Planning and directions

Costa Rica and area information

Costa Rica is known throughout the world as a peaceful country, rich in biodiversity and natural wonders. Though a very small territory, the country is rife with 'micro-climates', creating a great deal of variation in flora and fauna, weather and landscape, across short distances.

The capital, San José, is found high in the heart of what is called the Central Valley, a plateau at 3000 feet ringed by mountains. Here the weather is uniformly cooler than the coasts at sea-level, and frequent rain keeps everything fresh and green. This is where the Juan Santamaria International Airport is located, also serving as a hub for the many regional flights that connect remote parts of the country. Additional flights leave from the smaller Tobias Bolaños airport in the district of Pavas.

Outside the capital, there are few actual cities; most urban centres remain small and mid-sized towns, and rural life dominates the scenery.

Every region of Costa Rica is distinct, from the lush and vibrant Caribbean coast, to the bustle of the Central Valley, to the jungles of the Osa Peninsula, and of course, Guanacaste, the country's 'gold coast'.