31 Costa Rica Travel Tips to Know Before You Go Visual Story

Introduction This list of Costa Rica travel tips will make your time in Costa Rica top-notch... See all Travel Tips

Learn some key Spanish phrases before you go

TRAVEL TIP 1 While many Costa Ricans understand and speak English, Spanish is still their national language. Learning... See all Travel Tips

Use USD as it's widely accepted

TRAVEL TIP 2 One of the best tips for traveling in Costa Rica is that you can use... See all Travel Tips

Pack baby wipes

TRAVEL TIP 3 Baby wipes are magical, even if you don't have a baby. They can be used... See all Travel Tips

Drive defensively if you rent a car

TRAVEL TIP 4 Renting a car is highly recommended; however, there are definitely some things to know before... See all Travel Tips

Book accommodations prior to arrival

TRAVEL TIP 5 Even if you don't know everything you want to do while visiting Costa Rica, it's... wollertz/Depositphotos.com See all Travel Tips

Get recommendations from people at places you stay

TRAVEL TIP 6 Strike up conversations with everyone! Maybe it's someone you meet who is working or a... See all Travel Tips

Always keep personal and valuable items locked up

TRAVEL TIP 7 Despite its high safety rating, petty theft is rampant in Costa Rica. However, that can... See all Travel Tips

It's easy to plan activities as it's dark by 6 pm, every day

TRAVEL TIP 8 Because of where Costa Rica sits on the equator, the number of sunlight hours they... See all Travel Tips

Most restaurants include a "service charge" at the bottom of a bill

TRAVEL TIP 9 When you dine out in Costa Rica, you don't always have to include a tip... See all Travel Tips

Costa Rica isn't cheap

TRAVEL TIP 10 Many people tend to think that Costa Rica will be a cheap trip because it's... See all Travel Tips

Eat where the locals eat

TRAVEL TIP 11 If you're a foodie, pay attention to where all the locals go to eat ... See all Travel Tips

Bring reef safe sunscreen

TRAVEL TIP 12 The water around Costa Rica has loads of coral reefs teeming with wildlife. The reefs... See all Travel Tips

Pack a raincoat and "warm" clothes

TRAVEL TIP 13 Although Costa Rica is on the equator and considered tropical, up in the mountains can... See all Travel Tips

Use Waze to get around Costa Rica

TRAVEL TIP 14 When navigating through Costa Rica, Waze is the best app to use. It gives the... See all Travel Tips

Throw your toilet paper in the garbage

TRAVEL TIP 15 Most toilets in Costa Rica will urge you to put toilet paper in the garbage... See all Travel Tips

Tap water is safe to drink

TRAVEL TIP 16 Throughout most of Costa Rica, it's safe to drink water straight from the tap. This... See all Travel Tips

Brink plenty of water

TRAVEL TIP 17 Drink more water than you normally would; being in the heat and sun all day... See all Travel Tips

Pack good hiking shoes

TRAVEL TIP 18 When people first think of Costa Rica, they almost always think of the beaches. However... See all Travel Tips

Power outages are frequent

TRAVEL TIP 19 Similar to other Central American countries, the power outages in Costa Rica happen pretty frequently... See all Travel Tips

Bring a (copy) of your passport everywhere

TRAVEL TIP 20 You will always want to carry ID on you in Costa Rica; officers are allowed... See all Travel Tips

Most places accept credit and debit cards

TRAVEL TIP 21 Many places, including small "sodas," will accept credit and debit cards. However, it is certainly... See all Travel Tips

Bugs are everywhere

TRAVEL TIP 22 There is no getting around it; mosquitoes are everywhere in Costa Rica. There are various... See all Travel Tips

Travel in the off or rainy season

TRAVEL TIP 23 As mentioned before, Costa Rica is not a cheap vacation. However, you can lessen the... See all Travel Tips

Get insurance

TRAVEL TIP 24 Getting any type of insurance when traveling is a good idea, especially in Costa Rica... See all Travel Tips

Public transportation is pretty reliable

TRAVEL TIP 25 Costa Rica has a really good bus system. If you don't want to rent a... See all Travel Tips

If you're flying into San Jose, make sure it's Costa Rica

TRAVEL TIP 26 The two main airports in Costa Rica are Liberia and San Jose. San Jose is... dmitriy-rnd/Depositphotos.com See all Travel Tips

Visit Costa Rica's Blue Zone

TRAVEL TIP 27 Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula is known as a Blue Zone, and there are only 5... See all Travel Tips

Pay for a local guide

TRAVEL TIP 28 Many of us like going on solo adventures and hikes, and while most likely you'll... See all Travel Tips

Try a Casado

TRAVEL TIP 29 A Casado is a quintessential and traditional Costa Rican meal. You can find them in... See all Travel Tips

Bring a bandana or mask

TRAVEL TIP 30 Bring a bandana or mask, and this isn't just due to Covid. Costa Rica has... See all Travel Tips

Respect the locals

TRAVEL TIP 31 The locals in Costa Rica, known as Ticos or Ticas, have a lot of pride... See all Travel Tips

In Summary

Conclusion These are the very best travel tips for Costa Rica. The country is breathtakingly gorgeous... See all Travel Tips

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