COSTA RICA: travel advice
COSTA RICA: 5% of world's biodiversity
Costa Rica it's relatively a small country located in Central America, but even having a small size it is home to over 5% of the world's biodiversity!
And it is true, if you travel to Costa Rica, you'll see lot of new animals you've never seen before (unless you already have travelled to similar places) like sloths, tapirs, macaws, lot of colourful and unique birds, sea turtles and more. So this can be an interesting country if you love nature and want to see something new and wild animals, not in captivity.
Although Costa Rica was a beautiful place to see, my honest opinion is that it's overrated and super expensive. Along the guide, you'll read my honest opinion about each of the locations I visited in Costa Rica, and the best recommendations to enjoy to the fullest of each of those places.
The guide is divided by regions and subdivided by specific locations. For each location I mention, I'll be sharing how to get there, and my honest opinion about the place (❗EVA'S TIP)
❗ Important, if you visit Costa Rica, please respect its nature and wildlife, as well as locals, who are lovely and really hospitable. Try not to participate in activities where you see animal abuse, and make sure you get to feel the Costa Rican good vibe and PURA VIDA!
When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?
Costa Rica has a dry and a wet season. The best option would be to be there during the dry season, which goes from December to April. However, this will also mean to travel during high season, with the most expensive prices.
In case you want to experience the sea turtle's nesting, you should be there between March and December. In my case, I arrived to Costa Rica by the end of November, so I was able to do night patrols while volunteering for a sea turtle conservation project (more info about it along the guide), but it rained every afternoon. In December it suddenly stopped raining.
❗In addition to that, it's good to know that the rainy season in Costa Rica finishes in the beginning of December in the Pacific coast whereas it ends a bit later in the Caribbean side. Not to mention that in the interior part you might encounter rain even by the end of December (it happened to me). But is less likely to see rain from January onwards, when the Summer starts.
Handy tips -
- The chepeast supermarket in the country is "Super Compro".
- It's worth to rent a car to move around La Fortuna and Monteverde, but not necessarily for the other locations as bus connections work quite well between the different regions.
- There are some places that have nothing special (in my opinion), in the guide I'm telling you which are these ones and the reason why I think like that, so perhaps you could skip them if you don't have too much time and prioritize others, instead.
- You could consider travelling slow around Costa Rica, while doing volunteering, for example (more info in the guide). In my opinion, the experience of staying in one place for longer in Costa Rica, missing to see other parts of the country, is worth it and more enjoyable.
- Costa Rica is the most expensive country in Central America, its prices are equivalent to Northern Europe, in case this is important for you, choose wisely before deciding to come here, specially if it's between December to March (high season).
- It can be cold in the interior part of the country, so bring waterproof and warm clothes with you.
- If you're looking for lush vegetation and wildlife, for me the best places are Corcovado, and the interior part (find more info in the guide)
- The worst place in terms of wild nature is Nicoya Peninsula
- Positive thing: locals (colloquially called "ticos") are the best people!
- Another plus, Costa Rica it's a very safe country. So it can be a good choice for those who are afraid of travelling solo and want to give a try for the first time.
CORCOVADO - remoteness and wilderness 🦥
Corcovado was my favorite place in Costa Rica, it also was the place where I stayed for a longer time while doing a volunteering giving support to a sea turtle conservation's project, which was a beautiful experience.
Corcovado is located in Osa Peninsula, in the Southern West area of Costa Rica. It's the most remote place in the country, and it's also the wildest and purest one as well as being very well preserved.
How to get to Corcovado National Park?
There are 4 ways to get to this remote location.
✈ By plane - The fastest (but also the most expensive) way to get there is by taking a Sansa flight (the local airline) from San José. The ticket price might vary depending on the season between $130-180.
❗EVA'S TIP: seat on the left side of the plane when flying to Corcovado, to get to see the best views!
⛴ By bus + boat - There is a more economical option to get to Corcovado, but it also will take longer, approx 5 hours. You need to take a bus to Sierpe and from there take a boat to Drake Bay.
❗EVA'S TIP: I've not taken the boat to Corcovado, but I've been told that the boat ride is really beautiful. So this might be a good option if you have time enough to spend a full day travelling.
⛐ By car - The most comfortable way to reach to Corcovado is probably by your own car. However, drive carefully and consider if your car is a 4x4 as the gravel road can be bumpy and you might need to cross rivers, too.
♛ Private shuttle -Private shuttles in Costa Rica are very common, you can always pay a bit more and take a private minivan to Corcovado with a tour company.
❗EVA'S TIP: But I would not recommend doing that, as you might spend more than triple than by taking the public transport, and in case you can't spend time travelling, the plane might be a better option as the price might not vary that much and will be faster.
