Costa Rica Tours in a Natural Paradise - INTI Tours

Discoveries of green diversity

Costa Rica - translated from Spanish, this means "rich coast". And the country on the Pacific and the Caribbean is richly blessed with them...

For nature lovers, Costa Rica is a travel El Dorado due to the large number of nature reserves. The country is one of the most biodiverse countries on earth, with around five per cent of all known species inhabiting the country's various habitats. Costa Rica's vast wetlands are home to countless species of birds, crocodiles, monkeys, sloths, poison dart frogs and much more. Costa Rica travels are discoveries in a green natural paradise: Lowland rainforest, mountain and cloud rainforests and dreamlike beaches.

If you love unspoilt nature with volcanoes, lakes, jungle and sea - Costa Rica is the most beautiful place on earth. Experience lowland rainforest as well as mountain and cloud rainforests, discover colourful frogs in the thicket of green and observe water turtles on dreamlike beaches. Set off for a land of biodiversity, ecological self-awareness and a "rich coastline".

Welcome to Costa Rica!

Country information Absolutely worth seeing  Facts and figures Travel in Costa Rica Addresses

Our types of travel in Costa Rica

Examples of individual dream trips in Costa Rica

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Country information on COSTA RICA: "Green Natural Paradise"

The country borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. It is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Costa Rica is one of the most progressive countries in Latin America. It generates almost 100% of its electricity needs from renewable energies. Almost 30% of Costa Rica's land area is under nature conservation and exceptionally high subsidies flow into ecotourism.

Politically, too, the country has gone and continues to go its own way. Unlike many other countries in the region, Costa Rica has been a stable democracy since the 1950s. Thanks to early socio-political measures, it was spared the problems of social unrest, civil wars and dictatorships that are widespread in Latin America. In view of past armed conflicts in neighbouring countries, the Costa Rican government declared its "permanent and active unarmed neutrality" in 1983. The army was abolished in favour of supporting education and health programmes. Costa Rica is often referred to as the "Switzerland of Central America".

Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse countries on earth, with around five percent of all known species and one tenth of all bird species inhabiting the country's various habitats. The country owes this abundance of species to its location at the transition between two continents. On the coasts and river estuaries, there are brackish water areas where mangroves thrive and provide ideal habitats for numerous animal species. Crocodiles, reptiles, amphibians as well as small mammals and numerous birds can be found here. Costa Rica's vast wetlands are home to countless species of birds, crocodiles, monkeys, sloths and many other animals. During the rainy season, the wetlands are regularly flooded, while in the dry season they are huge mudflats. Lowland rainforest is best experienced in Costa Rica in the Golfo Dulce region, but the country also has mountain and cloud rainforests. Dry forests exist in the north of Costa Rica, where the species population is significantly lower. For those who love nature, like to roam through the jungle and look for animals, Costa Rica is a true paradise. Due to the large number of nature reserves, only a small selection can be mentioned here.

Capital San José:

San José is centrally located in the interior of the country and is not only the official capital and a central transport hub, but also the cultural centre of Costa Rica. The metropolis is located on a high plateau and was named "San José" after Saint Joseph. Today, around 1.6 million people live in the San José region. The university city houses, among other things, the National Museum, the National Theatre and the world-famous Gold Museum with one of the largest collections of pre-Columbian gold art. Over 2,000 exhibits belong to this impressive gold collection. The region around the capital stretches from north to south in the western part of the country as Valle Central up to heights of 1,170 metres above sea level. The inhabitants affectionately call the capital "Chepe". Natural beauties such as the Poás volcano or the Braulio Carillo National Park are located in the vicinity of the capital and offer themselves for exploration.

Absolutely worth seeing:

