🇨🇷 Planning a Trip to Costa Rica: 12 Practical Things To Know

Receiving over 2.5 million tourists in 2024, Costa Rica is Central America’s most popular tourism destination and is known for its lush rainforests, unique wildlife, and outdoor activities. Having spent two weeks in Costa Rica, I share well-researched and firsthand travel tips that are especially useful for first-time visitors.

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📌 Planning

Popular Places l When To Visit l How Long To Visit l Entry Requirements

Popular Places

• La Fortuna – one of Costa Rica’s most popular destinations. The small town is eclipsed by the towering, active Arenal Volcano, has over 15 hot springs, and is a gateway to several thrilling outdoor adventures.

• Monteverde – another town in the Arenal region that’s famous for its several cloud forests, where clouds hang at lower altitudes around the canopy level, giving the forests a mystical atmosphere. Monteverde Cloud Forest is the most famous one.

• Manuel Antonio – a coastal town south of the capital city, San José. It’s primarily known for the Manuel Antonio National Park, which has stunning beaches next to lush rainforests.

• Nicoya Peninsula Beach Towns – Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula is home to several well-known beach towns, including Santa Teresa, Sámara, Nosara, and Puerto Viejo. They each offer different vibes (e.g., Nosara is known for surfing and wellness, Puerto Viejo is known for its party scene).

• National Parks – Costa Rica has remote parks with incredible biodiversity. Tortuguero National Park is called “Land of the Turtles” and is best known for its sea turtle nesting. National Geographic called Corcovado National Park “the most biologically intense place on earth”.

I visited all the places above except for the national parks, which are more difficult to get to. Here are my honest opinions:

• La Fortuna – La Fortuna is a great town for visitors new to Central America. It’s the gateway to many outdoor activities that are quintessential to Costa Rica (e.g., whitewater rafting, horseback riding, ziplining). I spent a week here and loved looking at the imposing Arenal Volcano every day.
• Monteverde – I’ve seen several cloud forests, but I think it’s worth briefly going to Monteverde to see theirs because of how mystical it feels (they also have one of the best ziplines I’ve ever ridden). It was too cold for how I wanted to spend my vacation, so I was happy with only spending two days there.
• Manuel Antonio – I found Manuel Antonio a bit too touristy and crowded, but I can’t deny that the beaches were genuinely stunning.
• Nosara – Nosara is a quiet, beautiful place and I loved its daily vivid sunsets. I think I would have loved it even more had I been into surfing when I visited (I surf now, but not when I visited). I met several expats and digital nomads who spent weeks and months in the Nicoya Peninsula.

My Costa Rica trip planner has firsthand tips for each destination.

When To Visit

• Dry/Summer season (December-April) – a more popular time to visit. The weather is warm and sunny, and there’s less rain. Temperatures vary between areas, but it is generally a great time to enjoy the beaches.

• Rainy/Winter season (May-November) – a better time to visit if you want fewer crowds, lower costs, and can tolerate the frequent rainfalls in the evenings.

I visited Costa Rica in March and enjoyed warm, sunny days in every place I visited. I was able to go the beach and enjoy outdoor activities every day without having to check the weather. The only exception was Monteverde, which is persistently colder and rainy due to its higher altitude and location on a mountain range.

How Long To Visit

• 5 days – enough time to visit 1-2 destinations (e.g., La Fortuna and Montervede but it will feel compressed)
• 1 week – enough time to visit 2 destinations (e.g., La Fortuna and Monterverde in the Arenal region)
• 10 days – enough time to visit 3 of the top destinations (e.g., can do the Arenal region and the Nicoya Peninsula)
• 2 weeks – enough time to visit 4 of the top destinations (e.g., all of the above plus one more place)

I spent 2 weeks in Costa Rica: 7 in La Fortuna, 2 in Montervede, 3 in Nosara, and 2 in Manuel Antonio. I recommend:

• If you’re not on a budget – Spend two weeks in Costa Rica because it really has a lot to offer and it’s relatively comfortable for Central America.
• If you’re on a tight budget – Spend closer to one week because you can find many similar things (e.g., volcanoes, ziplining, wildlife) in other, more affordable parts of Central America.

Check out my 10-day Costa Rica itinerary that you can shorten and lengthen.

Entry Requirements

• not required for US citizens visiting Costa Rica for up to 180 days.
• US visitors do not have to pay a tourist fee. 

Entering Costa Rica was straightforward for me as a US citizen. Note that some airlines may require you to have a return flight before allowing you to check-in.

💰 Logistics

Money l Getting Around

Money

• Many tourist places accept credit cards, but not all. Costa Rica’s economy heavily relies on cash transactions, so bring cash.
• Costa Rican colón and USD are both widely accepted, but you may not get the best exchange if you use the latter.

For detailed tips on money, see my Costa Rica budget breakdown.

