Travel Documents
This is very important!. You must carry proper travel documents with you. The airlines will not allow you to board the plane without proper travel documents, including a current photo ID. So be sure to obtain the necessary documents well in advance of your trip. Be sure to carry them with you, and have them easily available (not packed).
 It will be easier if you have a passport and drivers license, both at the airline counters, and also at the car rental agency in Costa Rica or when cashing travelers checks.
But if you don't have a passport or can't get one on time for your trip, Costa Rica will also accept, in place of a passport, an official birth certificate, together with an official photo ID, such as your drivers license from American and Canadian citizens.
Please note that the birth certificate must be official, with an official seal of the government department or agency that issued the birth certificate (it can't be a photocopy). You can normally order an official birth certificate from the health department, bureau of vital statistics, or other similar agency, in the county or state where you were born.
Although Costa Rica requires only a birth certificate, drivers license or other means of official identification; it is very wise to carry a valid Passport with you.
Please also note that some airline personnel don't know that Costa Rica will accept a birth certificate and photo ID, and will insist on a passport. But with some persistence, you may get them to accept your official birth certificate and photo ID from American and Canadian citizens. Also, if you plan to visit any countries other than Costa Rica, please check each country's requirements.
As an extra precaution, it is a good idea to carry photocopies with you of your identification (passport and drivers license) and keep them in a safe place, separate from your original travel documents.
From Costa Rican Embassy
A passport valid for at least 6 months is required to travel to Costa Rica or to issue any visa. U. S. and Canadian citizens do not need a tourist visa to enter Costa Rica. They only need a valid passport.
U. S. and Canadian citizens age fifteen (15) and under must have a valid passport to enter Costa Rica. U. S. and Canadian citizens age sixteen (16) and above may enter the country by providing to the immigration officers at the airport a photo ID, and either an original birth certificate or a certified copy of it. Once the immigration officers check their birth certificate, U. S. and Canadian citizens will be required to purchase a tourist card for $2.00 U.S. dollars. Then, they will be allowed to go through customs.
Note: If you overstay your permitted length in the country, you will be fined up to $20 U.S. dollars upon departure from Costa Rica.
What to Pack
For when you will be in San José.
San José is in the Meseta Central, or central plateau of Costa Rica, at an elevation of about 3,500 feet above sea level. So San José's weather is spring-like year round, with daytime highs in the upper 70's, and evening temperatures sometimes down into the lower 60's or even the upper 50's. Because the evenings can be cool, you will likely want to pack a long-sleeved shirt, cotton sweater or lightweight jacket.
San José is a cosmopolitan city with a metropolitan population of about 1 million. Dress there is comfortable, but not really casual. Costa Ricans typically do not wear shorts in San José. So we suggest wearing slacks, jeans or skirts. San José boasts a wide variety of international restaurants, with menus for every taste and budget, ranging from dressy to casual. So simply bring the clothes you prefer and you'll find restaurants to match. There is also the opportunity to do a lot of walking in San José, so you will want to bring comfortable walking shoes - tennis shoes are fine. We will arrange guides for shopping trips or other excursions and tours.
For when you will be in the tropics.
 The daytime temperature here is usually in the 80's during the dry season (mid-December through end of March), and slightly cooler during the rainy season (April through November).
If you plan to be here during the rainy season, you may want to bring a light sweater or sweatshirt just in case the evening temperatures cool off after or during a rain.
We suggest wearing long, loose fitting cotton pants or jeans. We also suggest wearing light colored clothes. Some of our guests have found that dark pants or shirts tend to make you hotter when in the sun.
The air here is clear and the sun is very bright, so we recommend a hat with a wide brim to keep the sun off your face and head and the rain out of your eyes. We also recommend a minimum of 15 SPF sunscreen.
Checklist of additional items to pack:
- plenty of athletic crew socks
- folding umbrella (particularly during the rainy season April through November)
- poncho (particularly during the rainy season)
- sunscreen - the air is very clear and the sun is very bright
- sunglasses
- medicated powder, toiletries (i.e., toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, etc.)
- long pants and/or jeans (light colors are most comfortable)
- camera and film
- bathing suit
- shorts
- T-shirts
- tennis shoes or boat shoes, hiking boots for jungle tours
- thongs or flip flops
- large hat
- zip lock bags (for use in protecting your camera equipment, etc., in case of rain or dust during the dry season)
- fishing tackle
Additional Travel Tips
Credit cards
Major credit cards are accepted in San José and most major tourist areas. But once you are outside of San José and the major tourist areas, many smaller hotels and restaurants are not equipped to accept credit cards. Some may accept credit cards but sometimes add an additional percentage charge to your bill for special handling.
