Costa Rica

Programs Available: Overseas English Tutor

Overview | Climate | Language Courses | History | Culture & Dining
What to do in Costa Rica | Monthly Expenses | Support | Map

Overview:

Costa Rica is located in Central America, sharing borders with Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. A peaceful, Spanish-speaking nation with a population of approximately 3.5 million people, Costa Rica has no national army.

Costa Rica is part of the Pacific "Rim of Fire" and has 7 active volcanoes. These volcanoes lie amidst an extension of the Andes-Sierra Madre mountain ranges, which ring the western side of the Americas. In central Costa Rica lies Meseta Central (the Central Valley), home to San Jose and the neighboring cities of Alajuela and Heredie. Roughly two-thirds of the Costa Rican population resides in this valley. Roughly one-third of its territory (20,000 square miles) is dedicated to national parks and reserves. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east, with each coastline being lined with white and black sand beaches.

Climate:

Costa Rica is a tropical country which contains several distinct climatic zones. There is no winter or summer as such and most regions have a rainy season from May to November and a dry season from December to April. Annual rainfall averages 100 inches nationwide with some mountainous regions getting as much as 300 inches on the exposed eastern slopes. Temperature is more a matter of elevation than location, with an average of 72 degrees in the Central Valley, 82 on the Atlantic coast, and 89 on the Pacific coast.

Language Courses:

While staying in Costa Rica, you will be afforded the opportunity to take Spanish language courses should you be interested. The course, currently offered at $265 for 20 hours of intruction per week (subject to change), also includes some cultural activities, such as dancing classes, once a week. Those attending classes will be able to meet students from everywhere in the USA and from other countries, especially Switzerland and Germany. Be sure to mention your interest in this program to your CHI representative!

History:

Human habitation can be traced back more than 10,000 years but it appears Costa Rica was sparsely populated and a relative backwater in the pre-Columbian era. There is little sign of major communities and none of the impressive stone architecture that characterized the more advanced civilizations of Mesoamerica to the north and the Andes to the south. When Columbus arrived near Limon on September 18, 1502 on his third and last voyage to the Americas, there were probably no more than 20,000 indigenous inhabitants. They lived in several autonomous tribes, all with distinct cultures and customs.

The Indians gave Columbus gold and he returned to Europe with reports of a plentiful supply of the yellow metal. But the adventurers who arrived to cash in found only hostile Indians, swamps and disease for their trouble. Several early attempts to colonize the Atlantic coast failed for the same reasons and for almost half a century Costa Rica was passed over while colonization gathered pace in countries to the north and south.

In 1562, the Spanish main's administrative center in Guatemala sent Juan Vasquez de Coronado to Costa Rica as governor and Cartago was established as the capital the following year. With no Indian slaves to work the land, the colonists were forced to work the land themselves, scratching out a meager subsistence by tilling small plots. The impoverished colony grew slowly and was virtually ignored by the Spanish rulers in Guatemala. As large-scale colonization began elsewhere, only 330 Spanish colonists claimed lands in Costa Rica by 1611, because it had neither of the two things the Spanish conquistadors wanted: mineral wealth (gold and silver), or an abundant Indian population to work their haciendas.

Like Guatemala and El Salvador, Costa Rica was transformed by coffee in the nineteenth century. The brown bean attracted foreign capital and immigrant merchants, and promoted road and railroad development. But Costa Rica's more equitable land tenure patterns and the absence of Indian-Latino racial tension averted the class warfare and growing militarism that accompanied the coffee booms in some of its neighbors.

During a sharp downturn in coffee prices during the World War I, President Alfredo Gonzales Flores handled the economy poorly creating an income tax and using the army as a heavy handed regime that shred the principle of due process and free expression.

Several Latin American governments flirted with Fascist Germany and Italy during World War II. Again Costa Rica was different. President Calderon Guardia declared war on Germany even before the US, and confiscated major German properties in coffee and banking. In his government he also pushed mayor initiatives to expand health care and labor rights, creating the Social Security system with benefits unheard in Central America. But when his party lost the 1948 election yet refused to step down, civil war erupted, a war which lasted 40 days and cost over 2,000 lives.

The anti-Calderon Guardia forces were led by Jose Maria Figueres, a thoroughly anti-communist who became the head of the Founding Junta of the Second Republic of Costa Rica. He was a pragmatist who made an alliance with more conservative coffee growers and detested the sweeping social programs and high taxes made by Calderon. Making his own mark, Figueres would go on to establish voting rights for women, full citizenship for blacks, nationalization of banks, and abolishment of the armed forces.

Culture and Dining:

Costa Ricans, or "Ticos," are fairly homogeneous racially and culturally, since only 1% of their population is considered to be Indian, and the other black and Chinese minorities aren't very numerous. The majority of the country's inhabitants speak Spanish, and over 90% are Roman Catholic. Travelers will notice the Ticos' relative "whiteness" when compared to the rest of Latin America. Ticos are well-educated, and the literacy rate is 96%.

