Costa Rica

Have you ever witnessed the quetzal bird in flight?  Listened to the concert of howling monkeys or the armadillo racket in dead leafs?  Witnessed the nocturnal debarkation of Caribbean turtles on the beach?   Discovered tapir or jaguar foot prints? Admired a thousand different types of orchids? Located in Central America, Costa Rica is blessed with hosting a good part of our planet's fauna and flora. Hiking is the ideal way to immerse oneself in this life.
This tropical paradise, where nature reigns, offers it all to you simultaneously, dreamy beaches and mountainous relief, a luxuriant jungle and still active volcanoes, a mysterious tropical forest and two oceans, with impressive waves...
The bewitching richness of these natural beauties is equal to the kindness and warmth of the inhabitants, the Ticos.
So, are you ready to experience a great adventure in this true wild paradise? Follow us...

• A broad range of trips for all different tastes, catering to the naturalist or the adventurer, the athlete, the idler or the family seeking multiple activities
• High quality accompaniment adapted to the type of circuit.
• Our original routes deviate readily nicely from the well beaten paths to allow you to experience a true immersion in nature.  
• An organization, well broken in, which adapts to climatic conditions and risks, thanks to our ten plus years of experience on the ground and to the effectiveness of our local representative.
• Guaranteed departures with 4 participants.

Costa Rica has a tropical climate, in general wet and hot. It is a luxuriant country, which means that it often rains.
It is however possible to hike in Costa Rica throughout the year. Pleasant temperatures, with more daily variations than seasonal ones.
On average: 66 °Fahrenheit at San Jose, 77 °Fahrenheit at sea level, 43 ° Fahrenheit at an altitude of 9.800 feet.
Schematically, two seasons are distinguished:
- dry season, from December to April, summer season for the Costa Ricans: sun and a clear sky most of the time;
- wet season, from May to November: less tourists, better observation of fauna and a different flora are a few of the many advantages of traveling during this period.
Weather generally sunny in the morning and sometimes torrential downpours in the afternoon. There is often a beautiful sunny episode in July (the Veranillo). On the other hand, the seasons are rather reversed on the Caribbean coast, very sunny between August and November. In fact, the microclimates are very varied: the Northern Pacific, for example, knows more than four months of absolute dryness each year, whereas certain slopes receive 26 to 32 feet of water per year!

Population	4 millions habitants
Surface	19,730  squares miles
Capital	San Jose (1 million)
Main Cities	Alajuela, Cartago, Limon, Puntarenas
Active Volcanoes	Chirripo Grande 12,533 feet, Volcano Irazu 11,230 feet, Volcano Turrialba 10,955 feet
National Parks	Thirty of them total, almost 30% of the territory is protected area
Official Language	Spanish, many people speak English
Religion	mainly catholic
Political Status	Constitutional Republic
Time Shift	http://www.worldtimezone.com/utc/utc-0600.html

The national currency is the Colòn (CRC), but the American dollar (USD) is also in circulation.
Which currencies to carry and where to exchange?
Take dollars preferably, in small increments ($ 50 maximum). You can exchange money anywhere. There are ATM machines in the main cities.

As an organizer of worldwide trips, Mountain World Travel is concerned for our guest's safety and security. We always keep ourselves up to date with current travel warnings and always consider the government safety advices, while organizing and preparing our different trips. Please double check on the official government website regarding each country's warnings.
US citizens, please chack with     US Government Travel Advices

Eric, long time Mountain World Travel guide, has been traversing Costa Rica for nearly 15 years. Fascinated by this country's diversity and the richness of its ecosystems, he spends several months a year there with the mission of a curious naturalist hoping to discover a rare bird or a new route. From Eric, connoisseur of his country and it's environment enlists a friend and in 1999 the two of them create an office which handles the local organization of our trips, marked by the touch of Mountain World Travel.
All of our voyages are custom made by our "Path Discoverer" and excellent guide, who perfectly knows the right ingredients for a successful excursion! Supporting him is a solid team of American or Costa Rican guides, all impassioned and large experts of fauna and tropical flora.
To allow for an authentic Costa Rican discovery, it means that Eric needs to commit himself to support local initiatives; of which there are many:  defense of environmental associations, networks of rural tourism, organic agriculture... He chooses to work with people involved in ecotourism:  ecological lodges, family type lodges, local guides, agricultural cooperatives.