Travelers checks
Travelers checks in dollars are accepted at most hotels and restaurants in Costa Rica.
Tipping
Tipping at the airport and at the hotel is normally about $.25 to $.50 per bag, not nearly as much as we are accustomed to in the United States. This can be either in US currency or in Costa Rican colones if you prefer.
All restaurants in Costa Rica include a 10% tip in your bill (it sometimes shows as service charge), so additional tipping isn't necessary. But if the service was extra good, or the waiter or waitress extra nice, if you would like, you can leave a few coins on the table to signal your appreciation.
Tipping taxi drivers isn't necessary, unless he is particularly nice, or helpful with your baggage.
Your room steward and chef will work very hard to ensure you have a plesant trip so plan on something special for them. Recommended gratuities are: Guides $10.00 per day/per person, and $10.00 per day/per person to cover chefs, waiters, maids and other staff either at Rio Indio Lodge or at The Rain Goddess. These are recommendations and Gratuities are left to your discretion and personal experience.
Spanish
Our staff is bi-lingual so you don't have to worry about speaking Spanish. The airport and most restaurants, hotels have tourist facility employees who are accustomed to assisting North Americans and will be able to communicate, even if simply by "doing". We recommend not wearing expensive jewelry and not carrying a purse. If you have a rental car, it is a good idea not to leave it unattended if you have anything in the car - even if you have locked it.
Costa Rica consists of 19,710 square miles, 165 people occupy each square mile. The principle cities of Costa Rica are San Jose (the capital surrounded by 37 suburbs), Puntarenas, Limon, Guanacaste, Alajuela, Heredia, and Cartage (they are represented by stars in the Costa Rican Crest). These seven provinces make up 44% of the urban population.
Costa Rica uses 30% of their National Fund for educational purposes. All their schooling is free and it is mandatory to attend grades K-6. The school system is very strict and hygiene is very important. Each morning before role call the teacher checks the hair, teeth, ears and clothes of each child. If they are dirty in any way they are sent home. This teaches personal discipline at an early age. All children wear uniforms to school; if they cannot afford it then one is provided. All uniforms are identical. In 1844, the government passed a law that required everyone to be literate. Costa Rica is the only Latin Country with a 99% literacy rate. Costa Rica also proudly states that they have more teachers than soldiers. The first Costa Rican president, Jose Maria Castro, believed that education was the key to an honorable Democratic Government.
Some of the important agricultural products in Costa Rica are bananas, chocolate, corn, fruit, coffee, cotton, rice, soybean, and tobacco. The provinces of Alajuela, Puntarenas, and Guanacaste contribute 80% of the cows, sheeps, pigs, chickens, milk, cheese, butter, eggs, and cow hides produced. The fishing industry catches tuna, lobster, shrimp, crabs and other sea animals in the Pacific Ocean.
The principle industrial products in Costa Rica are cement, salt, canned fish, palm oil, sugar, chocolate powder, caramel, cigarettes, fertilizer, gasoline, kerosene, fuel oil, polish, and electric energy. Most of the Costa Rican economy is based on the export of these products of which the United States imports 33% and the rest is distributed world wide.
In 1949 the government banned any form of military in Costa Rica. Costa Rica has a Civil Guard instead. The republic of Costa Rica elects its officials once every four years on the first Sunday of February. The executive power consists of the president (who cannot serve two consecutive terms), the Minister of the Cabinet, two Vice Presidents; all these positions form the Counsel of Governors. The second group in power is the Legislative Assembly which consists of 57 elected officials. They cannot serve two consecutive terms during their four years in government. This group is in charge of electing the permanent and temporary judges of the the Supreme Court. The third group in power is the Supreme Court of Justice, they serve an eight year term and the Legislative Assembly is dependent on them. The last group in power is the Legislative Assembly and they are in charge of the Civil Guard, election season and the census.
Costa Rica is a perfect country for tourism because there are so many things to see and do. It's a peaceful country without a military and it caters to tourists. You can find American hotels and restaurants and the people learn English or French when they are in school. Many people even retire in Costa Rica. The Costa Rican Government recently established a double citizenship with the United States in which you can be a legal citizen in both countries.
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Banks of the San Juan River