Costa Rica is a tiny, but eco-friendly treasure in Central America, full of beautiful scenery, wildlife, warm weather, friendly and welcoming people, a unique culture, and delicious food.
Pura Vida! It’s the unofficial motto of Costa Rica, as I learned from a recent trip. When in Costa Rica, you will hear this greeting from everyone, which basically means ‘Pure Life’. It’s used throughout the day as a greeting or expression, and is meant to describe a way of life. Costa Ricans are simply expressing that life is short, so be grateful for what you have. And Costa Ricans can be both proud and appreciative of what they have.
Costa Rica is an isthmus shaped country in Latin America, surrounded by the Caribbean on one side, and the Pacific Ocean on the other. It borders with Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. This very green and environmentally friendly country is blessed with rain and cloud forests, beautiful tropical beaches with warm water, mountains, volcanoes, hot springs, and an abundance of wildlife.
I recently took a 13-day trip that consisted of time spent in the capital, San Jose, as well as exploring the key tourist areas of Tortuguero, Arenal Volcano, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio National Park, which you can learn about in separate posts. While most tourists fly to San Jose, there are limited sites to see here. Our only time in San Jose included a tour of the central city, where we took a tour of the beautiful National Theater, completed in 1897. The opulent theater was built as a result of the country’s wealth from coffee exportation. Tours of San Jose, including the National Theater, can be purchased through Viator.
How to Tour Costa Rica
Travel to Costa Rica can be done as part of a tour group package or on your own. A benefit of using a tour group is that all transportation, logistics, hotels, entry fees to attractions, and expert tour guides are provided, making your travel easier and less stressful. However, using a tour group means that you are restricted to visiting only the places and attractions as part of a set itinerary.
We used Gate1, a tour company that I have used on several other trips. Gate1 offers a wide variety of air and land tours throughout the world at a very reasonable price. Their tours include international and domestic transportation, varied and interesting itineraries, excellent tour guides, optional excursions and good to excellent lodging and dining. This particular tour was broken into three segments, with tours ranging from seven to 13 days. Those of us who booked the 13-day tour went to San Jose, Tortuguero, Arenal, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio. A 10-day segment skipped Tortuguero, while a seven day segment skipped both Tortuguero and Manuel Antonio.
Our tour manager and guide, Geovani, was excellent, and we enjoyed his laid back ‘Pura Vida’ disposition and great sense of humor. He handled all of the logistics for the three different tour segments, and provided an in-depth overview of the history, wildlife and social aspects of Costa Rica at every site we visited.
Traveling on your own will require using public transportation, or renting a vehicle, such as an SUV. Costa Rica is generally a safe country, so traveling alone is generally fine, as long as you use common sense, such as not flashing valuables. Roads are generally in good condition, and apparently much better than they were even twenty years ago. Some of the rural areas, such as near the Caribbean near Tortuguero still have many unpaved roads. In addition, many of the roads and bridges are narrow. On one of our tour days, we had an interesting experience watching our expert motorcoach operator make various maneuvers, including backing the bus onto a hill in order to make a tight curve onto an adjacent one-lane bridge.
Costa Rica is an Ecological Paradise
Costa Rica was one of the first countries to make an effort to protect its environment, and today it is a world leader in environmentalism. This is evident when traveling throughout the country. Everywhere you go, you’ll see people living in harmony with nature. Unlike many developing countries, Costa Rica is clean and green. The country has made huge and successful efforts to preserve its forests, flora and biodiversity. Around a half million species are known to live in Costa Rica, which represents nearly 5 percent of the estimated species on earth. Nearly a third of the country has been preserved as national park land or wildlife preserves. The country has banned plastic shopping bags and recycling is heavily promoted. Many of the resorts are considered eco-lodges, where sustainable practices result in the least possible impact on the natural environment. All of these efforts have led to the country being a major ecotourism destination for people from around the world.
Entry and Exit Requirements
Entry to Costa Rica is allowed for tourists from all countries, and there are no special requirements related to COVID-19 for residents of most countries. American visitors are required to have a valid passport with one or more blank pages, and a return ticket dated no more than 90 days after arrival. A Visa is not required. The US Department of State keeps the most up to date information on travel to Costa Rica.
The Weather of Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a tropical country that has twelve different ecosystems and varying climate zones due to its varied topography. Because of its proximity to the equator, there is not a real winter season, and temperatures are warm year round. Average temperatures range from the high 70s to low 80s (fahrenheit). There are two seasons, including the dry season and the wet season, and each differs based on the geographic region of the country. In most areas of the country, the dry season lasts from December thru April, and is the most popular time for visitors. The wet season lasts from May thru November. The wet season usually experiences afternoon showers, but the benefit is the lower hotel rates, fewer tourists, and more active wildlife. One example is that the turtle nesting and hatching along the Caribbean occurs April through December. The Caribbean coastal area tends to be wetter and more humid than central valley and the Pacific. More information on the weather can be found here.