Costa-Rica is a country slanted towards "ecotourism".  There are many initiatives of the small rural communities of native Costa Rican to organize a rural  tourism. Within the framework of our actions for responsible tourism", we choose to support the Chira Island's women's  project. To make up for their lack of income they decided to develop an ecological oriented tourism, which in addition, favors human contact. In 2007, we joined with them to improve the infrastructure of their reception.

Learning some Spanish key words will enable you to gain the respect of your interlocutors and to facilitate your exchanges with the Costa Ricans.
Do not hesitate to use the following expressions:
Hello, how are you? : Buenos días, cómo está?
Very well, thank you: muy bien, por dicho!
Please: por favor
Thank you: gracias
Goodbye: Hasta luego
Yes: sí - Not: No
Excuse me: discúlpeme   
Fantastic: Pura Vida! (favorite Costa Rican expression)
You can ask your guide how to pronounce these key words; your voyage will only be richer by your attempting to speak the local language.
And smile, it is often the best means of having good contacts!

The standard of living is relatively high in Costa Rica, one of the most prosperous countries of Latin America along with Uruguay and Chile. The population is mainly Catholic, but religion has less influence there than in many other Latin America countries. The American Indian proportion of the population is very small. Customs and habits are relatively close to those of North America, comparable behavior rules thus apply.

Which language to practice before departing for Costa Rica?
If you do not speak Spanish, the national language, revise your English! The mother.... Mother tongue of the Caribbean black population, it is frequently spoken in Costa Rica (in the hotels, not in the countryside!)

Are there precautions to take when traveling in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica is a stable and calm country. In rural zones, there is no problem. In the capital, safety is generally good, but vigilance is essential: pick-pocketing cases are numerous. Pick-pocketing can also occur in certain tourist places (beaches). Prudence and good common sense are necessary (not to display jewels and high tech equipment...) to avoid at a risky situation.

Are electrical plugs compatible with American equipment?
We recommend you not to carry an adapter, because plugs are 110 ones, as in the United States

What do a recreational photographer has to know?
To protect your "photo" material from moisture, plan to bring along some plastic bags to put your camera and your film in.

Is it easy to take photographs of animals?
In Costa Rica, many animals are visible, and lend themselves to observation and picture taking, if one complies with some simple rules of discretion: a quiet approach and some distance between you and your subject. Observation is sometimes difficult because the area is environment is relatively enclosed, the animals are small and there is thick vegetation, along with little light. It is, therefore, necessary to listen for the littlest noise, to be situated in a good spot (a tree with ripe fruits for example), to know where to look and what to see:  you need to locate one sloth before finding the others.
Do these few lines get your curiosity flowing and wishing to prepare for departure?!

What are some interesting souvenirs to bring back home?
Leather crafts, wood objects, natural jewels, paintings, pottery. But also tee-shirts, coffee, natural cosmetic products...The Indian communities have a traditional craft industry :  to give yourself an idea : http://www.galerianamu.com

A true ecological culture exists in this country, shared by the entire population, in spite of economic pressures: immense hotel projects, real estate programs, oil research, etc Approximately 30% of the territory is classified as protected zones: National parks, public or private Biological Reserves. The first National parks in Costa Rica were created in 1955 and in the 1970's, one system was set up to protect this exceptional natural inheritance of theirs, by gathering more than 5% of the world flora and fauna species on a territory hardly equivalent to a twentieth of Colorado. Approximately a third of the country is covered by the forest. The country experienced widespread deforestation (at the beginning of the 20th century XXème century, forests covered 95% of the country). Now, there are restrictive measures.  For example, a law prohibits the falling of any tree without government approval.
It is, of course asked, to comply with national parks rules.