What to Know Before Going to Costa Rica
So You’re Going to Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a phenomenal country with so much to offer. From the jungle to the beach to the mountains, it should be on your bucket list. But before you go, there are some things you should know. Luckily, I figured most of them out so you don’t have to!
You can’t flush toilet paper in Costa Rica. Their septic systems cannot handle it so don’t do it. Instead, just throw it in the garbage can next to the toilet
Rainy season is from May to November with the worst of it being September-November. This is still a great time to travel to Costa Rica as it usually only rains for an hour a day before opening up to a lovely blue sky
Pura Vida is a lifestyle and Costa Rican’s live it. They aren’t in much of a rush, they are all so kind and they just want to live a simple life
To piggyback off that, they say Pura Vida often as a greeting or goodbye and you should say it back, they will love you for it
Costa Rican’s really appreciate when you even attempt to speak Spanish to them. Majority of them know some English, but giving forth an effort to speak the native language means a lot
Nothing really opens early so don’t expect coffee on the road unless you stop at a Soda - we learned this the hard way
A Soda is a traditional Costa Rican restaurant
A “typical” Costa Rican meal usually consists of rice, beans, some type of meat and plantains and you will see it everywhere
Sloths are not as easy to spot as one may think. You may need a guide to point one out or head to a sanctuary
US Citizens do not require a Visa to travel to Costa Rica
They do accept USD almost everywhere but it’s smart to have Colónes for little things like tolls
Have cash, aside from restaurants, a lot of places only accept cash
Have a currency converter on your phone. I use XE Currency
Tap water is safe to drink
They have Uber, but it’s limited in most areas aside from the city
Tips are generally already added to the bill as a service charge so you don’t usually have to worry about tipping at restaurants unless you have spare change
However, do tip your tour guides
Costa Rica is not as cheap as people think. Most meals we got were comparable to prices in the Midwest
It gets dark early, so get up early to enjoy the most daylight possible. The sun set by 6 pm every day we were there as it does for majority of the year
The police can and will stop you to ask for your passport and driver’s license. Read my blog post on my Costa Rica itinerary to learn more about our experience with the policía
Bring mosquito repellent and a lot of sunscreen, you will need it
You may fall in love with this country! We met numerous people who came to Costa Rica on a trip and just never left. I can’t say it didn’t tempt me as well!