Costa Rica
Country · Americas, Central America
Costa Rica is a country in Central America with neighbours by land or sea including Nicaragua and Panama. Its capital is San José, covering an area of 51,180 square kilometers with a population of about 5 million. The country offers travelers a variety of national parks, volcanoes, and reserves.
Highlights
The site covers 10 top sights. Natural features include volcanoes and lakes such as Arenal Volcano, Tenorio Volcano National Park, Irazú Volcano, and Lake Arenal. Parks and reserves feature Manuel Antonio National Park, Corcovado National Park, and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Other notable sights are the Stone spheres of Costa Rica, Nicoya Peninsula, and Museo Nacional de Costa Rica, alongside the city of La Fortuna.
Food and drink
Traditional dishes include ropa vieja and casado.
When to go
This climate information applies to the capital, San José. January through March offer lower rainfall with monthly totals between 57 mm and 78 mm and daily highs around 25 °C to 26 °C. April sees rain increase to 111 mm, while the period from May through November experiences heavy rainfall ranging from 250 mm to 423 mm each month. December brings a drop in rain to 126 mm.
Practical notes
The currency is the Costa Rican colón. The official language is Spanish. Driving is on the right side of the road. Time zones are UTC−06:00. Plugs type A and type B are used, with a voltage of 120.0 V.
Cities
Food and drink to try in Costa Rica
- Ropa vieja
- Casado
Top sights in Costa Rica
Weather by month
Temperatures stay much the same all year, around 21 °C on average. The wettest is October, with about 423 mm of rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Average low, °C | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
| Rainfall, mm | 78 | 57 | 59 | 111 | 324 | 346 | 279 | 336 | 401 | 423 | 250 | 126 |
| Rainy days | 9 | 6 | 9 | 19 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 17 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for San José (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
Also worth a look
- Area de Conservación Guanacaste World Heritage Site
- Braulio Carrillo National Park
- Cahuita National Park
- Carara National Park
- Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge
- Celeste River
- Chirripó National Park
- La Fortuna Waterfall
- Palo Verde National Park
- Poás Volcano National Park
- Pre-Columbian Gold Museum
- Rincón de la Vieja Volcano
- San Lucas Island
- Santa Rosa National Park