WELCOME TO COSTA RICA !!!

Location:

The republic of Costa Rica is located in Central America,10 degrees north of the Equator. It is an important natural bridge that unites North and South America. It borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, flanked by the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
Costa Rica boasts a landmass of about 51,000 square kilometers (20,000 square miles), which is about the same size of West Virginia in the U.S., Nova Scotia in Canada or slighly larger than Switzerland.

Time Zone:

Costa Rica is six hours (-6) behind GMT (Greenwich Main Time). It does not observe daylight savings.

Climate:

The average temperature is 21 ºC (70 ºF) in the highlands and 27 ºC (85 ºF) in the coasts. There are only two seasons:
-Rainy season: from May to November (It rains in the afternoon but mornings are usually bright and sunny)
-Dry Season: from December to April (Almost no rain at all)

Language:

The official language is Spanish, although many people speak english as a second language.

Religion:

There is freedom of worship; however, most of the people practice the Catholic religion.

The people:

“Ticos”, as commonly known, are kind and hospitable; they will even go out of their way to assist any visitor. You will find them polite and well educated, Ticos are quick to greet you with a smile and no douth you will enjoy their friendliness and spontaneity.

Political System:

Costa Rica is considered the longest standing democracy in Latin America. There are three branches of the goverment: the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial. The President and the members of the Legislative Assembly are elected for a four-year period. Presidential re-election is possible and the voting age is 18 years and the country has no standing army, since the civil war in 1948.

Currency:

The Colon is the official currency. The exchange rate varies daily in relation to the US dollar. Major credit cards are accepted in most shops, restaurants, bars, hotels and travel companies, however, we recommend to carry some cash.
Dollars and traveler checks are easily exchanged at hotels and banks, but you may experience some difficulty trying to cash them in other places. Safety deposit boxes are available in most major hotels.

Medical Facilities and Health:

Medical services are available all over the country and many doctors speak englishor other languages. Medical facilities feature the highest standars of proffessional care and treatment at considerably lower costs. Farmacies with late openings hours may be found in the main cities.
If an emergency happens, call 911.

Food and Drinks:

Unlike other countries, local food is not spicy. Costa Rica’s traditional food includes: seafood, meats, vegetables, tropical fruits. International cuisine is also available, including italian, mexican, chinese and others.
The national drink is called “guaro”, a clear spirit distilled from sugar cane.

Water:

Tap water is drinkable in all areas of the country, however, bottled water is always recommended in the rural areas.

Airport Departure Tax:

Departure tax is $26 per person and can be paid cash or with Visa credit card.

Shops and Banking Hours:

Shops are generally open every day, from 9 am to 5 pm. Banks are open Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 4 pm. Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) are available mostly in the cities and some popular beaches.

Tipping and Taxes:

By law, all hotels are required to add 13% sales tax and 3.39 % hotel tax. In restaurants, a 10% gratuity and a 13% sales tax are added to tour check. You may tip additionally if you feel the service was outstanding.
It is customary to tip bellboys, tour guides and drivers at your discretion.

National Holidays:

Safety Tips

For personal protection, precautions here in Costa Rica are similar to those you would take anywhere else:

• Do not walk alone in secluded areas.
• Do not wear expensive or expensive looking jewelery.
• Do not show your cash on the street.
• Do not leave your belongings unattended and never leave your valuables inside a car or a bus.

When booking tours and services on yor own, make sure you are dealing with a serius, licensed company. You can always call 3 Monkies Tours for advice or additional reservations.

We wish you the most enjoyable vacation in Costa Rica !!