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Mention Costa Rica and people think paradise. The country's Disney-like cast of creatures — ranging from howler monkeys to toucans — are prolific and relatively easy to spot. The waves are prime, the beauty is staggering and the sluggish pace seductive.
Costa Rica, despite being such a tiny nation, draws well over a million visitors every year - and you can see why. The incredibly varied topography means you can cruise a cloud forest one day, climb a volcano the next, and finish passed out on a hot sandy beach.
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Transport
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International flights arrive at Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría, 17km (10.5mi) northwest of San José in the town of Alajuela. In recent years, Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia has started receiving international flights from the US. It's expected that many international airlines will start to offer flights in/out of this airport, including some flights direct from Europe (eliminating the lay-over in Miami or Dallas). This airport is convenient for travelers visiting the Península de Nicoya.
Costa Rica is well connected by air to other Central and Latin American countries, as well as the US.
Costa Rica shares land borders with Nicaragua and Panama. Many travelers, particularly shoestringers, enter the country by bus. An extensive bus system links the Central American capitals and it's vastly cheaper than flying.
Air
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The national airline, Lacsa (part of the Central American Airline consortium Grupo TACA), flies to numerous points in the US and Latin America, including Cuba. The US Federal Aviation Administration has assessed Costa Rica's aviation authorities to be in compliance with international safety standards. Fares go up during the high season (from December through April).
Bus
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If crossing borders by bus, note that international buses may cost slightly more than taking a local bus, then another onwards, from the border, but they're worth it. These better-quality buses travel faster and can help you cross efficiently. The most popular crossing point between Nicaragua and Costa Rica is on the Interamericana at Peñas Blancas. While processing is slow, travelers report that, for the most part, it's hassle-free. The crossing at Los Chiles, further east, is infrequently used but reportedly easy to navigate. For Panama, the main point is on the Interamericana at Paso Canoas. Expect long lines, generally free of complications. On the Caribbean side, the crossing at Sixaola is much more sedate.
Boat
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There is a regular boat service connecting Los Chiles with San Carlos, on the southeast corner of Lake Nicaragua.
Pre 20th Century History
Mystery shrouds Pre-Columbian Costa Rica: few archaeological monuments have been found and no proof of a written language has ever been discovered. Recorded history tends to begin with Christopher Columbus, who stayed for 17 days in 1502 and was so impressed by the gold decorations worn by the friendly locals that he promptly dubbed the country Costa Rica, 'the rich coast'. Despite the lure of untold wealth, colonization was slow to take hold and it took nearly 60 years for Spanish settlers to make a dent in the tangled jungle. Once the process started, however, Costa Rica, like its similarly colonized neighbors, suffered the effects of European invasion. The indigenous population did not have the necessary numbers to resist the Spanish, and their populations dwindled quickly because of susceptibility to European diseases.
The hoped-for hoardes of gold never materialized and Costa Rica remained a forgotten backwater for many years. The 18th century saw the establishment of settlements such as Heredia, San José and Alajuela. It was not until the introduction of coffee in 1808, however, that the country registered on the radars of the 19th-century white-shoe brigade and frontier entrepreneurs looking to make a killing. Coffee brought wealth, a class structure, a more outward-looking perspective and, most importantly, independence.
A bizarre turn of events in 1856 provided one of the first important landmarks in the nation's history and served to unify the people. During the term of coffee-grower-turned-president Juan Rafael Mora, a period remembered for the country's economic and cultural growth, Costa Rica was invaded by US military adventurer William Walker and his army of recently captured Nicaraguan slaves. Mora organized an army of 9000 civilians that, against all odds, succeeded in forcing Walker & Co to flee.
The ensuing years of the 19th century saw power struggles among members of the coffee-growing elite and the institution of the first democratic elections, which have since been a hallmark of Costa Rican politics.
Sport
The national sport is, you guessed it, futból (soccer). Every town has a soccer field (which usually serves as the most conspicuous landmark), where neighborhood aficionados play in heated matches. The selección nacional (national selection) team is known affectionately as La Sele.
Surfing is growing in popularity among Ticos. Costa Rica hosts numerous annual national and international surf competitions that are widely covered by local media. Bullfighting is also popular, particularly in the Guanacaste region. (The bull isn't killed in the Costa Rican version of the sport, which is really a ceremonial opportunity to watch a drunk cowboy run around with a bull.) The popular Latin American sport of cockfighting is illegal.
Religion
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More than 75% of Ticos are Catholic (at least in principle).
Roughly 14% of Costa Ricans are evangelical Christians; increased interest in evangelical religions is attributed to a greater sense of community spirit within the churches. The black community on the Caribbean is largely Protestant and there are small Jewish populations in San José and Jacó. There are a sprinkling of Middle Easterners and Asians who practice Islam and Buddhism, respectively.
Lonelyplanet
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