Nestled
between the Pacific & Caribbean coasts of Central America,
Costa Rica is known today as a unique dive destination not
only for its marine life but for its many topside attractions.
Explore cloud forests reserves, hike active volcanos, go white
water rafting, float leisurely down a rainforest canal, or
even visit a butterfly farm.
Diving can be great any month of the year. Visibility can
vary from 40 to 80 feet the same day on different dives. This
is primarily due to the abundance of plankton that thrive
in the tropical waters, and is the principal reason for the
varied pelagic marine life that can be seen on each dive.
Swarms of schooling fish, sharks, eagle, manta, and golden
rays along with sightings of turtles is synonymous with Costa
Rica diving.
Dive
Services/Accommodations
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Agua Rica Diving
Center
Centro Comercial Diria, Playa Tamarindo, Guanacaste,
Costa Rica
Ph.506 6530094
Fax 506 6530094.
Boats: 25'
EL DELFÍN - Up to 6 divers. 30' BETTINA - Up
to 8 divers
Nuber of Tanks: 2 tank dives, 1 tank night dives
Equipment Rentals: We have 15 complete sets of equipment,
from the best brands available.
Dive Training Agencies: PADI - SSI
Courses Offered: Resort course to divecon/divemaster
Snorkeling Available: Yes
The only dive shop with boats leaving from Tamarindo
bay, dive tours to Catalina Islands, Cabo Velas, night
dives, snorkeling tours, cruises, scuba courses. Stunning
variety of sea life such as giant manta rays, cow-nosed
rays, spotted eagle rays, moray eels, whitetip reef
sharks, red snapper, roosterfish, parrotfish, pufferfish,
sergeant majors, grunts, starfish, sea fans and live
corals.
E-Mail: agricadv@racsa.co.cr
Visit Us: http://www.aguarica.net
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Air
Travel
Located
in the middle of Central America, Costa Rica is easy to reach.
Most major international carriers conveniently serve San Jose,
the capital city. You can also fly directly to the Guanacaste
Region.
From
the US
The largest gateways for flights to Costa Rica are Miami and
Houston, with other flights originating from Atlanta, Boston,
Chicago, L.A., New York, Newark, and Washington, D.C. Basic
round-trip fares to San José, Costa Rica range from
US$500-1200. Standard commercial carriers like American, Continental,
and United offer the most convenient flights, but might not
be the cheapest, unless you grab a special promotion or airfare
war ticket. Charter flights sometimes run from Canada, but
scheduled flights are routed through the US. You might find
cheaper fares by flying on a Latin American airline like Lacsa,
Taca, Copa, or MartinAir. Otherwise, check online or consult
a travel agent about discount airfares.
From
Canada
Air Canada has a direct flight once per week from Toronto.
From
Europe
British Airways flies from London to San José. Iberia
flies from Spain with direct connections to San José.
Alitalia flies from Italy to Miami, Caracas, and Santo Domingo,
and Taca provides passengers with a connecting flight. LTU
provides services from Germany.
Domestic
Airlines
SANSA
at www.flysansa.com
(506)221-9414
Nature Air at www.natureair.net
(506) 220-3054
Ocean
Travel
Numerous
cruise lines call at Costa Rican ports, including Holland
America, Costa, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity, Carnival,
Radisson and more.
Entry
Requirements
Citizens
holding valid passports from the following countries are permitted
to stay in Costa Rica for 90 days without a visa:
Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland,
France and Germany dependencies, Greece, Holland and dependencies,
Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania,
South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago,
United Kingdom, United States of America, Czech Republic and
Uruguay.
Citizens
holding valid passports from the following countries are exempt
from all visa requirements for stays of 30 days in Costa Rica,
though once inside the country, they can apply for extension
from the Immigration office, for an authorized period of stay
of 90 days:
Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize,
Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Dominica, El Salvador, Grenada,
Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya,
Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Saint Kitts/Nevis,
San Marino, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Singapore, Slovakia, South
Africa, Suriname, Taiwan, Turkey, The Vatican, Venezuela,
Estonia and Monaco.
Citizens
of all countries not listed above are required a visa from
a Costa Rican embassy or consulate before traveling.
Custom
regulations
No
customs duties are charged on personal luggage, which includes
a series of items for personal, professional, non-commercial
use. Costa Rican laws require checked luggage to be screened
and travelers to fill out customs declarations declaring the
value of any item in their possession, including fruits, vegetables,
meat and by- products, biological products such as vaccinations,
serums, etc. The head of a family may make a joint declaration
for all members residing in the same household and traveling
together to Costa Rica.
Getting
Around
The majority of Costa Ricans do not own cars, so public transportation
is quite well developed, although transport to towns other than
San José is limited. Most multi-destination trips will
require backtracking into San José and then catching
another bus outward again.
The
buses are not that comfortable and to the uninitiated and
faint-of-heart the system can seem incredibly chaotic, but
ask any Costa Rican for advice and they'll point you in the
right direction. The good news is that the fares are generally
cheap - no destination is more than 9.00 away. There are three
major bus terminals in San José: the Coca-Cola terminal
is about a 20-minute walk east from the city centre, down
Avenida 1; there's the understated Atlántico Norte
terminal; and the Caribe, terminal north of Avenida 13 on
Calle Central.
Taxis
are considered a viable form of public transportation for
long journeys, and can be hired by the day, half-day or hour.
Cars and motorcycles can also be rented in San José.
Rental
Cars
Daily rates range from US$25 to around US$100, depending on
class of vehicle. Most agencies have weekly rates, as well.
Agencies in Costa Rica generally do not recognize credit card
insurance and will require you to buy theirs at a cost of
US$12 to US$20 per day.
Driving
Your regular license, along with your passport or Tourist
Card, are all that you need to drive in the country.
Water
The water is potable in most of the country. We recommend
using bottled water, specially in areas around the coast.
Credit
Cards
Almost all hotels and tourist establishments take at least
one type of credit card. The most widely accepted are Visa
and Mastercard. American Express is nearly as widely accepted.
Most tourist oriented businesses will also cash travelers
checks. You will also find ATM machines distributed throughout
the country.
Electricity
Outlets are 110 V, with standard US two prong plugs. Electricity
is available in all but the most remote areas. Many remote
places not serviced by the utility company have local generators.
Health
No immunizations are required for visitors. Costa Rica is
well known for providing world-class healthcare and beauty
services.
Communications
Costa Rica has satellite connections with all the Central
American countries, the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico,
South America, Asia and Africa. Apart from direct dialing,
fax and telex communications to most of the countries in the
world, it has an efficient mailing system and offers several
courier services.