My opinion and experience in Corcovado -
Corcovado was the best place I visited in Costa Rica, where I felt amazed by the landscapes' wilderness, and wildlife, I saw animals that I had never seen before like sloths, tapirs, lot of birds..., and I slept literally in the rainforest.
I was settled in Ganadito Beach, which I truly recommend to visit, as it's a really wild and beautiful beach, and offers the best sunsets of Costa Rica ⬇
However, there are some cons that you might consider:
→ It is extremely expensive and overpriced $$$
The tours to Corcovado National Park are around $100, as well as snorkeling (approx. $90). I did both tours and I consider they are overpriced.
From my experience, it was not worth to pay $100 to go to the National Park as I was already living in the rainforest and seeing animals everyday while doing the volunteering. Nonetheless, if you do not have the chance to stay there for a long time, it might be worth to take the tour, as it's very likely that you will see animals.
In regards snorkeling, it takes place in Caño Island, and it was disappointing to see no coral at all, as it is all dead. The only good point was to get to swim with sea turtles just few centimeters away from me, and spoting some whitetip reef sharks.
→ But it's important to consider its remotness and the National Park's well preservation, which explains the final price.
❗EVA'S TIP: Better if you can stay longer, doing a volunteering for example, to get to enjoy this place to the fullest
NICOYA PENINSULA - party, beaches & surf 🏝️🏄🏽♀️
Nicoya Peninsula is Costa Rica's Pacific Northern Peninsula. This peninsula is definitely the most touristic place in the country, and I would recommend to come here in case you really want to party, do surf and spend your days in the beach.
Next, I'll be sharing some of the best beaches I went to, what to expect from each of the places from my own experience as well as how to get there.
Tamarindo -
Tamarindo is definitely the most touristic spot in the whole country. But also a comfortable place to stay, as you'll find everything you need in town, as well as international food, activities, beaches, party... It is a good choice if you are looking for social life, party, you are a beginner in surf, and you want to relax a bit more and visit beaches.
A good option if you are considering to stay for a long time in Tamarindo is to do a volunteering in there, as it's a really expensive place.
BEACHES IN TAMARINDO 🏖️
❗EVA'S TIP: you could consider to rent a car if you plan to visit beaches further north like Playa Hermosa, Playa Flamingo... these are some of the beaches locals mentioned when I was there. Note that as further as you go, it will be more remote, and also is where you might find some of the luxurious resorts.
MY OPINION ABOUT TAMARINDO -
My honest opinion about Tamarindo is that it's a comfortable place to stay and have fun, but that's it, there's nothing special. The beaches I saw and that I mentioned above were not amazing nor the landscape in general. If you have the chance to explore further North, you could give it a try while staying in Tamarindo.
It's also very touristic, so expect high prices everywhere, eating in restaurants (not local food) can cost between $15-30.
Fun fact: locals call "Tamagringo" to Tamarindo😅
SANTA TERESA - the best place if you do surf
Undoubtedly Santa Teresa is the iconic surf spot in Costa Rica, a must visit if you like to do surf, and you have an intermediate - advanced level as the waves are not usually considered for beginners. I did surf there and I considered it quite hard (I have a beginner-intermediate level).
MY OPINION ABOUT SANTA TERESA -
Santa Teresa is not practical to walk, as the town is basically a very long straight street, that's why people there don't go to visit the town, they go to stay for a relatively long time to do surf, and they usually rent a quad to move around Santa Teresa.
If you are not into surf, but want to see Santa Teresa, I would not recommend you to stay longer than 1-2 days, as you might feel like there's nothing to do in there, as the beach is not very swimmers friendly.
By contrast, if you are into surf and like the vibes, go straight to Santa Teresa, because you'll love it. You'll experience 100% the surf vibes and you'll find lot of surf camps and hostels options. BUT it's an extremely expensive destination $$$
From my experience, I found the waves quite difficult to surf as a beginner with some insights to the intermediate level, and to rent a surf board in there was really expensive, sometimes reaching $40/day (in Tamarindo it was also expensive). The chepeast option was in El Gato Rojas Hostel (where I also stayed) but the quality of their boards was not the best. I also found the place very unpractical to walk, and you get full of dust as it's all gravel road.
The beach is fine, but nothing special, so I was not specially amazed by Santa Teresa, though I really liked the surf vibes and if I would have a higher level in surf I would definitely enjoyed it more and stayed longer.
In conclusion, Santa Teresa is a place to do surf, or relax in the beach.
Why didn't I go to Nosara, Samara...?
I heard locals' opinions and decided not to stop in Nosara, Samara... and all the villages located between Tamarindo and Santa Teresa. Alternatively, I went straight from Tamarindo to Santa Teresa by private shuttle. As mentioned before, I didn't have my own car, so I had some movement limitations, as the public bus connections around the peninsula are quite bad and slow.
❗EVA'S TIP: if you want to visit the most you can around Nicoya peninsula, I recommend you renting a car so you can stop in each of the villages along the coast.