• One of the most beautiful buildings in the country is the neoclassical National Theatre, which opened its doors for the first time in 1897. The model for the historic theatre was the Paris Opera. The neo-Renaissance façade and the magnificent interior make the opera house one of the most beautiful theatres in Central America. On a guided tour, you can get to know the architectural and artistic treasures better.
• Other impressive buildings and sites in the capital are the Catedral Metropólitano, the modern Court of Justice and the Cementerio Obreros cemetery with many mausoleums of famous Costa Rican personalities.
• Inside the Banco Central, an underground museum complex houses the Gold Museum, one of the largest gold collections in the Americas. On display are jewellery and cultural objects, small figurines with human and animal features and the largest gold nugget in the world.
• The National Museum is also worth a visit. Various treasures from the colonial era offer a good overview of Costa Rican culture and history.
• Not far from the capital is the Parque Nacional Volcán Irazú. At 3432 metres, Irazú is the highest volcano in Costa Rica. Its large crater has a diameter of 275 metres; it was active for the last time in 1996. The smaller crater is much deeper and at its bottom there is a small lake that constantly changes colour due to various gases rising from the inside of the volcano. On a clear day, you can see as far as the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east.
• A wonderful day trip to the national park around the Poás volcano is absolutely recommended. Easily accessible by car, in good weather you can enjoy a fantastic view of the bubbling volcanic crater. But even if fog prevents this view, the beautiful approach and the cloud forest around the crater with some small hiking trails are worthwhile. Not far from the Poàs volcano are the waterfall gardens of La Paz. The drive leads through picturesque pastureland and is well signposted. If you go to the volcano early in the morning, both destinations can easily be explored in one day.
• A wonderful day trip to the national park around the Poás volcano is absolutely recommended. Easily accessible by car, in good weather you can enjoy a fantastic view of the bubbling volcanic crater. But even if fog prevents this view, the beautiful approach and the cloud forest around the crater with some small hiking trails are worthwhile. Not far from the Poàs volcano are the waterfall gardens of La Paz. The drive leads through picturesque pastureland and is well signposted. If you go to the volcano early in the morning, both destinations can easily be explored in one day.

Im Norden Costa Ricas:
The mountain ranges of Guanacaste and Tilarán, which are separated by the Arenal reservoir, as well as the adjoining lowlands up to the "Lago de Nicaragua" are referred to as the northern mountain range. The Cordillera de Tilarán forms the watershed between the Atlantic and the Pacific. Most famous in the region is the Arenal Volcano - the most active volcano in Central America. Directly in front of the volcano spreads Lake Arenal - a reservoir used for energy production. The northern part of the Pacific coast is very well developed for seaside tourism, and the most popular beaches are found here. However, the volcanoes Orosi as well as the volcano Rincon de la Vieja also belong to the North Pacific area and are unknown attractive destinations for travellers.

Absolutely worth seeing:

• Lake Arenal is internationally recognised as one of the best windsurfing areas. But its location alone, with the volcanic backdrop surrounding it, is worth a visit. La Fortuna is located in the province of Alajuela and is the connecting point between the northern lowlands and the high cloud forests around Monteverde and Santa Elena. La Fortuna is easy to reach and offers a spectacular view of the Arenal Volcano, barely 10 km away.
• Monteverde is a nature reserve that offers many different hiking trails through beautiful cloud forest. Countless species of trees and plants and a terrific variety of fauna are waiting to be discovered. The small, friendly town of Monteverde lies in the middle of the cloud forests of the reserve of the same name and extends over a larger area. The second town, Santa Elena, is also a good starting point for nature explorations. Between Santa Elena and Monteverde there is a system of hiking trails with many beautiful viewpoints.
• Excellent hikes can also be made to the extinct Tenorio volcano. The Rio Celeste rises at the volcano and delights with its sky-blue colour.
• Only a few kilometres west of the Rio Celeste as the crow flies, you enter Costa Rica's most important wetland, formed by the two rivers Caño Negro and Rio Frio. The abundance of animals in the Caño Negro nature reserve is considered unsurpassed.
• The Bosque Eterno de los Niños is the largest private reserve in Costa Rica. Here, over 18,000 square kilometres of rainforest are protected through donations from children and young people.
• The sandy beaches of Playa Junquillal are lined up for kilometres. You can walk for hours on pristine beaches, go horseback riding or simply unwind.
• In the very south of the Nicoya Peninsula lies the Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco - a true hiking & trekking paradise. In the very south of the peninsula lies Playa el Carmen with the best surfing conditions and breathtaking sunsets. Playa Flamingo is also one of the most beautiful beaches in the region.
• Where the Nicoya Peninsula borders the mainland is the Barra Honda National Park.
  In contrast to the volcanic rock of the whole of northern Costa Rica, the "basin of Rio Tempisque" is founded on a foundation of limestone. Through millions of years of erosion, the water there has dug numerous caves into the limestone.

Costa Rica's South:

The entire south of Costa Rica is still relatively undeveloped. There is no industry, little infrastructure, small towns, a lot of nature and virgin forest. The Osa Peninsula is home to the largest contiguous rainforest area in Central America!

