Malaria - If you are travelling in endemic areas it is extremely important to avoid mosquito bites and to take tablets to prevent this disease. Symptoms range from fever, chills and sweating, headache, diarrhoea and abdominal pains to a vague feeling of ill-health. Seek medical help immediately if malaria is suspected. Without treatment malaria can rapidly become more serious and can be fatal. If medical care is not available, malaria tablets can be used for treatment. You should seek medical advice, before you travel, on the right medication and dosage for you. If you do contract malaria, be sure to be re-tested for malaria once you return home as you can harbour malaria parasites in your body even if you are symptom free. Travellers are advised to prevent mosquito bites at all times. The main messages are: wear light-coloured clothing; wear long trousers and long-sleeved shirts; use mosquito repellents containing the compound DEET on exposed areas (prolonged overuse of DEET may be harmful, especially to children, but its use is considered preferable to being bitten by disease-transmitting mosquitoes); avoid perfumes and aftershave; use a mosquito net impregnated with mosquito repellent (permethrin) – it may be worth taking your own, and impregnating clothes with permethrin effectively deters mosquitoes and other insects.

Best time to go
As Costa Rica has such a diverse topography and is located in a tropical climate zone, you will probably experience rain regardless of when you go. It’s a small price to pay however for the beautiful rain forests that you will encounter. December to April are probably the driest seasons. But there really isn’t a bad time to visit Costa Rica. Even during the wettest seasons, the rainfall tends to be heavy only for a couple of hours a day. Temperatures vary with altitude. San Jose’s temperatures range between 15 C and 21 C while the coastline areas are much hotter.

Upon arrival
Once you’ve reclaimed your baggage and cleared customs, you will be warmly welcomed to Costa Rica, assisted with your luggage and taken you to your hotel by private air-conditioned minivan/bus. Please do not leave the airport terminal building unless you have made contact with Amazing Peru staff. Also ignore the calls from taxi drivers as your private transport has been provided for you.

Food and drink

Drink only bottled water. Pasteurised milk is widely available. Avoid dairy products that are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Avoid street food vendors and the cheaper restaurants.

What to eat
To try some typical foods, here is a selection of what we recommend.

Gallo pinto - A dish made up of rice, black beans and spices (sometimes with fried eggs) traditionally served at breakfast
Flan - A cold caramel custard
Mazamorra - A pudding made from corn starch
Arreglados - Puff pastries filled with beef, chicken or cheese
Sopa negra - Black bean soup with a poached egg
Empanadas – A yuca bread turnover stuffed with meat and cheese
Ceviche - Seafood marinated in a lemon, onion, sweet red pepper, garlic and coriander sauce
Potacones - A great snack found on the Caribbean coast. Fried plaintains and french fried potatoes.

What to drink
Coffee of course!
Guaro - the national firewater, drank by the shot!
Horchata - A corn meal drink flavoured with cinnamon
Café Rica - A locally made coffee liqueur
Highlights
San Jose (altitude: 1160 m above sea level)
Visitors should plan on spending at least a few days in this bustling metropolis. It is more cosmopolitan than you might expect. There are shopping malls, excellent restaurants and good nightlife. There is really so much to do that the following suggestions are just a guide.
The Jade Museum - One of Costa Rica’s most famous museums. It is home to the world’s largest American jade collection. It’s located on the 11th floor of the Instituto Nacional de Seguros, offering a spectacular view of the city. It is open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm. Admission is free
National Theatre - Probably the most ornate of public buildings, the Theatre has marble staircases and gilded ceilings. It is best to visit during one of many frequently held performances. Otherwise, it is open from 9am to noon and from 2pm to 6pm.
Central Market - A great place to hunt for souvenirs and sample some Costa Rican delicacies.
The Gold Museum - Contains a great collection of pre-Columbian gold. Open between 10am to 5pm, admission free. There are also free English guided tours at 2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and at 11 am and 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
El Pueblo - An area of the city that offers a great variety of restaurants, nightclubs and shopping. You can walk from one to the other, along cobblestone streets, choosing between discotheques, reggae bars, jazz clubs and every type of international cuisine conceivable. Bars and restaurants in this area tend to be pricier than those found in other areas, but it is definitely worth a night in San Jose.

Day Excursions from San Jose
Guacima - A butterfly farm featuring the second largest collection of species of butterflies in the world just 35 minutes outside of the capital.
Las Nubes - A small village just 32 kilometers outside San Jose with spectacular views of Irazu (the highest active volcano in Costa Rica).
Instituto Clodomiro Picado snake farm - 30 minutes away.
Coffee plantations - There are numerous plantations that you can visit from San Jose.

Monteverde
This small community in northwestern Costa Rica was founded by Quakers in 1951 and is now a popular and interesting destination for both local and international visitors. The small town of Santa Elena is the closest settlement to the Monteverde cloud-forest reserve. The road leading from the town's center to the reserve is clustered with attractions including the butterfly garden, the serpentarium, a cheese factory, and a number of art galleries.

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