Someday around a month ago, I was having a very stressful day at work. So I went out to take some air…and it was so gloomy and raining! It came to my mind how happy I would be if I were to be in some kind of paradise. Then I thought… why don’t I go to one?
The paradise that I chose to go was Costa Rica. The country of “Pura Vida”, which has wonderful Pacific and Caribbean beaches and lots of amazing tropical jungles and animals.
Before I went there, I did quite a lot of research, but I still encountered quite a lot of unexpected (good and not so good) surprises. So, here I would like to share 10 tips that I wish I would have known before my trip.
1) Always Negotiate
You can negotiate anything in Costa Rica. Make sure to try to lower the price before you pay for anything. Great way to negotiate for the accommodation is to ask them if they can give you a small discount if you pay by cash. Usually, they will say yes. Sometimes it is easier for them to set a new price for you when you don’t have a reservation. So before booking a hotel through online, call them first and negotiate.
2) Bus or rent car? Rent car!
My first day in Costa Rica, I was looking on the internet how I would go Manuel Antonio from San Jose. It was around 2 hours and 30 minutes distance by car, but If I were to take public transportation It would take double the time and I had to change bus more than 3 times. The worst thing is that buses usually don’t come according to the timetable. If you have a very relaxed “Pura Vida” mentality, and so missing one or two bus does not bother you and you got some time to spare, then taking a bus is a great way to have a local experience, plus you will be able to travel with a lower budget.
However, personally I had limited time, so I chose to rent a car. It’s not cheap, but it will give you a lot of flexibility and freedom. You cannot take a car to go to some places like Tortuguero, but it is very useful for most of the time. I recommend you to do a lot of research before you decide rental car company because the price could vary quite a lot. In my case, I was able to find one that gave me more of a “local” price. LINK TO CAR RENTAL
3) Do not believe the weather forecast
This tip comes from several local people that I met there, which means this information is very trustful Weather in Costa Rica changes its mind whenever it wants, so the forecast is often not correct. One day I was contemplating whether I should go to the beach or not because I saw on the internet that it was supposed to rain that day. In the end I decided to just go and “Voila!” It was sunny. I told the story to the owner of the hostel that I went, and he gave me this tip. So, don’t be afraid of bad weather, continue your journey!
4) It is not cheap, so spend wisely
If you think Costa Rica would be cheap because it is Latin America, it is not really true. Of course, what’s expensive or not could be subjective, but as someone who lives in Southern Europe, I felt it was quite pricy. One meal in a normal restaurant would cost 15USD easily. Supermarket prices for food are similar to most of countries in Southern Europe. Medicines in pharmacies are very highly priced.
The worst is accommodations. If you are staying in a hostel, you can pay around 10-20USD for one shared bed, but It is in quite bad conditions and cockroaches might be included. If you want a room for yourself or to share between your friends, you can get one small room with around 25USD minimum but still not in the best condition. Once I took a room at around 43USD and they did not have hot water. Really decent hotels that is clean, no problem of water and no insects will be expected at the price range of 60USD at least. Also, during the weekend a lot of local people travel so if you don’t book accommodations in advance, prices go up a lot.
5) Go to a “Soda” for cheap, local food
As mentioned already, restaurants are not cheap in Costa Rica. Unless you have a big budget to cover all your 3 times-a-day meal in restaurants or you cook, the best way to save money is to go to a “Soda”. In streets, if you pay attention you will see many signs of Sodas. Usually, it is old and not fancy looking, which you would love if you prefer to have more of a local experience.
Among all the food that you will see in the menu, I highly recommend traditional Costa Rican food “Casado(link my Instagram photo)”. You can choose the type of meat that you’d like, and it will come with rice, beans, fried bananas and salads (and sometimes daily fresh juice is included!), for a price of 3 to 5 dollars minimum. It is served on a big plate which for sure will make your belly well satisfied.
6) You can drink tap water – it’s clean and safe
Another good news for us foreigners and backpackers – we can stay healthy and save some money by ordering tap water. It’s safe to drink and actually very good quality.
7) Take warm and long sleeve clothes
No, Costa Rica is not hot all the time. It could get chilly during the night, especially if you are in the mountains. I took 2 hoodies, 2 pairs of long and thin pants and foldable down jacket from UNIQLO(add monetizing link)which saved my life in various unexpected occasions. Plus, you will have less mosquito bites (more on this later).
8) It is fairly safe, but still be careful
Costa Rica is pretty safe compare to other Latin American countries. Of course, this does not mean you can walk around in the street with your latest iPhone or Smartphone out all the time. As long as you pay attention to your belongings, they won’t rob you. Also, most of the time I had all my bags and IDs in the trunk of my car, parked it in the street, and there were no break-ins. Just be careful at night when you walk around alone, as you would do in most other countries, but you don’t have to be too scared.
9) Day starts and ends early in Costa Rica, so be an early bird
Costa Ricans are early birds. Hospital appointment starts from 6am. Breakfast is usually from 7 to 9am. By 6pm everything will start to close down and by 10pm it is close to impossible to find an open restaurant. Make sure to start your day early!
10) A LOT of mosquitos – be ready!
Creams, sprays, or whatever that will protect you from mosquitos at night is essential. After a few nights of suffering and sleeping badly, I went to a supermarket and bought a cream to keep them away from me. Well, it smells horrible, but at least mosquitos won’t come near you and you will sleep like a baby. Please, protect yourself!
Hope you find these 10 tips helpful for traveling in Costa Rica! Enjoy and “Pura Vida” Mae 😉
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