It used to be very difficult indeed to find a public restroom in Costa Rica. 25 years ago your best bet was a bar where you'd likely find only a gent's and it was often nothing more than an outside wall with a drain hole at one end. The advent of fast food restaurants, modern supermarkets and … [Read more...]
Practical Information & Logistics
Once you know when and where you want to go and what you want to see and do it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty, make sure your budget can handle the trip, get your documents in order, find out if your phone will work (if you want it to), pack your bags, buy travel insurance and stash away the $29 bucks you may or may not need for the departure tax. This section includes all the logistical information we've accumulated over the decades.
Volunteer Opportunities in Costa Rica
Expectations of volunteers and the organizations needing help are sometimes quite different and high quality gratifying volunteer opportunities can be difficult to find. Below are some projects we recommend based on personal visits, previous volunteer's experiences, and established history of … [Read more...]
The Costa Rica Bathroom Experience
No we don't have some kind of weird fetish but Costa Rican restrooms have enough unique attributes that it's worth a word or two of warning for first time visitors. The Great Outdoors You never know so look before you go. Outdoor bathrooms come in many shapes and sizes and in some of the … [Read more...]
“Good” & “Bad” Exchange Rates
Essentially everything in the Costa Rica Costa Rican tourism sector is for all practical purposes priced in U.S. Dollars. The Colón to Dollar exchange rate has very little impact on costs for visitors. Unless travelers get quite a ways off the beaten path the cost of most hotels, lodges, … [Read more...]
Travel Insurance
No Coverage = No Refunds, No Exchanges & No Credits Use it or lose it. It's a standard policy for airfare, cruise reservations, and tickets to events like concerts. For international travel "use it or lose it" frequently extends to ground transportation, activities, tours and lodging which is … [Read more...]
How to Find an Address
Addresses, directions and navigation in Costa Rica are simultaneously methodically logical and maddeningly chaotic. Addresses by The Method... The method is a rectilinear roadway grid with north south calles (streets) and east west avenidas (avenues). Calles count up by odd numbers from the … [Read more...]
Sixaola Panama Border Run
Costa Rica Departure Tax The $7 departure tax when leaving Costa Rica by land is considerably less than the $29 exit tax charged if you are departing by air. It can be just as painful however. Theoretically paying the departure tax should be a breeze at machines similar to ATMs … [Read more...]
Rent-a-Car Cost Comparisons
As you can see from the rate quote comparisons below from the three top recommended companies on TripAdvisor the cost for a full size SUV rental can vary from $52.58 per day from Alamo to almost three times as much $149.95 per day from Adobe. We've rented 35 cars in Costa Rica for a total of … [Read more...]
How Much Does Food Cost?
Obviously at popular vacation destinations you expect restaurants to have high prices just as they do at tourist beaches, ski areas and amusement parks all over the world, but food prices have gotten crazy in Costa Rica even in supermarkets in backwater ranching towns. One question that we … [Read more...]
Tipping Guidelines
Tipping was not the cultural norm in Costa Rica until it was introduced from the U.S. a couple of decades ago. A service "tax" of 10% was added to restaurant bills but it was not dependent on the quality of the service and was not considered a tip. More like when you go to your automobile … [Read more...]
The Ant Dance
There's wildlife everywhere in Costa Rica and not all of it is your friend If you're standing watching a pair of toucans hopping though the treetops and suddenly you feel a sharp burning pain on your feet, ankles or calves you're probably standing in an ant hill. Tip to Avoid Multiple Painful … [Read more...]
How Much Does Costa Rica Cost?
A week of vacation in Costa Rica costs between $850 and $1,450 for an average traveler in mid-priced hotels, lodges or rental houses and doing standard tours (assuming double occupancy). Beachfront accommodations and high dollar activities like deep sea fishing will quickly push the budget over … [Read more...]
Public Drinking is Illegal
Don't cross that line. As long as you stay on the patio you're fine but if you step off into the public sand you could be facing a fine of almost $400. Looking forward to relaxing with a beer on the beach? A few years ago Costa Rica passed legislation making it illegal to drink in public … [Read more...]
Unpacking List
There are a few things that you should make a point of leaving at home. Copies of your documents - Minimally a Xerox or digital photo of your passport, drivers license, credit cards, airline tickets, and any reservations that you've prepaid. Having someone fax or e-mail these things to you in a … [Read more...]
Eating Cheap?
Supermarkets, Produce Stands and Local Mercados Buying food in stores is cheaper than going to restaurants but it's still relatively expensive in Costa Rica. Comparing the untouristed rural area where we work in Costa Rica with our hometown in Colorado, shopping in the local produce markets, … [Read more...]
Budgeting with Children
We often talk to families who are surprised that other than the bar tab the cost for Mom & Dad plus a 16, 13, 11 and 9 year old to travel will most likely be about the same as three adult couples. Airfare, Transfers & Rental Cars On airplanes anyone older than one year may require a seat … [Read more...]
First Aid Kit for Travelers in Costa Rica
Anyone on a Costa Rica vacation should have ready access to a minimum first aid kit containing the items listed below. You might also want to look over the contents of the advanced kit to see if anything there sounds like a good idea-especially if you are going on a particularly active or … [Read more...]
Help
Feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to get started on that dream vacation to Costa Rica? Here are step-by-step instructions to save you time and frustration planning a Costa Rica vacation for yourself, your family or group. 1. Get ¡Pura Vida! ... you're not required to have a relaxed … [Read more...]
Money-Currency in Costa Rica
The new banknotes are so attractive they even made Time Magazines "most beautiful" list. Costa Rica's currency, the colón (colones plural) currently exchanges at around ¢580 per US dollar (Exchange Made Easy). Until September of 2006 the currency devalued against the dollar consistently for … [Read more...]
DEET Alternatives
The Buzzz on Mosquito Repellents Finally! There’s an alternative to DEET that actually works. Picaridin was developed by the German pharmaceutical giant Bayer in the eighties, has been used in Europe for years and was recently approved by the EPA as an insect repellent. It is marketed in the … [Read more...]