Helpful links for Visit Costa Rica

Google Maps Costa Rica
Monkey videos from Costa Rica

Driving in Costa Rica

Photo title: Lava Obelisk
Link to flickr.

Driving is pretty easy in Costa Rica but not like you'd expect in the US. First off, drivers drive very fast and are not as courteous as you would expect. There are few guardrails and other protections for drivers, so teens and other less experienced drivers should not test their skills here (like most latin countries).

If you do get pulled over by the police, they will usually want a small bribe. You can play dumb and get off with giving them a tip (or "propina") of 5 or 10 US dollars. Similar to the states, they use RADAR guns and other tricks to catch speeders.

Calling Costa Rica - Country Code

Photo title: Sunset at Jaco Beach III
Link to flickr.

Costa Rica (in March 2008) changed their phone numbers to add an extra digit.

The country code stays +506

But mobile numbers now get an extra '8' and landlines get a '2' before them.

So 255-5555 would become 2255-5555

Calling from the US, you'd dial 00-506-2255-5555

Google Maps Costa Rica

Cascade in Costa Rica
Originally uploaded by thombo2

Google Maps is now available for Costa Rica!

Monkey videos from Costa Rica

Cool video of monkeys in the Rain Forest at Playa Manuel Antonio

Free Costa Rica pictures

distance

You can find tons of interesting pictures of Costa Rica, for free, on Flickr. Check it out - it's an amazing site:
Costa Rica pictures

Yay Macaws!

I'd like you to meet the mrs.

These guys are pretty common in Costa Rica. These are from Cana Blanca in Puntarenas, C.R.

Where to stay in San Jose

The best hotel in San Jose for the business traveler is clearly the Marriott San Jose. Located not too far from the airport on the Osa Peninsula, this Marriott is also the site of a plantation over 32 acres. Very high quality rooms and a nightly cost of usually around $200.