Costa Rica flights and travel guide

Almost a quarter of Costa Rica is in national parks and protected areas. Verdant rainforests give way to white-sand beaches and its diverse landscape features volcanoes, forests, mountains and marshy lowlands.

The Central American country has Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south, the Pacific Ocean on the west and Caribbean Sea on the east. Costa Ricans are friendly and welcoming, living in a stable democracy so peaceful that the army was abolished in 1949.

The capital is San Jose, a modern and bustling city offering a great introduction to tourists just off cheap flights to Costa Rica. After exploring its districts - El Pueblo for the bars, restaurants and galleries or Calle de la Amargura, a lively area of bars and cheap eateries - and perhaps the Gold Museum, most tourists head out of town to the parks and beaches.

One such park is the Corcovado National Park, renowned internationally for its biodiversity and abundance of wildlife. There are others equally bounteous including Tortuguero National Park and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

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Costa Rica climate

Costa Rica is a tropical country with little variation in temperature throughout the year. You will encounter a lot of rain if you visit between May and November, the significantly rainy season. The coastal temperatures are hotter at an average of 32 C, but sea breezes make it much more comfortable. The highland areas are cool at night and warm during the day.

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When to fly to Costa Rica

Peak Season:
January through May, the dry season, is the best time to book cheap flights to Costa Rica.

Off Season:
The rainy season - May to November/December - gets sun in the mornings and rain showers from afternoon through evening. This is not a good time to go if you are hoping to travel around. Secondary roads can become flooded during this time.

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Getting around Costa Rica

Sansa Regional Airline and Nature Air offer cheap flights around Costa Rica.

As the majority of Costa Ricans do not own cars, public transportation is good. The country is well connected by buses - public buses and private tourist buses. The remotest areas may be linked just once a day however.

Car rental is a great, independent, way of travelling. The biggies - Dollar, Budget, Alamo - all have offices around Costa Rica.

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Costa Rica insider information

• In 2007 Costa Rica's government stated that it wishes Costa Rica to be carbon neutral by 2021 making it the perfect destination for eco-tourists.
• Tortuguero National Park is home to several types of monkey - spider, howler and white-throated Capuchin. The three-toed sloth lives there too, with 320 species of birds, and a variety of reptiles. It is most famous for the nesting of the endangered green turtle. It is the species' most important nesting site. Other turtles nest there too including the giant leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtle.
• The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve: home to about 2,000 plant species including numerous orchids, more than 400 types of birds and over 100 species of mammals.
• Costa Rica, and parts of Panama, are home to the highly endangered Red Backed Squirrel Monkey.
• Volcano country - Mount Arenal lay dormant for many years and became active again in recent years. At Arenal National Park, about a five-hour drive from San Jose, you can view the giant. At night, dine in a restaurant at the foot of the volcano. Molten lava spills from its peak, outlining the volcano in fiery red.
• Canopy tours are a wonderful way to enjoy Costa Rica's wildlife. They also provide a decent shot of adrenaline. Adventurous types climb up ladders onto platforms tied around tree trunks, then zip along in a climbing harness, before rappelling back down to the ground.

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Costa Rica airports

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Passport/Visa

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Entry requirements

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