Costa Rica is an incredible destination, with lush rainforests, stunning beaches, exotic wildlife, and warm, welcoming people. However, there are some key Costa Rica travel tips visitors should know before visiting to make the most out of their time in paradise.
While Costa Rica has become more tourist-friendly in recent years, it still maintains much of its wild, untouched beauty and culture. Being prepared for certain realities on the ground will allow you to better navigate your travels through this Central American gem.
Keep on reading to find the best Costa Rica insider travel tips.
1. Costa Rica can be expensive
First, let us be clear on this: Costa Rica is very expensive compared to the rest of Central America and even Latin America. If you ask for the reasons, they are many and mostly complex; we can reduce it to many taxes and, in general, a lot of comfort. But above all, it is an exclusive destination where an extremely fragile tropical rainforest is our main attraction. We cannot crowd them without affecting its brittle balance.
in general, we would rather not have massive tourism. And unfortunately (or not), high prices keep big, massive tours away.
You will find accommodations; even the simplest may be less affordable than better alternatives in our Central American neighborhoods, but you will find the levels of progress, education, infrastructure, and health are also much higher in Costa Rica.
When we say expensive, what exactly do we mean?
We mean that tours can be as high as $150 per person, food, even in supermarkets, can be as costly as it is in Europe, the U.S., or Canada, and restaurants are frequently absurd. Especially if you ask for wine. A dinner for two can go over $100 easily.
2. Costa Rica can get chilly.
It depends on where you go, of course, but up in the mountains, the temperature can go surprisingly down. And at some times throughout the year, like December and January, in regions like the Talamanca Mountain range or Monteverde, we are talking in the 40’s F°. It never snows, and it won’t go lower than that.
However, if you are going mainly to the beach or staying in low areas, these are typically very hot and humid.
3. Costa Rica is bigger than it seems.
When you look at it on the map, you may figure that it is pretty easy to go from one place to the next. Wrong! Even though we are about the size of West Virginia, or Denmark, you will find that distances here are not what they seem.
First, we need to be aware that three very significant mountain ranges cross Costa Rica. This means that we must go up and down and round and round to get mostly anywhere. Second, we have the tropical downpours and a road system that they have permanently damaged.
So, you will find, for instance, that to go from one coast to the other and independently depending on where you are, it will only take a few hours, but no. Roads are hard, winding, and can have many potholes. Add to that the usual fog at the top of the mountains, and it may take more than a few hours.
If you are traveling with us or a professional travel agent, your itinerary will be planned to count on this situation, and you will probably won’t even feel the distances. But if you are traveling by yourselves, there are two important recommendations:
– Stay close to your airport on the last night. Traveling from faraway regions may take more time than what Google Maps says.
– If you are planning on taking a tour and you are traveling from somewhere else, book it in the afternoon. If you don’t get there on time, they won’t refund a dime.
– If you are traveling alone or with another adult, our advice is to stay at least two nights per destination. If you are coming with children, three nights per destination at least.
4. Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes in Costa Rica are an issue, especially in the rainy season.
Mosquitos hatch from their eggs with the first rains, and they will be mostly everywhere in the lower areas. The higher you are, the fewer mosquitoes you will find.
And here, even if we have malaria cases, you will find that our main problem is in fact dengue.
So, bring your repellent and use it all the time. (Find everything on that in our posts about health and safety HERE)
5. Tap water is not drinkable everywhere in Costa Rica.
It really depends on where you are. In the cities of the Central Valley and in several places considered touristic, water is drinkable from the tap. However, it’s not a rule for the whole country, for logical reasons.
When you go to more remote places, such as Tortuguero or Corcovado, that are so close to the ocean. Or Rincon de la Vieja, and other volcanoes that can carry unknown minerals, it’s better to ask the hotel staff and always have a restocking bottle with you. In many hotels, you will find that they have water available for guests to refill their bottles.
If you have a sensitive stomach, you should be careful, first because our water is in some places considered “hard water” (lots of magnesium and calcium in it).
6. Police are usually trustworthy.
As a difference from other places in Latin America, here the police force is trustworthy. You can go to them to ask for help or directions, and they will help you.
They are also allowed to stop you for papers. To legally drive in Costa Rica, you must carry your original passport with the valid tourist stamp in it at all times, as well as your driver’s license.
If you are not driving though, they can also stop you, ask for your passport, ask you where you are from or where you are staying, and let you go.
They are trustworthy, and mostly they may be looking for illegal immigrants, which, as everywhere else in the world, has become a problem for the official organizations.
7. Wildlife in Costa Rica: sloths, monkeys, coatimundis, and other wonders
It’s not like you are going to see it everywhere, as this is not a zoo.
However, it is visible if you know where to look! And well! That’s the trick. And that’s why having a local tour guide with you is so useful. We know where to look for them.
Remember we are talking nature, and Costa Rica has huge national parks where animals can roam around throughout their lives without ever encountering a human being. On the other side, Costa Rica has forbidden hunting since decades ago, and animals can get pretty friendly with people. So much to the point that they get to be bothersome, pretty much as racoons can be in some areas in the North.
Some rules:
- Do not feed them, no matter what. You would be harming them, causing them from stomach aches to fights between group members.
- Do not touch them, hold them, or try to pick them up. Wildlife is yes, wild! Animals in the rainforest can be aggressive and dangerous; sloths have huge claws; monkeys will pee on you from the distance and even bite if you try to restrain any movements. So please consider the risk and mind the distances.
- Don’t look up with your mouth open. Be mindful about it, and keep it closed.
- Don’t pull any strings or branches in the forest; you do not know what’s up there.
- Reptiles’ mimetite by being completely immobile, but they are in full alert. Be careful.
8. Money, money, money
You will be happy to know that U.S. dollars are almost like a second currency to Costa Rica. And if you are in touristic areas, everyone will accept them.
(Not as much out of touristic areas, as the dollar value has changed and regular people feel better using coins.).
However, a few important guidelines:
- Bring small bills; 100- and 50-dollar bills are almost impossible to change unless it is a big hotel or a bank.
- Stained or torn bills are not taken easily, as we may find problems in banks taking them.
- American Express is not taken everywhere, but Master Card and Visa are.
- Canadian dollars, Euros, and Sterling pounds will not be easy to exchange at all.
- Find out how much the exchange rate is; it can change from one day to the next. The best places to exchange are the banks.
- We will be writing more tips in our next article; check our blog often, as it gets updated quite often!
Conclusion:
With proper planning and realistic expectations, Costa Rica offers an unparalleled vacation full of beauty, adventure, and cultural exchange.
The knowledgeable team at Amazing Costa Rica will help craft your custom itinerary, provide expert guidance, and ensure seamless transportation so you can relax and soak up the pura vida lifestyle. Contact us today to start building your Costa Rica trip of a lifetime! Our decades of experience leading tours in this stunning destination will have you understanding why locals say “pura”—”vida”—pure life—when describing their beloved home.
Reserve your spot now and start living the dream!
