Costa Rica is a small country encompassing 51,100 square kilometers (19,730 sq miles). This is roughly the size of West Virginia or Denmark. There is 1,016 km (631 mi) of coastline on the Pacific side and 212 km (132 mi) of coastline on the Caribbean side. The Nicaragua border to the north is 309 km long (192 mi) and the Panama border to the south is 330 km long (210 mi).
Despite the small size of Costa Rica, the varied terrain makes the country seem as though it is much larger. The mountainous, windy roads which are generally in poor condition (though improvements are under way) can make getting from one place to another much longer than it would appear. The extreme terrain of Costa Rica also makes many locations impassible due to mangroves, high mountains with low valleys between, marshland, protected areas, etc…
Follow this link for more information on how long it will take to drive between popular destinations.
Here is a link to our Costa Rica map page.
What time is it in Costa Rica?
What is the geography of Costa Rica like?
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