Common Myths & Misconceptions About Costa Rica

Myths and misunderstandings about travel in Costa Rica can cause confusion or sometimes hilarity…

Costa Rica’s roads are abominable

Okay so that’s not entirely a myth, they are pretty abominable, but compared to what they were twenty years ago they’re marvels of modern paving. There are even a few km of modern limited access “freeways” using the term loosely and another hundred km of “highway” with occasional passing lanes.

Hairpin Turns Costa Rica Road — Switchbacks on the road up to San Vito

For the most part though the roads are still narrow, two lane, winding and might have chickens in the middle. Guard rails and reflectors are popping up occasionally but are still pretty rare overall and you shouldn’t try to drive at night until you have some experience. What has improved immensely (believe me or not because they’re still be bad) are the potholes. You used to actually be able to literally lose a car in some of the potholes.

Costa Rica is cheap

Not particularly. For a developing country Costa Rica is “no muy barata” especially compared to its Latin American compadres. Both the cost of living and the cost of visiting have more in common with Hawaii than Honduras especially in the middle/upper class.

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Despite increasing affluence it’s still possible for budget travelers to find bargains, especially in the low/rainy season which brings us to the next misconception…

The Dry Season is November to April

This is one of the most pervasive and widespread bits of misinformation about Costa Rica.

View back towards the lake as a storm moves in - from Sendero Coladas Arenal Volcano National Park — Storm over Lake Arenal from the slopes of the volcano

The rains almost always dissipate over most of the Pacific beaches and the cities of the central valley by the end of December but we call November and December “gambling” months.

Many years in the driest reaches of Guanacaste and the Nicoya peninsula the statement that “December is the Dry Season” is true but its not impossible for the rains continue into mid-December and sometimes even through New Years over much of Costa Rica.

The Costa Rica Dry Season Myth – Part II

Not only is half or less of December dry, there’s another half truth hidden in the most common misconception about Costa Rica’s seasons. Barely half of Costa Rica even has a dry season…

In contrast to the Pacific’s dramatic swings between desert like conditions and daily tropical showers the Caribbean side experiences more consistent rainfall year round. In fact if there were a “dry season” for the east coast it would be when the rains diminish in September and October which are the wettest months on the west side.

The dry season myth arose because well over 80% of the population and all of the international destination resort investment is on the Pacific side of the Continental divide. However some very popular tourist destinations like Arenal volcano are on the Caribbean slope.

“Suicide” Showers

Hopefully there’s a common misconception as part of the name “suicide shower” and it isn’t really suicidal to use one. These are a contraption about the size of a coffee can, usually made of white plastic and mounted in place of a shower head. “On demand” electric water heaters are safe when installed and used correctly.

However…the ground wire and ground fault interrupter receptacles and breakers that prevent shocks are expensive and frequently omitted in Costa Rican installations. While it’s disconcerting to stand in a puddle with live electrical wires duct taped to a water pipe we’ve used hundreds over the years and only had one shocking encounter.

We’ve never heard of a confirmed shower electrocution in Costa Rica.

Environmental Disaster

Costa Rica is marketed as an “ecotourism” destination but don’t let that fool you. Traveling to Costa Rica will be one of the most environmentally destructive things visitors ever do. There’s simply no way around the fact that a round trip flight makes each traveler responsible for two to four tons of Carbon emissions.

After arrival, choosing the most environmentally friendly ways to get around Costa Rica can help a little on the total impact but realistically it would be much more environmentally friendly to stay home and commute to an air conditioned office in a huge SUV.

I’ll rent a scooter and toodle around

Mopeds and scooter rentals are great in the Caribbean or Greek Isles but less common in Costa Rica. In many places the hills are so steep a scooter cannot climb them and the narrow roads with no shoulders make it extremely dangerous – the majority of traffic fatalities are on motorcycles or scooters.

