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Costa Rica travel tips

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Costa Rica travel tips

Before you hit the road...
Alexandra Heatwole writes...

Before you go

Learn a little Spanish. A Spanish class is really best - you may be able to take one at your uni if you’re a student with a semester left before your trip. If you’re not so lucky, Spanish is probably the most commonly taught foreign language, so finding a local language school shouldn’t be too hard. If you’re really short on cash, pick up a Teach Yourself guide. I found that, although you can get by with English in the bigger cities, the further away from them you get the more difficult it becomes.
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Check the visa laws! The Costa Rican government will be more than happy to give you a tourist visa if you’re in need of one, but make sure you do so within, at the very least, two days of your departure date. My boyfriend had to have the 24-hour processing period waived so we could catch a flight later that day, and we were lucky that they could cut it down to six hours - we barely made it. Work out your visas well in advance - believe me, it pays off.

If you’re planning a road trip - and in every opinion I’ve ever come across, including my own, a road trip is the best way to see Costa Rica - work out a fly-and-drive deal with a travel agent before you go. One of the best agencies is Tico Travel - they use TACA airlines, a very friendly Central American chain, and the very trustworthy Europcar. But remember: agency deals mostly operate on departures from Miami, so it may be necessary to fly there first.

What to pack

Binoculars! Costa Rica is so rich in wildlife that you may need them when you’re least expecting it. Break them in before you go - I had a terrible time trying to get used to my new pair and often by the time I’d focused, the animal was gone.

A sweater. Costa Rica is, in general, a warm country throughout the year - but those little mountain towns can get mighty chilly at night. If you’re spending the night in a town like Fortuna or Santa Elena, it may be beneficial to pack some warm pyjamas.

Waterproof jackets and shoes. They mean it when they call them ‘cloud forests’ and ‘rainforests’. If you can bring yourself to buy some weatherproof pants, it would be worth it. If not, designate a pair of jeans that you can use as all-purpose-never-need-to-use-them-again jeans - they’ll never be the same after you’ve waded through mud or gone on a night tour through the woods. Oh and a random tip thrown in here: At Manuel Antonio you will have to wade across a stream to get into the park. Just bear it in mind.

A bathing suit, by all means. And wear it under your clothes! You’ll never know when you’ll want to go swimming. Cash. ATMs are few and far between. On that note, a money belt as well. I had no trouble, but in major cities there are quite a few problems with tourist muggings - just be on your guard.

Especially for Road Trippers

Buy extra car insurance. If there is one point that I cannot stress enough, it’s that one. Living proof: When we got into an accident that damaged the side of the car to the extent that it must have cost about a thousand dollars to fix, we payed $150. For 18 extra bucks a day, we saved ourselves a fortune. Quite sad for the car rental agency, though.

Road signs in Costa Rica, by which I mean: what road signs? It’s as if the Costa Ricans are saying, ‘You’re on your own, folks.’ Bring a very, very good road map and know where you’re turning before you get to the intersection. In the more remote parts of the country, it’s possible to go for hours without seeing the faintest hint as to where you are. Also, as if things weren’t confusing enough, they sometimes lie. We passed a series of signs that read: ‘Fortuna 3 km’ ‘Welcome to Fortuna!’ ‘Fortuna 7 km' and then when we finally got to Fortuna 20 minutes later, we drove straight through the town because it wasn’t marked. My advice: always ask a local...
The locals: they are absolutely essential in this matter. They seem to have a map of Costa Rica laid out in their minds. They know where everything is and if you ask them even in faltering Spanish which way you should be going, they’ll give you detailed instructions. They’re fantastic.

Road conditions. This one is important. The 'main roads' of Costa Rica are often one-lane and extremely winding - if you get stuck behind a large truck it can hold you up for hours, so make time allowances for such circumstances. Also, even these roads are often full of potholes up to a foot deep, and instead of fixing them, the Costa Rican government has invested in ‘Peligroso’ signs. Peligroso - that’s a keyword. Danger. If you don’t know any other words in Spanish, know that one. Those pot holes can do a number on your car, too, so do your best to drive slowly and avoid them wherever possible. The non-main roads are another story altogether - they’re often entirely made up of pebbles and at times you may wonder if you’re actually on a road anymore instead of a horse path. To sum up: don’t expect driving conditions to be anything like the ones you’re used to. They won’t be.

Lizards are like squirrels in Costa Rica. They’ll be sitting peacefully by the side of the road until a car comes and then they suddenly decide the other side is better and this could be their last chance to cross the road so they’d better go go go! Hence all the flat lizards by the side of the highway. Do keep an eye out for them.

If a car passes you flashing its lights and you don’t have your brights up or anything like that, it means there’s a speed trap up ahead. This should mean nothing to you, because you’re obeying the traffic laws, right?

And finally, do not, I repeat, do not rent anything but a 4x4 vehicle. At the Arenal Volcano I saw some poor tourists in a little two-door inspecting a broken front axel. This could happen to you.

In General

Talk to the locals. They’re very, very friendly and they love talking about their country. The only places I wouldn’t recommend this are on the streets in some of the Carribean towns and the larger towns like San Jose and Cartago. If you can get a conversation started with your host at a hotel or restaurant, you’ll probably learn a lot, not only about what there is to see and do in the area, but about the country’s history and culture.

Ask a park official about trails before you go hiking. Much like road signs, trail signs often lie. Ask about which trails are popular, which lead into certain death (some do at high tide), and which don’t lead anywhere at all.

Keep your passport/visa handy, as you may encounter checkpoints. These aren’t for tourists like you, so don’t be scared - they’re for illegal immigrants from Panama or Nicaragua, whose borders Costa Rica shares. Don’t worry if they ask you a few questions - twice I was asked if my boyfriend and I were married. I think the officers just get bored.

Even if your guide says ‘this hostel has hot water’, don’t believe it. Hot water is a myth in Costa Rica. Be prepared for cold showers. After lying on the beach or hiking through the rainforest it won’t seem so bad. In the mountain towns... well, I suggest you get some of those ‘body deodorant wipes’ or something. Body odour is never attractive.

Jaco Beach is pretty, but I recommend going out of your way to avoid the touristy towns. Go off the beaten path and find a pretty little beach of your own, away from the hustle and bustle of spring breakers and surfers - chances are it will really pay off in the end.

If you do nothing else touristy, take a canopy tour. Nothing beats flying over miles of beautiful rainforest. Don’t expect to see any wildlife, though - you’ll be going so fast and screaming so loud you’ll frighten them all away.

Costa Rica

Don’t wear hats around monkeys. They’ll steal them. And for God’s sake, don’t feed the animals.

Eat the local standard: casados. They’re a full meal covering all the basic food groups and the best taste of local cuisine you can get. In addition, they’re usually a really good deal. To the tourists they’re a delicacy, to the locals, they’re as commonplace as burgers and fries. And if you go to Cahuita, stop by Miss Edith’s. She’s a little Jamaican woman who cooks the best coconut casados on this plant and serves them up with freshly squeezed juices from local fruits like papayas and pineapples. It doesn’t get any better than that.

And finally, take lots of pictures. Your camera won’t be able to do justice to your surroundings, but give it a shot. If your friends don’t get the idea, who cares? At least you’ll have a real memento of all the amazing places you’ve seen.

Further info