Montezuma -
Montezuma is a small but beautiful village located in the Southern part of the Peninsula. Overall, there's not much to do in there, other than going to Isla Tortuga which I don't recommend as it's nothing special, and it's too touristic. See below a picture of the only accessible beach for tourists in there, full of sun beds and "bars" selling drinks.
There are other things to do like hiking to the Montezuma waterfall, which I didn't do.
❗EVA'S TIP: from my experience, locals will try to sell you the tour to Isla Tortuga claiming that it's the most beautiful place. In my opinion, it's not a must-see place nor worth the tour price. The tour includes snorkeling and, it was the worst, there was not good visibility neither too many fish. Perhaps you can see a sting ray in the shore but not much more. So I definitely wouldn't tell you to spend your day and money visiting Isla Tortuga.
After Montezuma, what you can do is to take a bus to Quepera and from there take a ferry to Puntarenas to cross to the mainland and keep travelling to Jacó and Manuel Antonio ❗EVA'S TIP: I didn't go to Manuel Antonio and surroundings because it's a really touristic place, Jacó is full of resorts, and people who has been there told me it was not worth it.
Uvita is another option you have, which might be better choice than Manuel Antonio, but still, it's a small place, and as people has told me, there's not much to see.
So I would suggest visiting Monteverde and La fortuna, instead.
How to get to Nicoya Peninsula?
There are 4 ways to get there:
✈ By plane - flying to Tamarindo. The most expensive way, but also the fastest with Sansa Airline.
🚌 By bus - this is the cheapest option (approx. $14) but it takes around 6 hours from San José. You can book your tickets in advance online↓
⛐ By car / private shuttle - the most convenient way if you have your own car or a private shuttle (I don't recommend the latter as it's very expensive). If you have your own car, take note that the roads might be tricky and more difficult to drive in the southern part of the peninsula.
❗EVA'S TIP: I think that is not needed to rent a car to travel to Nicoya, as you can take the public bus or, better, private shuttles to get from one point to the other as distances aren't too long.
⛴ By Ferry - from Puntarenas to Paquera. If you decide to get to the peninsula by ferry, you will start your trip from the South, as the ferry connection is located in the pensinula's Southern part. The ferry for 1 person is around $2, and approx $24 with car. The boat ride takes around 45 minutes.
My opinion and experience in Nicoya Peninsula -
Honestly, it was not an impressive place and proably the worst one in terms of wildlife and lush vegetation as it's also a drier area.
In my opinion, if you don't have too much time to travel around Costa Rica, and you are not interested in party, and surf, skip this peninsula and prioritize other locations like La Fortuna or Tortuguero (I've not been to the latter but I've heard good things about it).
MONTEVERDE - lush vegetation and adventure 🦜
Monteverde is a big province where the Cloud Forest Reserve is located. This is the main point to visit in this region, however, in my opinion, some parts were a bit disappointing. I explain you why next.
❗EVA'S TIP: there's a lot of activities to do in Monteverde, such as zipline, bungee jump, canopy... as well as hanging bridges and waterfall hikes. I did the two latter, and the hanging bridges were fine, but nothing special, it was overpriced. Alternatively, the waterfalls were beautiful and I'd rather recommend to visit the waterfalls, instead.
If you'd like to do the zipline then go for it, in Monteverde is where there's the longest zipline of Central America, so it might be a good fit for you.
My opinion and experience in Monteverde -
La Fortuna is a similar destination to choose right next to Monteverde.
LA FORTUNA - volcanoes and waterfalls 🌋
In case you are looking for the less popular spots, and you are a nature lover, read carefully next places. The waterfalls I am going to mention next are not well known, nor for locals.
❗ Make sure you read the details written in the location below "Río Barroso" to read my tips of how to get to this place.
Another of my highlighted waterfalls around the area but which I couldn't visit because of the bad weather was the one called "Vuelta al Cañón".
My opinion and experience in La Fortuna -
La Fortuna and Monteverde offer similar activities but I found the landscapes a bit different. Wether in Monteverde you can see a more lush vegetation and hanging bridges, in La Fortuna you'll have volcanoes and other lesser known places (for now) like Quebrada Gata.
I liked La Fortuna, but I know I would have loved it if I would have been luckier with the weather.
❗ EVA'S TIP: so my tip for you is to plan ahead the days you'll spend in here according to the weather forecast.
How to get to Monteverde & La Fortuna -
⛐ Rent a car - my best tip to travel around both of these provinces is definitely to RENT A CAR. Yes, it can be the most expensive option, specially during high season, but it will be worth it, I swear. But I only recommend hiring car for Monteverde and La Fortuna, with special insight in La Fortuna. Specially if you want to explore more in depth around the area, as the bus connections are very limited, or none in Bajos del Toro, for instance.
