Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [488]
Consult the ICT’s flashy English-language website (www.visitcostarica.com) for information, or in the USA call the ICT’s toll-free number (in USA 800-343-6332) for brochures and information.
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TRAVELERS WITH DISABILITIES
Independent travel is difficult for anyone with mobility problems. Although Costa Rica has an equal-opportunity law for disabled people, the law applies only to new or newly remodeled businesses and is loosely enforced. Therefore, very few hotels and restaurants have features specifically suited to wheelchair use. Many don’t have ramps, while room or bathroom doors are rarely wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair.
Outside the buildings, streets and sidewalks are potholed and poorly paved, making wheelchair use frustrating at best. Public buses don’t have provisions to carry wheelchairs and most national parks and outdoor tourist attractions don’t have trails suited to wheelchair use. Notable exceptions include Volcán Poás (Click here), INBio (Click here) and the Rainforest Aerial Tram. Lodges with wheelchair accessibility are indicated in the reviews with this symbol: .
The following organizations offer specially designed trips for travelers with disabilities:
Accessible Journeys (in USA 800-846-4537; www.disabilitytravel.com) Organizes independent travel to Costa Rica for people with disabilities.
Vaya con Silla de Ruedas (2454-2810; www.gowithwheelchairs.com) Offers specialty trips for the wheelchair-bound traveler. The company has specially designed vans and its equipment meets international accessibility standards.
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VISAS
Passport-carrying nationals of the following countries are allowed 90 days’ stay with no visa: Argentina, Canada, Israel, Japan, Panama, the USA, and most Western European countries. Citizens of Australia, Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa and Venezuela are allowed to stay for 30 days with no visa. Others require a visa from a Costa Rican embassy or consulate.
For the latest info on visas, check the websites of the ICT (www.visitcostarica.com) or the Costa Rican embassy (www.costarica-embassy.org) in Washington, DC.
If you are in Costa Rica and need to visit your embassy or consulate, Click here for contact information.
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Extensions
Extending your stay beyond the authorized 30 or 90 days is a time-consuming hassle. It is far easier to leave the country for 72 hours and then re-enter. Otherwise, go to the office of Migración (Immigration; 2220-0355; 8am-4pm) in San José, opposite Channel 6, about 4km north of Parque La Sabana. Requirements for extensions change, so allow several working days.
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Onward Tickets
Travelers officially need onward tickets before they are allowed to enter Costa Rica. This requirement is not often checked at the airport, but travelers arriving by land should anticipate a need to show an onward ticket.
If you’re heading to Panama, Nicaragua or another Central or South American country from Costa Rica, you may need an onward or round-trip ticket before you will be allowed entry into that country or even allowed to board the plane if you’re flying. A quick check with the appropriate embassy – easy to do via the internet – will tell you whether the country you’re heading to has an onward-ticket requirement.
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VOLUNTEERING
The sheer number of volunteer opportunities in Costa Rica is mind-blowing. ‘Voluntourism’ is a great way to travel sustainably and make a positive contribution to the local community. Volunteer work is also an amazing forum for self-exploration, especially if you touch a few lives and make a few new friends along the way. Generally speaking, you will get as much out of volunteering as you put in, and the majority of volunteers in Costa Rica walk away from their experiences content.
The following volunteer opportunities provide a general overview of what is currently available in Costa Rica.
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English Teaching