in the center of the country, the San Carlos, Río Frío, San Juan, and Sarapiquí on the northern plains, and the Grande de Terraba and the Sierpe on the Southern Pacific side.
Costa Rica enjoys one of the oldest and most stable democracies in Latin America. This stance lead to its abolishing the army in 1948 and to earning a Nobel Peace Prize for president Oscar Arias for his ongoing struggle to approve the Central American Peace Plan during the turbulent princess cruise line vacation eighties. princess cruise line vacation The Costa Rican political system is a representative princess cruise line vacation system princess cruise line vacation with three branches: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial. The president is elected by popular vote every four years.
This high level of education, along with the development of telecommuncations, has contributed to Costa Rica being considered as a place suitable for foreign multi-national high-technology investment by companies. Intel Corporation, Laser Sight Technology, Siemens, Procter and Gamble and others all have a presence in Costa Rica.
Telecommuniation services are provided by the Institute Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE-the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity), a state-owned body. The modern telecommunications network includes: direct communications with the outside world by the self-dial princess cruise line vacation MIDA international telephone system. There are also telex, telegram, fax, cellular, and Internet services, along with data transmission via the use of satellites and microwaves.
Costa Rican cuisine offers a wide variety of choices to the tourist, ranging from the freshest tropical fruits and vegetables to exquisite seafood and indigenous princess cruise line vacation foods such as gallo pinto ( spotted rooster ) consisting princess cruise line vacation of rice lightly sauteed with beans and served with a steak or eggs. Costa Rican dishes also include tamales, arroz con pollo (rice with chicken), minced arracache root, potato and meat hash, and casado, a marriage of portions of rice, beans, ripe plantains, fresh vegetable salad and some sort of meat. The list goes on to include grilled corn on the cob, chorreadas (a thick johnny cake made from tender com), and different princess cruise line vacation types of empanadas (turnovers) filled with cheese, beans, princess cruise line vacation or meat.
In addition, princess cruise line vacation if a visitor so desires, he or she may try other cuisines, such as French, Italian, German, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, Mexican, U.S., and vegetarian, all of which are well represented in the country.
Just as tourist tastes are varied, so are the tourist attractions that Costa Rica offers in the form of natural beauty, sun and sea, hospitality, history, adventure, and fun. All these attractions are concentrated in a small area where distance does not present a problem.
Although taking princess cruise line vacation a vacation in a beautiful country in and of itself contributes to good health, there are other options available as well. The country offers high-quality professional services in plastic and reconstructive surgery, opthalmology, and dentistry at very good prices compared to other countries. In the same area as tourist health, we should mention that Costa Rica has natural hot spring bathing. There are also therapeutic treatment destinations with volcanic muds and other natural components that have earned the special interest of many visitors.
Of historic interest in the greater San Jose metropolitan area, there are commonly visited princess cruise line vacation sites such as the National Theater, National Museum, Post Office, Atlantic princess cruise line vacation Railway Station, Cathedral, Central Park, Metallic Building, Central princess cruise line vacation Market, CENAC (Arts and Culture Center), National and Morazan Parks, Melico Salazar Theater, princess cruise line vacation and the Children s Museum.
If natural princess cruise line vacation beauty is what the visitor is looking for, there s no place like Costa Rica. Its most valuable treasure lies in the protected areas encompassing the Poás, Irazú, Arenal, and Rincón de la Vieja (the Old Lady s Corner) volcanoes, princess cruise line vacation the Manuel princess cruise line vacation Antonio and Cahuita beaches, the Carara and Braulio Carrillo forest trails, the dryland forest at Santa Rosa, the submarine life at the Coco and Caño islands, and the Chirripo Mountains. Each of these parks is a living center for bio-diversity that offers exactly the right conditions for a tourist to truly live a wildlife experience. As an eco-tourist, you can participate in the local communities princess cruise line vacation that both benefit from such activities and contribute to the preservation of the environment s natural resources.
Some 25% of the national territory lie in protected areas governed by strict standards and regulations about public usage. Such communities as Monteverde in Puntarenas Province, Puerto Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula, Tortuguero in Union Province, Fortuna de San Carlos in Alajuela Province, and Sarapiqui in Heredia Province are all pioneers in the area.
Costa Rica maintains a policy of sustainability that has molded its image as an ecological destination at the forefront of numerous other countries in Latin America which follow its own special model.
In a small country that Mother Nature I abundantly blessed, the number and beauty of the beaches are no exception. Some beaches are part of the national park system which adds a new ingredient to their attractiveness. This is because enjoying princess cruise line vacation them is not limited just to their warm temperatures. princess cruise line vacation You can enjoy the beauty and exuberance of the tropical princess cruise line vacation countryside as well.
You should princess cruise line vacation enjoy Costa Rica s volcanoes, princess cruise line vacation but judiciously. princess cruise line vacation Among them, Arenal is active and at night shoots off natural fireworks. The dormant Irazu Volcano princess cruise line vacation offers breathtaking views and the inactive Poas Volcano has the largest crater in the world.
princess cruise line vacation Sport fishing is an outstanding attraction found on the coasts of both oceans and at the lake at Arenal Volcano and in some rivers. Costa Rica is well-known throughout the world for the richness and diversity of the species inhabiting our waters, such as marlin, sailfish, huge tunas, rooster fish, and snapper princess cruise line vacation on the Pacific, and snook, sea bass, mahimahi (dolphin fish), and snapper on the Atlantic side.
It s no accident that our country has become one of the primary destinations for surfers. The easy access to the oceanside and the variety of surfing types found in Costa Rica are very attractive to lovers of the sport. Surfers have discovered a country with four different areas on the Caribbean and the North, Central, and Southern Pacific coasts for the best in surfing.
Few places in the world have such a profusion of submarine beauty as is found in the waters of the Caribbean Sea in the east and the Pacific Ocean in the west. This beauty makes Costa Rica one of the most attractive destinations for snorkeling and diving. This, in turn, has triggered the formation of dive centers where you can rent equipment and organize tours and other similar activities.
The most beautiful areas are found around the Coco and Cano islands, but because of their distance and variety of species inhabiting them you need special permits and transportation to get there. The Papagayo Gulf in Guanacaste princess cruise line vacation and the southern Caribbean also are noteworthy because of the large number of coral reefs and fish that dwell among them.
The rivers in Costa Rica are not only beautiful stopping off points with wonderful fishing, they have also become famous princess cruise line vacation for their rapids. Here the visitor can slide through their serpentine currents with professional eq