Costa Rica: Travel Tips and First Impressions

Recently I spent one month travelling around Costa Rica, the beautiful and green Central American country bordered by two oceans. Over this time, I learned many things that may help future travellers prepare for their time in the land of Pura Vida. Read on to learn about my first impressions and Costa Rica travel tips!

Try To Learn Some Spanish

Try to use Spanish when speaking, especially in smaller or less touristy towns. Even if people speak English, it is respectful to first try Spanish. If needed they will switch to English, if they speak it. In smaller towns, many people won’t speak any English, and a broken conversation will be necessary to accomplish what you’re doing. Start using Duolingo a few months before your trip. The travel, food and conversational phrases you pick up will go a long way!

As well as Duolingo, download the Google translate app on your phone. Then, download the Spanish language within the app so you can use it offline. Sometimes a quick check of a word or phrase can help so much. 

We saw many tourists on this trip who didn’t seem to know a lick of Spanish and came off as very rude towards servers. One man was demanding a hamburger with cheese in English instead of attempting Spanish (una hamburguesa con queso, a simple phrase picked up from Duolingo). Don’t be that guy, try your best to learn how to say your favourite foods – this might top the list for the best Costa Rica travel tips!

It’s Not That Cheap

Costa Rica really isn’t that cheap to travel to. If you’re coming from the USA or Canada expecting dirt cheap prices for food, drinks, accommodations and transportation, think again. Costa Rica is the most expensive country in Central America, except perhaps Belize. 

Prices were largely on par with Canada when it came to food, drinks and accommodations. As an example, a pina colada on the beach was $15 USD or $18.67 CDN. A typical casado plate (rice, beans, plantain, salad, meat) and a fruit juice was around $12 USD or $15 CDN. 3 star hotel accommodations with spotty wifi that include breakfast were between $55 to $80 USD or $70 to $100 CDN. 

Uber and the bus are very cheap though, with an Uber ride across a small town coming to $1.75 CDN. You can take three buses to get across the country from La Fortuna to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca for around $14 CDN. 

Talking to local Costa Rican’s, they even said their country was much more expensive compared to neighboring Nicaragua. 

The Meaning of Pura Vida

Pura vida means ‘pure life’ and is a phrase that locals seem to use as an answer to anything. I heard this phrase used in place of thank you, you’re welcome, good bye, and just as an expression of joy. 

One awesome tour guide named Raul explained the true meaning behind the phrase. Costa Rica abolished their military and used the funding to protect their natural environment through national parks and reservations, and to boost education in the country. Pura Vida expresses a gratitude and gentleness held by the country. They don’t have a military working against the people like most other countries. Instead, the people hold the power and show reverence to the intense natural beauty of their environment. 

This explanation made me appreciate the saying of Pura Vida even more. Whether you fall down and get up, say goodbye to a friend or are appreciative of your meal, Pura vida is the way to express that you’re okay, well and peaceful. 

The Local People are Friendly and Helpful

A few times, we were transferring buses and looking lost as we searched for the station with Google maps pulled up on our phones. Local taxi drivers approached us and asked if we wanted a ride. When we declined, they pointed us in the right direction of the station, even if it meant they needed to call over the only person who spoke any English in the vicinity. Rather than try to pressure us to buy their services, they actually went out of their way to help us. 

At a hotel I asked to borrow a plate and knife to cut a mango. A simple ask, and the woman working at reception instantly brought me the items without any question or hesitation. It made me think of how in Canada there are often hoops to jump through to do something simple, such as needing to consult a manager.  

Bus drivers often honk their horns when they pass each other on the road as a friendly gesture. It can be funny when you’re in a ride that passes multiple trucks and shuttles, as the beeps are non-stop!

Be respectful, patient and kind to local people, and they will more than show it back to you.

There Are Tourists, But Less Now Than Ever Before

There are a lot of tourists in Costa Rica, probably due to the lax entry requirements during the pandemic. At time of writing, you may enter the country without a covid test, proof of vaccination nor quarantine. This means there are many people from USA and parts of Europe visiting. That being said, we were told that before the pandemic, there would be about six times the amount of tourists. We went on a hiking tour with 8 other people. The guide told us that the same tour generally would have 30 people! 

Costa Rica caters to tourists in some ways, such as accepting USD as well as Colones for currency, many people knowing how to speak some English and having very accessible tourist destinations and sights. So, one of my travel tips is that although Costa Rica is perhaps Americanized compared to it’s neighbouring countries, now may be a good time to visit in order to experience less crowds.

Local People Are Good Drivers

If you rent a car you will see that the rules of the road in your home country may not apply here. The road is shared with large buses, cars, motorcycles, ATV’s and sometimes horses. There may be potholes, mud or very windy roads. Be alert and cautious when driving.

We took a taxi from Paquera to Santa Elena, a route that would have taken me hours if I had been driving. The road meandered around tight, blind corners and down steep declines. Our driver expertly swerved past cars and slow buses to deliver us safely to our hotel. I was slightly carsick and grateful I wasn’t the one in the drivers seat! Sometimes it’s better to leave things up to the experts.

Pack a Few Specific Items

Travelling to Costa Rica requires a few necessary items, although these may depend on which areas you plan to visit. Stand out items for me were aloe vera gel, a rain jacket and a portable charger. Read my full list of packing must have’s here.

Public Buses are Not Much Different From Private Shuttles

If you choose shuttles instead of buses you will pay much more but won’t notice much difference in comfort.

I travelled around the country primarily by public buses, although I needed to take a few shuttles due to my time frame. I was surprised to find that the shuttles were almost exactly the same as the public buses! Except of course, the shuttles cost upwards of $50 USD while buses were between $2-15 USD. The buses are used by the local people, so you will notice they seat more people than a private shuttle. They run fairly frequently depending on the route, and often were quite empty.

Private or shared shuttles often use a small bus or large van to transport tourists. When we took one, the ride was even more bumpy than if we were on a bigger bus with better clearance. We had to sit right next to other people on the shuttle. The pro towards taking a shuttle is that they usually have air conditioning, but it never would work that well anyways!

If the timing of buses works for you, and you’re looking to save some cash, I definitely recommend buses over the shared shuttles.

Have you travelled to Costa Rica?

I hope these travel tips for Costa Rica help you out as you’re planning on exploring the beautiful country. And if you’ve been to Costa Rica already, what tips would you suggest adding to this list?