Geographically, Costa Rica can be divided into five large areas: the volcanic Cordilleras mountain range, the Central Valley where the capital of San José lies, the wetlands along the Caribbean Coast, the Central Pacific coast and the dry Nicoya peninsula in the northwest. There are numerous active and dormant volcanoes in the Cordilleras, one of which is Turrialba. The three most frequently visited volcanoes are the Volcán Poás (2704 m), Arenal (1633 m) and Irazú (3432 m).
Costa Rica’s climate has basically two seasons: a rainy and a dry season. The rainy season lasts from May to November, and the dry season from December to April. Because of its latitude between 8 and 11° N, Costa Rica is considered to be in the tropics, but the amount of rainfall varies greatly. San José has 1867 mm rainfall a year, while in Puerto Limón on the Caribbean coast it is nearly twice as much with 3518 mm.
Roughly 27% of Costa Rica’s area is protected by nature conservation laws. There are more than 20 national parks throughout the country with very diverse characteristic features.
The province of Guanacaste and its beautiful, white sand beaches attract a large number of tourists. There is even an international airport in Liberia, the provincial capital.
Costa Rica is a democratic republic and has a stable political and legal system. Purchasing and owning land is no problem for foreigners and safeguarded by law.
In recent years Costa Rica has made positive progress from an economic and tourism point of view. It has become a popular travel destination, especially for Americans and Europeans. However, the country has not yet been taken over by mass tourism and the familiar side effects.
The "Ticos" – as the Costa Ricans proudly call themselves – are a very hospitable and warm people. They always have a friendly word for visitors and are quick to offer a helping hand. Two-thirds of the nearly four million inhabitants live in the Central Valley, where the major urban centers of San José, Heredia, Cartago and Alajuela are located.
And not all the beaches are solitary. There are many activities from which visitors can choose or just enjoy the "pura vida".
