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Dominical Visitor Services
TRAVEL TO COSTA RICA REQUIREMENTS
*Passport and onward/return ticket required. (Persons under the age of 16 must use a valid passport to enter Costa Rica.) Tourist card issued upon arrival at airport upon presentation of aforementioned documents for approximately $4. U.S. citizens must have onward/return ticket. For stays over 90 days, you must apply for an extension (within the first week of visit) with Costa Rican Immigration and, after 90 days, obtain exit visa and possess a valid U.S. passport. For travel with pets and other information, contact the Consular Section of the Embassy of Costa Rica, 2112 S St. NW, Washington, DC 20008 (202/234-2945) or nearest Consulate General:
- CA (415/392-8488)
- GA (404/951-7025)
- FL (305/371-7485)
- IL (312/263-2772)
- LA (504/887-8131)
- NY (212/425-2620)
- TX (713/266-1527)
- Internet: costarica-embassy.org
Why to fly within Costa Rica instead of Drive?
- Time: When on vacations, you want to make the most out of your trip, maximizing the time at your destination. You do not want to spend long hours on the road when you can do the same trip in minutes – hassle-free.
- Road Conditions: Combine challenging weather (hot sun + frequent, hard rain) with low government investments and what you get is a road network that looks very different from what you are used to see in the US/Europe. Even principal, paved roads will oftentimes have pot holes, which makes overtaking slower cars and cargo trucks (of which there are plenty) painful.
- Directions: While certainly amusing when related in a conversation, foreigners have often complained about the lack of signage in highways, towns and villages. Getting lost can be unnerving if this means you are losing valuable hours of your vacations.
- Safety: Driving, particularly in rainy season, where landslides oftentimes destroy or block stretches of the road, is not only painful, but can also be dangerous, especially if you do not know your way around well. In contrast, safety records of SANSA REGIONAL have fulfilled highest standards in recent years, thanks to a completely overhauled maintenance and pilot training program, in combination with the addition of new technology and new aircraft.
Costa Rica's in-country airlines
Nature Air
Nature Air's promotional info:
Nature Air Costa Rica National Airline is the chosen airline of the most prestigious hotels and lodges in Costa Rica, Nicaragua , Panama and some of the best-known outbound operators worldwide.
I like this point that Nature Air features prominently on their website:
World’s First Certified Carbon Neutral Airline
Since 2004, Nature Air has been the first airline to compensate for 100% of its carbon emissions from flight operations. We do this thru a locally certified compensation program, certified by the government and international third party auditors. Nature Air has chosen to support reforestation and conservation programs to help combat the impacts of deforestation in Costa Rica. For more information please visit their carbon neutral page.
Sansa Air
Sansa's promotional info - (taken from the Sansa site):
Why is SANSA REGIONAL your best option in Costa Rica?
- * Safety: World-class safety technology & best operational safety standards/practices
- Service: Featuring the newest (7 years) and most comfortable (leather seats/air condition) fleet
- Ecological conscience: SANSA is a carbon-neutral airline!
- Convenience: Our completely renovated main hub is located at Juan Santamaria International Airport
- Value-added benefits: DISTANCIA Frequent Flyer Program (associated with United Airlines, Lufthansa, Iberia and a wide variety of partners around the world)
- Experience: Proudly serving Costa Rica for more than 30 years.
- Don't drive - fly when in Costa Rica!
Visitor Tips:
About the phones:
1) You can buy a large phone calling card ($30) at the airport when you land in Costa Rica. Do this and you won't be left to the mercy of the government phone company who constantly run out of phone cards or break their printing machines.
2) Caller Beware!!!I had a fellow tell me the other day that he had used a blue phone that accepted his credit card. He spoke for 15 minutes, and it cost him $200.00. He called the company a zillion times before getting someone to answer. They negotiated it down to $99.00... he never saw the refund.
3) Long Distance Services:
- AT&T: 0-8000-001-4114
- BT: 0-8000-044-1044
- CN Direct: 0-8000-015-1161
- MCI: 0-8000-001-2222
- Sprint: 0-8000-001-0123
- Int'l Info: 124
- Int'l Operator: 116
- Local Information: 113
- Time: 112
- RACSA: 2287-0515
- How to do it:
- ~Buy a phone card (targeta telefonica)
~Using a coin, fingernail, or whatever, rub off the rubbery stuff that is over your account number exposing the number.
- ~Dial the 197 (or other) number that you willl see on the card
~Enter the number you exposed. It'll tell you how much time you have left on the card and that you should enter the number that you would like to call.
- Thats it!
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Tourism in Costa Rica is growing
Dominical is a tourist destination unlike the big hotel destinations of so many beach vacation spots. It is a quiet, energetic, small town on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. There is not a paved road to be found in all of Dominical. There are, however, quite a number of realtors, indicating that the small town of Dominical is not going to remain so for much longer.
Here is an opportunity to feel as though you have stepped back in time a bit, to a simpler time. This is not to say that Dominical is backwards, because it is not. It is just a laid back atmosphere where travelers can unwind, enjoy some great wild life, tropical plants, waterfalls, and if they are so inclined, some world class surfing.
There are a variety of accommodations to choose from in Dominical and a wonderful cross section of cuisine.
Airlines that offer service to Costa Rica:
There are two international airports in Costa Rica. One is located at Liberia which services most of the charter flights to the Pacific beach resorts which becomes a busier destination each year. Continental Airlines and LACSA both have scheduled international services from the United States to that airport.
American Airlines:
Excellent service to Costa Rica from the following primary airports: Dallas, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco. For example, Canadians board Canadian Airlines in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada. They change to American Airlines in Dallas for the final leg of the flight to Costa Rica.
Continental Airlines:
offers one flight each day through the Houston airport with connecting services from Vancouver and Toronto, Canada via Air Canada.
- San Jose, Costa Rica
Phone - 0800 044 0005
- Oficentro La Virgen Nbr 2
Zona Industrial
Pavas
Monday - Friday 1700 - 1730, Saturday 0900 - 1500 (Continental Ticket Office)
- Centro Comercial La Lomita
2nd. Piso Oficina 3
San Pedro
Monday - Friday 0830 - 1830, Saturday 0830 - 1530 (Continental Ticket Office)
- Hotel Barcelo
San Jose Palacio
Tercer Kilometro Autopista
General Canas Barrio Robledal
Monday - Friday 1000 - 1900, Saturday 1500 - 1900, (Continental Ticket Office)
Delta Airlines:
This airline has non-stop daily Boeing 757 aircraft service into San José, Costa Rica from Atlanta, Georgia.
LACSA Airlines:
This excellent airline is the airline of Costa Rica with daily departures from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, Orlando and Dallas. There are currently three flights per week from Toronto, Canada.
TACA:
With the Motto "Discover Central America", TACA fills many gaps for the likes of those of us picking flights out of Costa Rica. You can book flights from North America, South America, and Central America. They're celebrating their 75th anniversary this year.
United Airlines:
United offers several direct flights each day from Los Angeles and San Franciso. They have an overnighter from these cities which arrives in Costa Rica during the early morning. Since I don't have any problem sleeping on planes, I like this schedule. You arrive early in the morning and get the whole first day in Costa Rica. It is also nice for travellers who wish to arrive in Costa Rica on Saturday morning for an early surgical consultation.
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