Costa Rica Travel Guide - Communications

Country code: 506. There are no area codes. 

Roaming agreements exist with some countries. Handsets can be hired, although this can be difficult and time-consuming (website: www.ice.go.cr). Costa Rica employs both GSM and TDMA systems. The state telephone company ICE has a monopoly on service, which is available throughout much of the nation except remote mountain regions.

There are Internet cafes throughout the country, and most tourist hotels also provide facilities.

Airmail letters to Western Europe usually take between at least 10 days; those to North America take at least one week.

Costa Rica has nine major newspapers, several private and public TV stations, and a busy FM radio scene. Cable TV is widely available. Costa Rica enjoys near total freedom of media, although the major dailies are considered to be conservative.

• Daily newspapers printed in Spanish include Al Día, Diario Extra, El Heraldo, La Nacion, La Prensa Libre and La República.
• The Tico Times is a weekly newspaper published in English.

• The public channel is Rede Nacional (channel 13).
• Private channels include: Teletica (channel 7), Repretel (channels 4, 6, 11) and Conexion (channel 2).
• Direct TV cable service is available throughout most of the country.

• Radio Reloj is a popular national radio.
• Radio Columbia and Radio Monumental are news and talk stations.
• Radio Eco is a news station.
• Radio Faro del Caribe is a religious station.
• Radio Uno and Radio Dos are commercial stations.
• Radio Universidad plays classical music.
• Radio Rock is the only English-speaking station and has news and rock music.