Costa Rica
Republic of Costa Rica
Central America · CRI
Editorial Snapshot
Why Go To Costa Rica
Costa Rica is one of the cleanest nature-first trips in the Americas if you want beaches, rainforest, and national parks in a relatively compact route. It works best as a short multi-stop itinerary built around one or two ecosystems or coasts, rather than trying to turn every park and shoreline into a single rushed loop.
Popular For
Things To See
- San José
- Area de Conservación Guanacaste
- Cocos Island National Park
- Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park
- Corcovado National Park
- Manuel Antonio National Park
Best Months
Know Before You Go
- January through April is the easiest broad window in the current brief.
- Costa Rica is compact, but most first visits are still stronger when focused on one or two regions rather than every coast and park.
- The biggest payoff comes from choosing a clear mix of beach, forest, and volcano time instead of treating the country as one long checklist.
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Flights
Hotels & Accommodations
Compare stays across major booking options
Open hotel and accommodation options for Costa Rica.
Guidebooks
Lonely Planet Costa Rica
Lonely Planet
Comprehensive guide covering all regions with insider tips and practical travel advice.
View on Amazon →
Fodor's Essential Costa Rica
Fodor's Travel Guides
Full-color travel guide with curated attractions, dining, and accommodations.
View on Amazon →
The Wildlife of Costa Rica: A Field Guide
Fiona A. Reid et al.
Comprehensive field guide to 400+ species for wildlife watching and nature tours.
View on Amazon →Tours & Activities
Country Data
Stats At A Glance
Practical travel, safety, climate, and quality-of-life stats for Costa Rica.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- San José
- Population
- 5,309,625
- Area
- 51,100 km²
- Region
- Central America
Languages
- Spanish
Currency
Costa Rican colón (₡)
CRC
Exchange rate unavailable for USD.
Cost of Living (World Bank)
59.8
Price level index (US = 100)
- Groceries
- 59.2
- Restaurants
- 47.5
- Rent
- 20.3
Safety & Peace
higher score = safer everyday environment · derived from World Bank homicide data
lower score = more peaceful · 1.0–3.5 scale
Monthly Climate Averages
These weather averages are based on data for San José (9.93°N, 84.09°W).
LGBTQ+ Friendly
74/100
Traveler LGBTQ score
- Legal protections
- 90/100
- Lived safety
- 44/100
This traveler-facing score is lower than the legal protections score because lived-safety context is weaker, based on broader traveler safety and development conditions.
This score blends legal protections with lived-safety context so strong laws alone do not automatically push a country to the top of the ranking.
- Homosexuality legal✅
- Relationship recognitionMarriage
- Adoption recognition✅
- Anti-discrimination laws✅
- Employment protections✅
- Legal gender recognition✅
- Conversion therapy ban❌
Human Development Index (UNDP)
0.833
Very high human development
- 5-year change
- +0.020
- 10-year change
- +0.038
- Trend
- improving
- Data year
- 2023
- Gender Dev. Index (GDI)
- 0.975
- Gender Inequality Index (GII)
- 0.217
- Planetary-adjusted HDI (PHDI)
- 0.774
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (4)
- 🏛️
Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquís
Inscribed 2014
- 🌿
Area de Conservación Guanacaste
Inscribed 1999
- 🌿
Cocos Island National Park
Inscribed 1997
- 🌿
Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park
Inscribed 1983
Natural Beauty (World Bank)
- Protected land area
- 26.5%
- Forest cover
- 60.4%
Source: World Bank.
Wildlife & Birdwatching
- Threatened mammal species (IUCN)
- 12
- Threatened bird species (IUCN)
- 25
Source: World Bank / IUCN Red List. Higher counts indicate richer biodiversity, typically in tropical rainforest, island, and savannah ecosystems.
Food & Cuisine
46/100
Food and dining score
Built from two layers: dining-scene breadth and open prestige signals. We combine restaurant density, cuisine diversity, distinguished restaurants, and gastronomy-city recognitions from open data sources.
Luxury Infrastructure
84/100
Luxury & premium accommodation score
Based on OpenStreetMap luxury hotel density and World Bank international tourism receipts.
US Travel Advisory
Exercise increased cautionin Costa Rica due to crime. Petty crime is common throughout Costa Rica. Violent crime also affects tourists. This includes armed robbery, homicide, and sexual assault.
Read full advisory →Data current as of May 2026 and subject to change. Travel advisory information is sourced from the U.S. State Department and reflects conditions at the time of data collection, not real-time conditions. Do not rely solely on this information for travel decisions. Always check current government advisories for your nationality. Terms of Use · About our data