The People of Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a small country, with a population of approximately five million people. Most of the population lives in the Central Valley, which includes the metropolitan San Jose area. While Spanish is the official language, many Costa Ricans speak English, especially in tourist areas. Costa Ricans use the term ‘Tico’ or ‘Tica’ to describe themselves. This is due to their linguistic tendency to add the diminutive ‘tico’ to the end of their words.
The country has a multi-cultural population that includes a mixture of European, Amerindian, African and Asian people. In addition, there are eight indigenous groups in Costa Rica that speak their own languages, and represent a little over two percent of the population. Certain areas, such as along the Caribbean, have larger populations of African descent, most of whom came from the Caribbean islands such as Jamaica to work on cacao and banana plantations. There is also a large population (nearly 400,000) of Nicaraguans in Costa Rica, many of them unauthorized migrants, most of whom work in the agricultural and construction sector. More recently, there has been a large establishment of North American and European retirees throughout the country, and especially in the central valley. Our tour guide noted that many live in gated communities, where the roofs are typically made of tile rather than the metal style roofs that locals have.
People in Costa Rica are well educated and peaceful. The government spends a significant portion of its budget toward public education, and the country has no permanent standing army. The country’s constitution was amended in1949 to abolish the military, and the budget has been dedicated to security (police guard forces), education and culture. The people tend to be friendly, well mannered, hospitable, and helpful. They also tend to be quiet, and non-aggressive. It was rare that we ever heard honking vehicles in the streets.
Food and Drink
The food in Costa Rica is somewhat typical of most Latin American countries, and includes chicken, steak, and seafood. Arroz con pollo, or chicken with rice, is a popular and tasty dish. Rice and black beans (gallo pinto) are a staple and served with most meals including breakfast. Delicious sweet plantains are also a common side dish. Other typical dishes include olla de carne (beef stew), and sopa negra (black bean and vegetable soup). One of my favorite dishes that can be found at many restaurants is Casado (meaning ‘married’). It is a large plate that is served with a grilled main item such as chicken, and sides such as rice, beans, coleslaw or salad, and fried plantains.
Fresh fruit, including bananas, pineapple, watermelon, papaya, and cantalope are almost always served at breakfast or for dessert. Fresh fruit juices are also available in most restaurants, and fresh coconut is sold at most markets. Other popular desserts include flan, tres leches (three milks) cake, rice pudding, and fruit filled empanadas.
In Tortuguero, on the Caribbean, we were served a delicious and refreshing local drink called Agua de Sapo (translated as Frog Water). It doesn’t have anything to do with frogs, but the name may be associated with the brownish color of the drink. The ingredients include brown cane sugar, ginger, water and lemon juice.
In most areas of Costa Rica, especially the more populated and urban areas, the tap water is perfectly fine to drink. Bottled water should be used in less touristy rural areas, especially closer to the Caribbean. On our tour, the only area where we were recommended to use bottled water was in the Tortuguero area. Within some national parks, such as Manuel Antonio, plastic disposable bottles are prohibited, so water or beverages should be poured into reusable water bottles.
Money and Tipping
In Costa Rica, both dollars and the local currency, the colón are accepted. Costa Rica is more expensive than other Central American countries, but slightly less expensive than the US. As of May 2023, one US dollar equaled 534.6 colón. The best exchange rates can be found at local banks such as Banco Naciona or Banco de Costa Rica. Local ATM’s can be found throughout the country and many dispense both colónes and dollars. Try to avoid exchanging at the airport, where exchange rates are not as good. Credit cards are accepted at most establishments, and I typically have them charge in colónes rather than dollars to lock in the current rate, and save on the conversion fee.
Before arriving in Costa Rica, make sure to bring single US dollars for incidental items. In general, tips are not expected in Costa Rica, but always appreciated. Restaurants generally include two additional taxes, including a 13% sales tax, and a 10% service tax (or tip). Make sure these are shown on the bill, and if not, then you can pay an additional amount. If they are shown on the bill, and you are provided exceptional service, additional tip amounts are welcome. Tips are also expected for some tourist related activities. Tips are generally provided to bus tour drivers ($5 per day), tour guides ($10 per day), shuttle drivers (10%), baggage attendants and public restroom attendants ($1 for two to three people).
Souvenirs
One of the best souvenirs to bring back from Costa Rica, either for yourself or friends, is coffee. Costa Rican coffee is some of the best in the world, and generally easy to pack. While it can be purchased pretty much anywhere, such as grocery stores and souvenir shops, the best can be purchased directly from a coffee plantation. Most of the coffee plantations export their highest grade quality coffee, but you can purchase it directly at the plantation for around $10 per bag. We purchased coffee from the Café Monteverde plantation. Other good items to buy include hot sauces (such as salsa lizano, a sauce used in many local dishes), organic soaps, wood carved souvenirs (many are brightly painted with intricate designs), jewelry, liquor (such as Cacique Guaro – made of sugar cane), and textiles.
Post written by Steve Sindiong