Costa Ricans are still conservative when it comes to family issues. Even though the amount of single-mother families is extremely high, family ties are still very strong even in these types of households. Some immensely important family traditions are: baptisms, first communions, engagement parties, weddings and funerals. These events are attended by the extended family as well as by a large quantity of friends and their family members. Also, most Costa Ricans still live at home until they are married, and leaving the household to go to college or to gain independence is still very rare.

Costa Rican cuisine is simple but heavy on oil and some species. Rice and beans are basis of many Costa Rican meals. Home-style cooking predominates. Gallo pinto, the national dish of fried rice and black beans is particularly served as a breakfast. Many meals are derivatives, including arroz con pollo (rice and chicken) or arroz con atun (rice and tuna). At lunch gallo pinto becomes casado: rice and beans supplemented with cabbage and tomato salad, fried platains, and meat. Vegetables do not form a large part of the diet.

Food staples include beef, chicken, fish. Seafood like shrimp or lobster is expensive because Costa Rica exports most of its seafood. Travelers with low budgets should stick with the casado on lunch time menus.

Costa Rica has no national drink, but very popular in the cultural tradition of drinks are horchata (a cinnamon flavored cornmeal drink), chan (a slimy drink made of seeds), linaza, which is popularly used to cure indigestion, and fresco de frutas, which is basically a fruit salad floating on a base of kola and water. A nearly tasteless yet potent alcoholic drink is called guaro. Coffee is traditionally served very strong and mixed with hot milk.

What to Do in Costa Rica:

Some of the many activities visitors to Costa Rica can enjoy include hiking in the mountains or rain forests, soaking in sun on its Caribbean or Pacific-side beaches, diving, white water rafting, visiting active volcanoes, and bathing in hot springs. San Juan offers a wide variety of music, theaters, and museums as well as discos and bars (some of which are open until 6 in the morning).

While outbreaks of mosquito-born dengue are not uncommon in the region, health concerns for visitors to the country are mitigated by the excellent sanitation standards and an excellent health care system.

Bars and Nightclubs - Not surprisingly, bars and clubs are concentrated around the beach areas where people come to relax and unwind. DJ's and live music keep the dance floors hopping in Manuel Antonio, Tamarindo, and Flamingo. In the central valley, San Josi has lively nightlife.

Beaches - The playas of Costa Rica are rightly famous. They range from miles of deserted golden sand complete with overhanging palms and waterfalls dropping nearly directly into the surf in Corcovado, to the relaxed reggae backdrop of the black sand on Caribbean and the resort areas of the Nicoya Peninsula.

Bicycling - Mountain bikes are a great way to explore the forests, especially if you arrange for a ride to the top and spend all day cruising down hill. Touring Costa Rica by bicycle is tough but spectacular. Outside San Josi, Ticos respect cyclists and give you a wide berth on rural roads, often shouting encouragement when you're struggling up particularly steep sections.

Bull Fights - Corridas de Toros, is something of a misnomer, because Costa Rican bull fights have little in common with the blood sport of Spain and Mexico. Riders challenge the bulls first, and when they are thrown light-footed "matadors" take over distracting and tiring the bull with their cape. Finally cowboys on pirouetting horses rope the bull and lead it from the ring. No blood is drawn. There is a grand arena in San Josi and many small towns have rings where fights are held during their Fiestas de el Patron.

Sea Kayaking - Options range from an afternoon atop a surf kayak exploring the secluded beach around the headland from your hotel to multi-night excursions along some of the wildest regions of coast. Paddle with dolphins, whales, and turtles for a unique experience in otherwise inaccessible areas.

Trekking and Backpacking - Some of the parks and reserves are better bets for a backpacking trip than others, because they have better trails, drinking water, and some established campgrounds and/or refugios (small shelters that eliminate the need for a tent). Cerro Chirrips in Chirrips National Park is the highest peak in Costa Rica and is surrounded by several other scaleable peaks, at least eight distinct ecological zones, excellent trails, and a system of refugios. Palo Verde National Park lies on the eastern shores of the Tempisque estuary. This park protects millions of birds. Corcovado National Park is located on the southern tip of the southern Osa Peninsula, and highly recommended for a three or four day trek.

Volcanoes - Volcan Arenal is the undisputed champion of Costa Rican volcanoes for lava flows and spectacular ejections of molten boulders and ash. A stay in one of the lodges with views of the volcano can reward you with night-time scenes of rivers of red. There are a number of trails around the volcano where you can see older, cooling flows, and the stages of regeneration as the forests reclaim the conical slopes.

Monthly Expenses:

Costa Rica is the most expensive country in Central America. Here are some approximate prices:

• Cheap dining: $5
• Movie: $3.50
• Taxis: $1.50 plus 50 cents per mile
• Bus: 25-50 cents across town
• Haircut: $5.00
• Sandals: $10
• Tipping: not necessary because usually a service charge (10%) and food tax (13%) is added to your bill

Support During Your Placement:

We will be available to give you any support, advice, or guidance you may need with any issues. There will always be an emergency number for you to contact. Our aim is to ensure that you have a happy and successful experience during your stay in Costa Rica.