🚌 For the other locations mentioned earlier around Monteverde and La Fortuna, you'll get easily by public bus, that's how I travelled and it worked well.
❗EVA'S TIP: the only disadvantatge when travelling by bus was that you miss some independence to visit the different locations, and in this case, I really believe that is worth to pay a bit more for a car.
THE CARIBBEAN COAST - Jamaican vibes and nature
In the Caribbean side of Costa Rica you can find wildlife, beaches and Jamaican vibes, too. Next I show you what places you can consider visiting and my opinion according to my experience.
I truly recommend to rent a bike to go from Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo and Punta Uva. For Cahuita I also went by bike, but bare in mind that the ride can take up to 1 hour under the sun. So avoid cycling during midday.
From Puerto Viejo, what people usually do is visiting Bocas del Toro, which belongs to Panamá. I, personally, didn't go because I was told it was too touristic, and didn't feel like going there to have some drinks, and pay for everything. However, as I've not been there, I cannot give you a real opinion about the place. In case you want to visit it, there are ferrys going from Puerto Viejo to Bocas del Toro and you can purchase the tickets easily in town.
My opinion and experience in the Caribbean Coast -
I just visited the Southern Part of the coast, so I cannot give a full opinion about it.
I would perhaps say that if you want to see wildlife, go to Tortuguero, and if you prefer to discover the chill and Jamaican vibes of the Southern part, heat towards Puerto Viejo, instead.
I really enjoyed my time in Puerto Viejo, so I recommend spending some days in the South, if you want to relax and enjoy the place.
How to get to the Caribbean Coast -
⛐ Rent a car - go by yourself by car, it will be faster and more comfortable.
❗EVA'S TIP: but you don't necessarily need a car to explore the area.
🚌 Public bus - it is the best option, in my opinion, and the one I chose. It costs around $14 from San José to Puerto Viejo, and also is an option to go to Tortugero.
The bus drive to Puerto Viejo takes around 5 hours.
✈ By plane - the fastest way but also the most expensive one, price will range from $120-180 if you can avoid taking the plane, would be easier and cheaper for you. Also take note that to go to Puerto Viejo, you'll need to take the plane to Limón from San José and then taking bus or private shuttle to Puerto Viejo.
❗EVA'S TIP: In my opinion, it's very inconvenient to fly to the Caribbean Coast, it's better to take the bus or private shuttle.
♛ Private shuttle - private shuttles are always an option, but for me, the most inconvenient one, as it's always the most expensive transportation method.
THE CAPITAL: SAN JOSÉ -
As you might have noticed, I didn't include San José in this guide. Basically because I just did overnight in there to travel from one place to the other of the country.
I would suggest visiting around the country rather staying in the city, as Costa Rica is about nature. But if you are interested in the city, be cautious, it is known for being quite dangerous (vary between regions).
Final thoughts & Conclusion -
Costa Rica will be an amazing destination for you if you...
- Love nature
- Plan to travel slow and immerse into the local life
- Look for staying in luxurious resorts
- Want to have have fun trying the canopy, zipline...
- Look for safety and comfort
- Get to explore more into the wild, and go to the least touristic parts of the country
- Look for party and meeting other solo travellers
Costa Rica won't be an amazing destination for you if you...
- Plan to travel budget friendly (it is possible but not as cheap as a backpacker would wish)
- Have already been in other stunning and similar destinations (with tropical beaches, rainforests, huge waterfalls...)
- Have high expectations
- Don't like touristic places and crowds and don't plan to travel as I suggest to avoid that (do volunteering, go to the more remote places, travel slowly...)
In the end, it definitely depends on each of us how your experience travelling will be, it will depend on what you do in the destination, what you like, and even at what stage in life you are at. But I hope this guide, full of transparent opinions and tips, will be helpful for you to plan better your trip to Costa Rica and take the most of your time in there, enjoying to the fullest, and avoiding some of the most common (or not) mistakes.
Travel safe -
Travelling safe is the most important thing, that's why I travel with Chapka, one of the best travel insurances of the world as it is part of AON, worldly recognised.
And you can get a discount for your travel insurance by using my promo code EVARIOS - you will be eligible to get the discount depending on your nationality but I would appreciate if you can apply the code when getting the insurance anyways as in this way you will be supporting me as a content creator and with my travels, many thanks :)
Thank you for reading, and don't hesitate to reach me out on Instagram @evarios14 if you have any question, feedback or just want to connect!
If you liked this guide, don't miss out other of my best guides and itineraries:
I invite you to check my new guide where I explain how to travel cheap around the world based on my experience, you can get a discount by using the promo code TRAVEL25 / or VIAJAR25 if you are getting the Spanish version
You can also read about “My Story” if you are interested in knowing more about living abroad, being nomad, or other destinations, and to get to know more about me and how I started moving around!
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