Geography of Costa Rica

Costa Rica, bordered by the Caribbean Sea on the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, is located on the Central American isthmus. Costa Rica is approximately 10 degrees north of the equator and 84 degrees west of the Prime Meridian.

Coastline and Neighboring Countries

Overall, the country has around 1250 kilometers of coastline, which includes approximately 200 km on the Caribbean coast and 1050 km on the Pacific. Costa borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south and southeast. Costa Rica's land area comprises roughly 50,500 km2. Costa Rica is almost half the size of the state of Kentucky in the USA, two-thirds the size of Scotland, or three-quarters the size of Tasmania in Australia.

Terrain

Costa Rica's terrain is classified as coastal plain with areas of rugged mountains. The country has a tropical/subtropical climate and is part of the Neotropic eco zone. A series of volcanic mountain chains split the country in two from the Nicaraguan border in the northwest to the Panamanian border in the southeast.

National Parks

Costa Rica has a world-renowned national park system which is administered by Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservacion (SINAC), or "National System of Conservation Areas"). SINAC oversees more than 150 protected areas in Costa Rica, some of which include the national parks. Altogether, the protected areas constitute more than 25% of Costa Rica's territory. Isla del Coco is Costa Rica's largest national park, an island about 500km from the the Pacific coast.

Seasons

The dry season of Costa Rica lasts from December to April, and the rainy season extends from May to November. Read more about Costa Rica's climate & weather.

Elevation

The lowest elevation in Costa Rica is sea level, while the highest elevation can be found atop Cerro Chirripo, a volcanic mountain in Cerro Chirripo National Park standing at 3,810 meters. On clear days, hikers can see both the Caribbean and the Pacific from the mountain's peak.