What to see, what to do Costa Rica?

In Costa Rica, the opening hours of the establishments (museum, theater, stores...) are generally the same as in Europe. However, as far as the opening hours of the national parks and reserves are concerned, this varies and changes according to the season. Generally, the parks, refuges and other reserves begin to receive people at 6 am, the last visitors are accepted until 3 pm and the park closes at 4 pm. Some parks also close one day a week in the low season for regeneration and maintenance. In the high season, avoid visiting the parks on weekends, book your entrance early and start early in the morning.

Regarding the visit to Manuel Antonio Park, increasingly popular with tourists, prefer a reservation. For some years now, the park administration has imposed quotas of visitors per day in order to preserve the biodiversity. To make a reservation online, go to: www.sinac.go.cr

In Costa Rica, the thirty or so national parks of this country of 5 million inhabitants protect 10% of primary forest and 50% of the total area of the country. To maintain this preservation effort, it obviously represents a cost, and as a tourist you have to play the game! The entrance fee for the national parks may seem very expensive but preservation has a price! However, there are still some sites that are cheaper or even free, such as Curu, Manzanillo or Cahuita.

In Costa Rica, there is no shortage of festive events on the calendar and every occasion is good for feasting! The patronal feasts, celebrating the Virgin and different saints, gather thousands of believers throughout the country while the Costa Rican folklore is honored in Venecia, every year in February, to elect the most beautiful carreta, intangible world heritage of the UNESCO. Between the festivals of the Caribbean coast and the carnivals of Puntarenas or Limón, colorful events punctuate the seasons alongside historical commemorations: every July 25, Guanacaste celebrates its annexation to Costa Rica, on April 19, the country honors its indigenous communities during the Dia de la Persona Aborigen Costarricense, while on September 15 the Ticos celebrate the Independence of their territory. More popular celebrations, such as the Noche de las Brujas (Halloween with a Costa Rican cause), the Fiesta de los Diablitos (Boruca communities' celebration) and el Dia de los Muertos (spiritual celebration in honor of the dead) reveal a striking folklore where one can see the authenticity of a people proud of its roots and cultures.

You will find in Costa Rica, many specialized tour operators who produce their own trips and are generally very good advice because they know the region inside out. Please note that their prices are a little higher than the generalist operators who produce offers and resell products packaged by specialized agencies on a particular destination. If they deliver less specialized advice than the specialists, they generally offer more attractive rates.

The anti-smoking law passed by Costa Rica in 2012 prohibits smoking in public places. This anti-smoking law, particularly drastic, is supported in large part by Costa Ricans. It can indeed be very badly perceived to smoke.