Costa Rica is a country of Central America bordered by Nicaragua, Panama, the Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. The total area of the country is 51 060 km2, around 1.6 times the size of Belgium. The territory of Costa Rica is so small that it only covers 0.03% of the total area of the planet.
However, Costa Rica is one of the 20 countries with the highest biodiversity in the world. It means you can find more species on 1000km2 in Costa Rica than on an equivalent area in countries like Brazil and Colombia.
The Pacific coast is home to a large number of tourist centres whose beaches are chosen for surfing, for example in Esterillos, Jacó, Hermosa, Boca Barranca and near the Ballena Marine National Park and in the Golfito area, where the famous “long left wave” is formed.
1 USD = 504,41 CRC
Date de mise à jour : 2024-12-09 08:00:03
Basic products | Price in Euros and in Costa Rican Colon |
1L of water (bottle) | 1,22€ (738 CRC) |
1 meal of 2 dishes | 6,65 euros (4 023 CRC) |
1 bus ticket | 0,66€ (399 CRC) |
Under development
Vaccines and specific advice:
Find out about the vaccines you should make before going to this country and about the preventive and/or treatment measures for local diseases.
Checklist :
- Vaccine updates, specific vaccines: 1-3 months before departure
- Visit your doctor for any health problem, prescription renewal, contraception, etc. In addition, you will need to send your coordinator a certificate from your doctor certifying that you are well suited to take part in an international volunteering project.
- Dentist: a dental check-up can be useful before going!
We advise you to visit the website of your country’s Foreign Affairs Ministry to consult the advice for every country.
Advice for American travellers here
Advice for Canadian travellers here
Advice for English travellers here
Costa Rica travel advice
(dernière mise à jour faite le 2018-11-22T09:22:55+00:00)
Latest update: Health Section – revised guidance on sources of health information before travel
For more info, read full article Costa Rica travel advice
ACI Costa Rica is a non profit non-governmental organization, that promotes international volunteering and offers intercultural exchanges between local and international young people. ACI has two types of projects : social projects (kids, language…) and environmental projects (animal protection, ecological garden, awareness…). Be careful, Costa Rica is a very touristy country, and participation fees are much higher than average.