Places / North & Central America
Costa Rica
Visited
At a glance
- Region
- Central America
- Capital
- San José
- Population
- 5.2 million (2025)
- Area
- 51,100 km²
- Languages
- Spanish
- Currency
- Costa Rican colón (CRC)
- Drives on the
- right
- Calling code
- +506
Country visited City visited Still to go Click a pin or country to read more. Zoom with + and −, a double-click or a pinch.
Before you go
My adventures in Costa Rica
My own trips, races and stories from Costa Rica, from May 2009 to February 2020.
My videos from Costa Rica
Capuchin monkey, Costa Rica
Cahuita, Costa Rica
My photos from Costa Rica
From 2 trips, newest first, so you can see which places each set of photos came from.
February 2020 Central America
Talamanca, Puntarenas, Golfito, Poás Volcano, Cahuita National Park, Tortuguero, Tilarán, Oreamuno and 1 more
Whole trip gallery
May 2009 Punta Leona and San José
Punta Leona, San José
Whole trip gallery
Overview
Costa Rica is one of the best countries in the world for wildlife, with rainforest, volcanoes, cloud forest and beaches on both the Pacific and the Caribbean. A quarter of the country is protected.
San José is the capital. Arenal volcano, the cloud forest of Monteverde, the beaches and monkeys of Manuel Antonio, turtles at Tortuguero and the wild Osa Peninsula are the highlights.
History
It was colonized by Spain in 1522.
Then in 1821, it gained its independence from Spain but joined the Mexican Empire.
It became fully independent in 1838.
Food & culture
The country’s culture is influenced by Spanish, Jamaican and Chinese customs.
The main crops grown here are pineapples, bananas, sugarcane, coffee, vegetables, corn, palm oil and rice.
The most popular dishes are Gallo Pinto, Casado, Tamal, Olla De Carne, black bean soup and Arroz con Leche.
Wildlife
The common wild animals living in the country include sea turtles, ocelot, iguanas, scarlet, great green macaws, horned owl, deer and tapir.
Festivals & events
The Labor Day is held on 1st May.
Guanacaste Day is held on 25th July.
Independence Day is held on 15th September.
Things to see
Arenal Volcano is a 1,633m high volcano northwest of the country.
The Manuel Antonio National Park along Pacific Coast comprises of rainforest, white sand beaches coral reefs and is home to a variety of wildlife.
Corcovado National Park is at the southwest that is home to tropical ecosystems and a variety of wildlife.
Other must-visit places are Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve, Tortuguero National Park and Poas Volcano.
Interesting facts
Costa Rica is the fourth largest exporters of bananas in the world.
The highest peak in the country is Cerro Chirripo Mountain which is 3,810 m above sea level.
The country has a coastline that is 800 miles long.
City guides
Cities & towns I’ve visited
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Costa Rica
0 of 4 visited. See every site I've been to.
All 4 sites in Costa Rica
Plan your trip to Costa Rica
- HotelsBooking.com
- Tours and ticketsGetYourGuide
- FlightsKiwi.com
- Attraction ticketsTiqets
- Airport parking, lounges and transfersHoliday Extras
- Car hireAuto Europe
- Adventure travel insuranceWorld NomadsWe receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
- Mobile data (eSIM)AiraloCode DAN9406 for money off
- GuidebooksAmazon
- Small-group adventuresMuch Better AdventuresActive small-group trips run by local experts.
Some of these are affiliate links: if you book through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More about this.
