The Christmas holidays, the end and beginning of the year, are one of the best times to travel throughout our country and for this reason, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) wants to share various information and alternatives for all budgets during this time of rest.
Rafael Soto, general manager of the ICT, invited people to travel responsibly, explore gastronomy, culture, nature and use certified tour guides to make the travel experience more comfortable.
“We invite you to rediscover our country during these end and beginning of the year holidays. We have a wonderful country that we can easily travel through, with beaches, volcanoes, national parks, communities where we can do rural or community tourism, but our advice is always to be responsible tourists with the environment, in each of the places we visit, protecting our integrity and biodiversity,” said Soto.
The ICT reminds us of the importance of not extracting flora, fauna or shells from the sites we visit due to the imbalance this generates in the different ecosystems, and not feeding the species that inhabit the national parks and protected areas, because this could damage their digestive system and cause diabetes, cavities and parasites.
Avoid the use of disposable utensils and reduce the amount of garbage. If you want to transport food or drinks, it is better to do so in reusable containers and if you need to buy napkins, make sure they are made of biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials.
The call to be responsible also includes being vigilant about personal safety, that of families and companions, as well as the means of transport used to get to the places.
Unique and free experiences in Orosí and Ujarrás
The ICT invites and recommends visiting its free access managed projects during these dates: the Orosi and Ujarrás viewpoints, as well as the historic Ujarrás Ruins, located in Paraíso de Cartago, which will be open uninterruptedly from Monday to Sunday, from 8 am to 4 pm during this Christmas season and in the first days of 2025.
The three places are a nearby option for people who decide to stay in the Central Valley, in addition, they are places of recreation, tradition, history and wide scenic beauty.
Remember that pets cannot be entered into these sites.
Orosi Viewpoint: Located 3 kilometers south of the Paraíso de Cartago Church, main road to Orosi.
Ujarrás Viewpoint: Located 2 kilometers east of the Paraíso de Cartago Church.
Ujarrás Ruins: Located 5 kilometers east of the Colonial Church, road to Cachi.
ICT offices closed
From December 21 to January 5, the central offices and regional centers for tourist and business assistance (located in Ciudad Quesada, Limón Centro, Liberia, Puntarenas Centro, Río Claro and Quepos) will be closed, resuming operations on Monday, January 6, 2025.
For their part, ICT officials stationed at Guanacaste Airport and the Gulf of Papagayo Tourist Center will work normal hours on these dates.
Source: ICT.