Currency
The Colon is the national currency; It is recommended to carry US dollars, that can be exchanged at banks and hotels. The exchange rate fluctuates in small increments daily. Bills come in denominations of 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000 colones and coins are minted in 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100 and 500 colon pieces. Canadian Dollars are not usually accepted, but cash and Traveler’s cheques in U.S. dollars can be exchanged at banks and most hotels, with the presentation of a valid passport.
Shopping
Costa Rica features a wide range of stores offering merchandise made locally or imported from other Latin American countries. Most prices are fixed, and bargaining is recommended only with street vendors or in market places. Some of the best buys are coffee, handcrafted items made of wood or leather. Replicas of oxcarts, the national symbol of Costa Rica, are popular souvenirs – hand painted and in a variety of sizes and colors - as are replicas of Pre-Colombian gold artifacts. Shopping Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Christmas 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Local transportation
A broad range of Car Rental companies are available in Costa Rica. Foreign drivers licenses are valid for one month from date of entry into the country. Taxis are metered, but from hotels offer flat rates. Official taxis are painted red with visible triangular yellow signs on the doors in order to make them easy to identify.
Electricity
110 VoltAC 60 cycles. Same outlets used in North America
Language
The official language is Spanish, although English is widely spoken.
Time zone
Costa Rica is one hour behind Eastern Standard Time (Daylight savings time is not observed).
Climate
The country's climate varies depending upon elevation, location, and season with a little change in temperature from month to month. While the coastal plains are tropical, the mountain regions tend to be cool, and the Central Plateau has a spring-like climate year round, (average daily temperature 75 F or 25 C).
Dry Season: November-April
Green Season: May-September
Wet Season: August-October
Clothing
Be sure to pack light clothing, a sweater, windbreaker, and good walking shoes, swimsuit, sun block, insect repellent, sandals and a hat. Even though there is a very casual dress code every where, smart casual is recommended for fine restaurants.
Two Major Airports: Liberia & San Jose
Average Flight Time YYZ to LIR: 6.25 hours
Average Drive Time from Liberia Airport to Dreams Las Mareas 1.25 hours
PROVINCE OF GUANACASTE IN APRIL
Average Daily Temperatures: 24/34 degrees Celsius
Average Sunrise & Sunset: 5:27am & 6:07pm
Average Percentage of Humidity: 63%
Average Days of Rain: 3
"The quiet fishing village of El Jobo is well-known to locals for its gorgeous beaches. It is located on a small peninsula in the northwest corner of Guanacaste, near the Nicaragua border making it one of the most secluded beach destinations in Costa Rica. The El Jobo Peninsula is surrounded on three sides by the picturesque Pacific Ocean which is lined with scenic rock outcroppings separated by beautiful tropical beaches. To the north, there is the wind-blown Bahia Salinas. The protected Bahia Jobo is to the west and the Golfo de Santa Elena is to the south.
For many years, El Jobo had remained relatively undiscovered by tourism. Ecoplaya Beach Resort, located on Playa La Coyotera or La Coyotera Beach was the only resort option in the region. Visitors could come and walk the beaches for hours without seeing another soul. The main attraction was the wind surfing and kitesurfing on Bahia Salinas or Salinas Bay which is good nearly year round, but outstanding from November through March.
This all changed with the opening of the 447 room Dreams Las Mareas Resort. The resort was recently constructed on the secluded Playa El Jobo or El Jobo Beach. This is one of the most beautiful beaches in northwest Guanacaste with light cocoa colored sand that is surrounded by green forest covered hillsides and of course, the new resort. The protective hillsides block most of the wind, making this one of the most desirable beaches in the area.
While the majority of all inclusive beach resorts in Costa Rica dominate their surroundings, the Dreams Resort embraces it, making it a truly magical resort to visit. The difference is the developers of this property built it in harmony with its surroundings. Their efforts are evident in every detail and have paid off extraordinarily.
There are few roads accessing the remote southern Jobo Peninsula and Golfo de Santa Elena or Gulf of Santa Elena. There is however a road from the center of El Jobo to Playa Manzanillo, which is a secluded beach that is well worth the day trip.
Other beaches in the Bahia Salinas area include Playa Rajada, Playa La Coyotera, Playa Copal and Playas Papaturro. A little further north, moving towards Nicaragua, there are several more secluded beaches including Playa Pochotes and Puerto Soley.
There are several national parks, reserves and even volcanoes in the El Jobo area. Most of which are included in the World Heritage Site, Area de Conservacion Guanacaste. Within this site are the Junquillal Refuge, Guanacaste National Park and Santa Rosa National Park. The Junquillal Refuge, located just to the south, is a small refuge that protects mangroves and coastal area. Guanacaste National Park is an expansive park located to the west, protecting tropical dry forest and the Orosi Volcano. Santa Rosa National Park is located to the south. This is one of the most important national parks in Costa Rica, protecting tropical dry forest, mangroves, and marine habitat. This park is also a primary nesting site for Olive Ridley Sea Turtles, which can nest thousands at a time during arribadas on Playa Nancite. A couple hours to the southeast, Rincon de la Vieja National Park protects an active volcanic range and tropical dry forest.
The entire El Jobo area is an up and coming destination. Despite the big new resort, it still maintains a rural small town feel. At present, there are only a handful of professionally run tour options such as kitesurfing, wind surfing, canopy zipline, horseback riding, visits to nearby parks and reserves, and snorkeling. This will undoubtedly change in the coming years as the area grows in popularity and mainstream tourism providers bring professional services to the area.
The weather in the El Jobo area is hot and dry most of the year. This is considered a tropical dry forest area. Day time temperatures are typically in the mid-80s to low 90s. Night time temps are usually in the low to mid-70s. While the rain season is considered May through November, the area really only receives steady harder rains in September and October. Even during these months, rains usually last for an hour or two in the late afternoon. That said, Costa Rica in general is a rainforest area and weather can be unpredictable, especially during the rainy season."
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