Absolutely worth seeing:

• The Corcovado National Park is located on the Osa Peninsula and is considered the most species-rich nature reserve in the entire country. A wide variety of animal and plant species live in the thirteen ecosystems of this evergreen area, which covers almost 57,000 hectares and has been protected since 1975. Impenetrable rainforest, mangroves, freshwater marshes and a rugged, untouched Pacific coast create a uniquely beautiful landscape. Day tours or hikes lasting several days in this fascinating corner of the world are a unique experience.
• The Marino Ballena National Park was founded in 1989 as Costa Rica's first marine national park to protect the many animals as well as the sensitive ecosystem with many coral reefs on the Pacific coast. Today, the nature reserve covers over 5,300 hectares of water and 115 hectares on land. Three different species of dolphins can be seen throughout the year, and twice a year whales can be seen passing through. The humpback whales, up to 18 metres long, come close to the coast from mid-July to mid-October, as they raise their young in the warm water. The short-finned pilot whales are smaller whales up to 8 metres long and can be seen from December to March. Sea turtles such as the green turtle and the small olive ridley turtle are also common.

Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast:

Costa Rica's Caribbean coast stretches north from Nicaragua to the border with Panamá in the south. It differs significantly from the Pacific west coast. The landscape is characterised by mangrove forests, flat coastal forests and many beaches. The tide is much lower than in the Pacific, so the beaches are nicer and cleaner. More than half of the coastline is protected by national parks, including the very attractive Tortugueros National Park. The entire coastal region belongs to the province of Limón with the capital of the same name. This not particularly attractive city is important because of its container port, from which three-quarters of the country's international freight traffic is handled. The rainy season on the Caribbean is usually from mid-April to mid-December, which is much longer than in the rest of the country. One is rewarded by lush, green forests. The local population, mostly coloured, are immigrants from Caribbean countries like Jamaica, some of whom do not speak Spanish. Mostly, the mixed language of Spanish and English can be heard - called Papiamiento. Some of the original Indian tribes are still settled here, including the BriBris and also the Cabecar.

Absolutely worth seeing:

• Tortuguero National Park is located in the northeast of Costa Rica in the province of Limón and is the third most visited national park in Costa Rica, although it can only be reached by boat or plane. "Tortuguero" translates as turtle - but the national park is much more than a protection zone for turtles. The most diverse landscape and climatic conditions produce an incredible biodiversity. The tropical rainforests and beaches, the alluvial land as well as the lagoons and rivers are home to a true treasure for animal lovers. The Caribbean beaches provide nesting sites for endangered turtle species, most notably the large leatherback turtle. The waters of the national park are home to manatees, caimans, crocodiles as well as snakes, frogs and lizards. Jaguars, sloths, spider monkeys, howler monkeys and capuchins live in the forests. Almost 400 different bird species have been sighted, and over 400 tree species and 2,500 plant species have been recorded.
• Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a small coastal town not far from the border crossing to Panama. The place is known for its great beaches with good waves, for example Playa Cocles and Playa Punta Uva. At Playa Negra you will find endless tranquillity and, if you are lucky, you may even see wild horses.

Facts and figures Costa Rica:

Land area: 51,100 sq. km  
Population: 4.8 million - approx. 94 % descendants of European immigrants, approx. 5 % of African, Asian and indigenous descent
Capital: San José with approx. 340,000 inhabitants, in the metropolitan area just under 2.3 million
Highest mountain: Cerro Chirripó (3,820 metres)
Form of government: presidential republic
History: Costa Rica has been independent from Spain since 1821.
Economy: Costa Rica has an open, export-oriented market economy. Traditional export goods such as pineapples, coffee and bananas have lost importance, but agriculture remains the country's most important foreign exchange earner after tourism and exports in the computer industry.
Currency: Costa Rican colón
Language: Spanish
Festivals: Carnival of Puntarenas (last week of February), Día del Boyero Nacional (colourful ox-cart parade on the second Sunday in March), Día de San Isidro Labrador (15 May with celebrations all over the country), Dia de la Virgen del Mar (always on Saturdays around 16 July: procession of colourfully decorated fishing boats near Puntarenas), Independence Day on 15 September. September, Limón Carnival (on 12 October with parades, dances etc. over a week), Festival de la Luz (festival of lights with traditional Christmas parade in San José on the second Saturday in December), San José Carnival (on 26 and 27 December with traditional costumes and horses).

Travelling in Costa Rica:

Entry requirement: Valid passport for stays up to 90 days.
Vaccinations: No required vaccinations except for yellow fever vaccination if entering from yellow fever areas.
Climate/travel season: Year-round travel season. The climate is tropical to subtropical, i.e. often hot and humid. In the mountain regions often cool and humid.
Best time to travel: The dry season is from December to April. Rainy season is from May to November. Hurricane season is from July to October.
Local time: CEST -8 hrs (during our winter time -7 hrs).

Addresses:

Costa Rica embassy
Dessauerstraße 28/29, 10963 Berlin
Tel. 030/26 39 89 90, Fax 030/26 55 72 10
www.botschaft-costarica.de