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Irazu Volcano Nacional Park

Canopy Tour Colinas del Poas

Aerial Tram Turu Bari Tropical Park

From San Jose to Arenal

From San Jose to Monteverde

From San Jose to Liberia

From San Jose to Tamarindo

From San Jose to Manuel Antonio

About Costa Rica

Travel Information

Entry Documents Needs

Brief History of Costa Rica

Costa Rica's National Parks

Costa Rica’s Climate and Weather

From La Fortuna to Nosara

From Tamarindo to San José

From Manuel Antonio to Samara

From Nosara to Jacó

From Papagayo to Monteverde

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San Jose Province
Compared to other Central American capitals, San José is more cosmopolitan, even North Americanized. There are department stores and shopping malls, fast-food chain restaurants, and blue jeans. It takes a day or two to start getting the real 'tico' feeling of the city. Perhaps the first sign of being in Costa Rica is the friendliness of the people. Asking someone the way will often result in a smile and a genuine attempt to help you out. Although the city was founded in 1737, little remains from the colonial era. Indeed, until the Teatro Nacional was built in the 189Os, San José was a small, largely forgotten city. Today, the capital boasts several excellent museums, good restaurants, and a fine climate - the main attractions for visitors. But most visitors have a quick look at the museums, then go on to the national parks, rainforests, and beaches - tasty food and an agreeable climate can be found elsewhere in the country. Because Costa Rica's public transport and road system radiates from San José, the capital is often used as a base from which to visit the country's many attractions. Although Costa Rica is known for trying to preserve the environment with one of the best national park systems in Latin America, the environmental effort is less evident in urban areas. In the late '90s, the phasing out of leaded fuel and the introduction of a vehicle emissions program (Ecomarchamo) were followed by a slight decrease in lead and carbon monoxide levels. However, air pollution, mainly from street traffic, remains a definite problem in the city. Central pedestrian areas and large parks make a welcome break from vehicle traffic.

Guanacaste Province
The province of Guanacaste is filled with touristic, folkloric and other attractions. Several famous battles took place in this province: The Santa Rosa battle, that defeated William Wlaker on March 20th in 1856. The principal activities next to tourism of this province is cattle farming and rice farming, there are also important sugar cane-, as well as cotton- and bean plantations. There were also mine exploitations especially in Abangares. There are many National Parks such as the Guanacaste National Park, Palo Verde National Park, and places like the Barra Honda Caverns and Volcano Rincón de la Vieja etc. Before the Spanish arrived, this territory was inhibited by Chorotega Indians form the town of Zapati, Nacaome, Paro, Cangel, Nicopasaya, Pocosí, Diriá, Papagayo, Namiapí and Orosi. The Corobicies lived on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Nicoya and the Nahuas or Aztecan in the zone of Bagaces. The first church was built out of straw in Nicoya in the 17th Century. At the end of 1824 beginning 1825 the territory of Guanacaste annexed to Costa Rica, because nobody exactly knew to where they belonged, the inhabitants decided by their own will to be part of Costa Rica. In the 18th Century some neighbors of Rivas established their houses and cattle farms in the northern part of the Nicoya Peninsula at crossroads that connected the towns of Bagaces, Nicoya and Rivas. The place was baptized after a famous Guanacaste tree that grows in the neighborhood. The 25th of July 1824 the town people of Nicoya and Santa Cruz decided to join Costa Rica. In 1836 the town of Guanacaste was declared capital of Guanacaste. Until 1854 the name was changed to Liberia. If you want to know why. Read about it in the chapter of Liberia (Click on the map above).

Puntarenas Province
Puntareas stretches along the Pacific Coast with lots of beaches and beach towns and many National Parks like the Manuel Antonio National Park and the Corcovado National Park. It also is the Surfer's Paradise with Hotels in Jacó like the Balcón del Mar that specialize to accommodate surfers. There are also lots of agricultural and industrial areas, that produce vegetables, roots, corn, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, rice, palm oil, sugar, and beans. Puntarenas is also home of the mayor fishing industries like Sardimar and some cattle farming.

Limon Province
The name of the Province comes from a Lemon Tree that was found in front of the governor's office which was unique of its class. The principal activities of the area are banana and palm-oil production as well as pejibaye, cocoa, bamboo, beans, fruits, coconuts and some cattle farming and fishing.

Heredia Province
In Heredia one can find some industrial zones, as well as the site of the National Center of food distribution CENADA (Centro Nacional de Distribución de Alimentos) But most of the area is dedicated to agriculture growing coffee, vegetables, sugar cane, fruits, corn, beans, dairy-farming, flower and plant exportation. Heredia also has a University and part of the National Park Braulio Carrillo. There are lots of rain forests with all its nature called flora and fauna.

Alajuela Province
The provincial capital of Alajuela lies about 18km (as the crow fiies) northwest of San José. The city is on a gently sloping hill that has an altitude of 920m on the southwestern side of town, rising to 970m on the northeastern side. It is about 200m lower than San José and has a slightly warmer cIimate, thus attracting josefinos on summer outings. Alajuela's town center is a slightly scaleddown version of the busy market areas in San José, but it generally enjoys a more unhurried pace of than the nearby capital. Several nearby villages and other attractions (the Butterfiy Farm and Zoo Ave) are popular places. The city is the second-Iargest city in Costa Rica. It was founded in 1782. The original name was Villa Hermosa, but no 18th-century architecture survives. The Juan Santamaría International Airport, serving San José, is only 2.5km southeast of Alajuela. This makes Alajuela a convenient alternative to more bustling and smoggy San José for those using the airport.

Cartago Province
The numerous farmer villages that cover the land with a multi-color carpet from the different plantations produce coffe, vegetables, sugar cane, potatoes, macadamia nut, pejibaye, and ornamental plants. There are som National Parks and Protected Wildlife Refuges in Cartago: The Papantí National Park, the Irazú Volcano National Park, and the Guayabo National Monument, which is the largest and most important archeological site discovered in Costa Rica.