Family on a motorcycle — Two wheeled transportation is a reality in Costa Rica but somewhat less romantic than the vision of windblown hair, sunglasses and cute little brightly colored scooters zipping along the seashore.

Along the same lines, renting a quad (ATV/four-wheeler/side-by-side etc.) or motorcycle seems like an adventurous way to explore until you learn that you need a respirator for the clouds of choking dust, the seats heat to a million degrees while parked and perhaps most importantly it’s usually as expensive as a nice, comfy, air-conditioned SUV.

Golf carts? See above unless you’re staying in a resort and don’t plan to leave the immediate area.

It only rains in the afternoon & overnight

Every time someone asks about rain a helpful “local” chimes in with the “always sunny mornings” myth.

Like most propaganda it’s partially true – in a typical tropical weather pattern a lot of rain does fall in the afternoon and overnight. However, when rainfall is measured in feet it can pour down for days on end.

We would never discourage anyone from traveling in the rainy season; we’ve had some of our best trips in May through November but we strongly encourage everyone to look up the detailed description of weather patterns for the month they plan to travel so expectations are aligned with reality. It’s especially important for September and October when the Pacific beach resorts may offer discounts of more than 50%… for good reason.

Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec

All tips are included in Costa Rica

While it’s true that a 10% “service tax” is added to restaurant bills (and bar tabs) it’s not a gratuity in the sense that the business usually keeps it. Nothing is added to bills for tour guides, drivers, bus boys, maids etc. All of these people work very hard for minimal base salaries and many have families to support so we recommend these tipping guidelines.

Travel planning costs a lot

The idea that you pay way more if you use a travel planner or agent is an outdated myth.

If you are traveling in the super budget (dorms and buses) or budget category then DIY is often cheaper but if you are traveling in the standard, deluxe or luxury class then it’s about the same cost no matter how you book.

AirBnB, booking dot com, tripadvisor, viator all charge businesses between 15 and 35% commissions, advertising premiums and fees (some hidden) that ultimately the traveler pays. If you actually directly contact the lodge or tour etc. you’ll also usually pay the same (booking platforms require legal contracts prohibiting lower prices) and the “commission” is retained by the lodge or tour to cover advertising, accounting and other costs.

This same amount goes to pay the salaries of local travel planners when they book for you.

Occasionally a small or less established operation will offer cash discounts to avoid Credit Card merchant fees and/or evade sales taxes. Again these are often in the budget travel category.

One exception may be booking with a U.S. or European agency. Unless they specialize in Costa Rica they don’t have local contacts and may end up adding their own commission on top of the commission charged locally.

Costa Rica is an island

Map of the imaginary country of Costa Rico

Um, nope. And it’s not the same place as Puerto Rico they are distinct geographically and politically although there is an imaginary amalgam of the two … see Costa Rico map.

It can’t possibly snow in Costa Rica – it’s the tropics

Been there, seen that. It’s unusual enough that I was contacted by a meteorological researcher from the U.S. when she read about it, but I grew up in Colorado and know snow when I see it. It definitely Graupeled on us at the top of Chirripó on New Years eve. Our water bottles froze too, but that’s pretty common.

We’ve also seen an inch or more of hailstones accumulate at elevations as low as San José although it’s more common higher up.

Costa Rican food is boring

While Costa Rican food is not as spicy, varied or exotic as many tropical cuisines like Thai, Mexican, or Ethiopian it does have a unique character and interesting varied ingredients if you know where to look.

You can drink the tap water

This used to be true and Costa Rica mostly has excellent water. In fact, one of the driving forces behind the creation of the national parks, wildlife refuges and forest reserves system was protecting the watersheds.

Unfortunately in recent years illnesses linked to drinking tap water have increased significantly. Central sewage treatment facilities don’t exist and many septic systems are old, leaky, full or simply inadequate for the loads (see poopy paper basket). Especially in coastal and lowland areas and especially in the rainy months it’s common for the groundwater and rivers to be contaminated with human waste.