Getting Around

• Costa Rica has two main international airports: Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San José and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Liberia.
• For long distances, the main ways to get around are by domestic flights, pre-arranged shuttles, car rental, and public bus (the budget option). For short distances, Uber (only in tourist places), taxis, and tour transports are available.

Official taxis in Costa Rica are red cars with a yellow triangle on the side.

I mostly traveled around Costa Rica by pre-arranged private and shared shuttles, taxis, and Uber. I took one domestic flight, but in retrospect, I wished I had done more flights and less shuttles because the transportation time can really add up. I considered renting a car since I was covering large distances, but decided against it because the roads aren’t great and cell signal isn’t guaranteed while approaching certain touristy areas.

💊 Safety

Health l Crime

Health

• generally safe to drink in most developed districts, but many accommodations, tours, and restaurants will provide bottled water regardless.
• disease-carrying mosquitoes are prevalent, so bring bug repellent (I use this repellent lotion).

I didn’t have any health-related issues in Costa Rica and recommend taking some precautions:

• Tap water – I drank tap water in most places with no issues. I also brought my reusable water bottle to refill at restaurants and my hotel, but if you have a sensitive stomach or aren’t used to drinking tap water outside your country, consider drinking bottled water.
• Mosquitoes – I’m a mosquito magnet, so I got bites everywhere I visited with the exception of Monterverde. My accommodation in Manuel Antonio was right next to the national park, and that’s where I encountered the most aggressive mosquitoes.

Crime

• Costa Rica is generally considered a safe place to visit for tourists as long as you stick to well-known areas.
  • The country has a travel advisory level of 2 per the US government.
  • It’s ranked #58 out of 163 safest countries by the Global Peace Index (for reference, the US is ranked #132).
• Some typical scams to watch out for include overpriced/unlicensed tours (book with a reputable platform like Viator, which is what I use), currency exchange scam (check your change), and distraction scam (stay vigilant).

Costa Rica is known to have one of the best tourism infrastructures in Central America and is generally considered a safe destination to visit. That said, there have been reported cases of attempted tourist robbery (even at gunpoint) in less well-known areas, so stay vigilant at all times.

🌍 Culture

Language l Food l What To Wear

Language

• Spanish
• not widely spoken (only about 10% of locals speak it)

Given that tourism is Costa Rica’s #1 industry, you’ll have no trouble navigating the country with just English as long as you’re visiting tourist areas. I speak conversational Spanish and found that it wasn’t necessary to get around. Knowing a little bit of Spanish primarily helps with establishing friendlier interactions with locals.

Food

• gallo pinto (rice and beans, often served with eggs, tortillas, and sour cream)
• casado (hearty plate with rice, beans, plantains, salad, and a protein, usually chicken, beef, fish, or pork)

I ate a ton of casado when I was in Costa Rica, and highly recommend it. They’re not only cheap and delicious, but I also thought they were generally well-balanced. I also highly recommend eating a ton of fruit (ask a local what’s in season) in Costa Rica. It was one of my favorite places to drink guanabana (soursop) juice.

What To Wear

• What to wear – Costa Rica has a tropical climate. It’s almost always warm or hot year-round, so pack lightweight summer clothes. If you’re visiting during the wet season, wear quick-dry clothing. Don’t forget a swimsuit if you plan to visit a beach or waterfall, which the country has plenty of.
• How locals dress – They typically dress casually and in non-fancy clothes. Many wear jeans, a jacket, and a T-shirt, even in the heat.

I mostly wore summer clothes (e.g., shorts, swimsuits, and rompers) in Costa Rica and only had to wear long pants and a rain jacket when I was in Monteverde.

A comprehensive packing list is included in my Costa Rica trip planner.

💡 Miscellaneous Tips

Other practical observations I made during my trip:

• “Pura vida” concept – One of the most common phrases you’ll hear in Costa Rica is “pura vida,” which translates to “pure life.” It’s a way of life for Costa Ricans and the phrase is used to mean many things, usually to express optimism and appreciation.
• Roads are not great – Despite Costa Rica being one of the wealthier countries in Central America, they’re notoriously known for bad public roads. Unless you plan to take domestic flights, do not underestimate the many hours you have to budget to get from one region to another in Costa Rica. Google Maps time estimates are rarely accurate from my experience.
• Entrance fee is common – Unlike many other countries in Central America, expect to pay for most things in Costa Rica. The country has invested a lot in tourism, which means that many national parks, beaches, and attractions have an entrance fee.

Costa Rica Trip Planner 2025

Download my trip planner to make your travel preparation effortless. It features up-to-date travel information and a well-researched itinerary informed by firsthand experience. Each section is customizable so it can be as lightweight or as hyper-organized as you like.

My trip planners are built on Notion, which I use for all my planning. I genuinely love this tool and creating an account is free.