Overbuilding, lack of planning and drought conditions lowered many aquifers in Nicoya and Guanacaste to the point that water quality is suffering. Arsenic and other natural contaminants are being concentrated, and tap water is no longer drinkable at times. In 2016-18 the drought on the Pacific side was intensified by El Niño causing a nationally recognized crisis. La Niña is augmenting the rains in 2022 and 2023 so Arsenic levels are dropping as the drought eases, aquifers refill and concentrations are diluted.

Many hotels, resorts and lodges provide free filtered water if you bring your own bottle and if you have to buy bottled water then larger (5L) containers have less environmental impact. Some supermarkets also have water filters to fill your own containers for a small charge.

We need local money

U.S. dollars are accepted nearly everywhere and preferred many places. You’ll usually get your change in colones but in 30 years we’ve never had anyone refuse dollars – a few occasional grumbles but never a refusal. Once at a toll booth they insisted we dig through the seat cushions to find ¢100, but that was because they didn’t have change for a $5. If you are from Canada or Europe you’ll need either U.S. dollars or local colones.

Don’t eat raw fruits and vegetables

Never had a problem. If it’s at a restaurant it’s been washed in that high quality water that you can drink as we mentioned above. If it’s from a fruit stand or fresh off the tree wash it. If it’s from a modern supermarket wash it to get the pesticides off just like you would at home. If it’s a cashew read this first!

You always have to use the poopy paper basket

Even the newly remodeled SJO international airport has toilet paper waste baskets

For those of you who have never been to Costa Rica the poopy paper basket is a waste basket next to the toilet for the purpose of depositing used paper. The majority of restrooms you use will have one along with a sign explaining its use and pleading that you do so for the sake of their septic system. Most systems in Costa Rica are way under capacity and poorly built so it is very difficult or impossible to pump them which is a required maintenance procedure every few years if you flush paper products and the system can’t keep up digesting them.

However if there is no sign you may be safe to flush away. Ticos grew up with the basket and can be baffled when there isn’t one. Our neighbors in Colorado hosted a Tica exchange student who took hers to the kitchen wastebasket at first.

Even new buildings with modern systems where it’s fine to flush usually provide a basket because they don’t want to pick up a pile off the floor.

One surprising place you won’t find a basket is the open air camp toilet at EdEase in the Osa wilderness.

You can travel to Costa Rica with a driver’s license instead of a passport

This misconception is fading because it’s been years since it was true but we still hear it every now and again.

For decades you could actually enter Costa Rica with nothing more than a valid U.S. driver’s license. I have no idea where they stamped the visa since we never tried it. Post 9/11 even if you could get into Costa Rica without a passport they wouldn’t let you back in your home country anyway so renew your passport.

Although it’s not true you may hear that you need an “international” license to rent a car or drive in Costa Rica. A standard license from the U.S., Canada, Europe or most other places in the world is valid to drive in Costa Rica as long as your tourist visa is valid.

That phone number can’t be right, it’s got an extra digit

2694 – 0400 is a real phone number in Costa Rica. All the phone numbers are eight digits.

They all used to be seven digits but when cell phones were introduced they quickly ran out of numbers. So they decided to add a one digit “area code” at the beginning. Now cell phone numbers start with 8 while landlines start with 2 (a while back they ran out of 2’s and 8’s and started adding leading 6’s etc. but the 2/8 rule is still generally true). So a Costa Rican phone number is the country code (506) followed by eight digits.

A Strangler Fig Wraps Up Another Tree and Chokes it to Death

Nearly every tour in Costa Rica mentions the story of how strangler figs start as seedlings in the top of another tree, drop roots to the ground and eventually smother and kill the original tree. In fact there’s no squeezing, smothering or “strangling” involved.

Since the strangler fig will only succeed if it can reach the open sunlight they sprout in the branches of very large mature trees. By the time the strangler fig is large enough to be considered competition for its host the host is usually declining to a natural death.

Common Misconceptions