Costa Rica Travel Tips

There is never a bad time of year to visit Costa Rica. Some areas are better during certain times of the year but at any time of year there are areas where you can find incredible weather. Costa Rica has 2 distinct seasons with many different micro climates. The 2 main seasons are a dry season which runs from around the end of December until the end of April, and a wet or “GREEN” season the remaining months. Having said that, the weather in Costa Rica is very complex, micro climates abound so the question is a difficult one to answer.

On the mid Pacific on up through Nicoya and Guanacaste, the best months are the end of November through August. Rains starts in the beginning of May but the only bad months for rain are September and October. The further north you go the drier the weather gets, the further south you go the wetter it gets. Our Favorite Time for this area: Beginning of December through January, mid April through August.

The Caribbean side gets a lot more rain than many other parts of the country and has a much smaller dry season. In September and October when most of the country is getting the most rain, the Caribbean side of Costa Rica is having their dry season. 2 months of incredible weather on some of our best beaches.

During the green season, it rains mostly in the late afternoon and evening and should not interfere with your trip. In fact, many activities you might enjoy such as white water rafting, waterfall canyoneering, and turtle nesting are best in the Green or rainy season.

Another tough question but we feel 8 days / 7 nights is the ideal MINIMUM amount of time to visit 2 locations. This allows you to visit each area without feeling rushed. Travel planning is about finding balance, the amount of time you spend in each location coupled with the number of locations is imperative to get right. A trip that is out of balance will feel rushed, or you may get bored if you are in a specific area for too long.  We recommend the following:

2 Locations = 8 days / 7 nights

3 Locations = 9 days / 8 nights

3 - 4 Locations = 12 days / 11 nights or more

You get the idea 🙂

This really depends on the areas you are visiting. Some areas such as the Caribbean coast go into their dry season while the worst of the rains fall in September and October.  Some of the best months of the year to visit are green season months. May - August are this writer/planner's favorite time of year here.

There is NO bad time to come, there are always areas getting wet and areas that are dry throughout the year. The weather here is complex, take what you read online cautiously, according to most online weather sources it rains here 365 days a year and this is quite inaccurate.

This is such a tough question, with over 300 beaches there is a beach for everyone. If you are looking for a surfing beach, we have many great surf breaks in areas such as Jaco, Hermosa, Mal Pais, and some famous ones such as Witches Rick and Ollies Point. If you are looking for beauty areas such as Playa Conchal, Playa Pan de Azucar, & Manuel Antonio are a few that may take your breath away. Our beaches come in just about every color, from black sands to white we have something for everyone.

There are different nesting sites around the country with different seasons. The most popular area for turtle nesting is the Tortuguero area on our Caribbean coast. The nesting season here runs from July 1 - October.

Another popular area and my favorite is on the Pacific side in Ostional. Here we have the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle and a true miracle of nature in the form of something called an "Arribada". This means "The Arrival" in English and it is a time of mass nesting that takes place in only a few places around the world. These happen around the darkest nights, around a new moon, and are more frequent in the green/rainy season. If you are lucky, you may witness thousands of turtles coming to shore to nest on the same beaches they were born on.

An Arribada can be a life changing experience for some which is why this is on our short list of "EPIC ADD-ON'S"

Different whales migrate up the Pacific Coast but the Humpbacks tend to start moving around June or July. With changing weather around the world the seasons are starting to blur and we are actually seeing more movement in whale species and migratory routes starting earlier in the year. Areas that are best for whale watching are Dominical down into the Corcovado area and Cano Island although whales can be spotted up and down the entire Guanacaste coastline.

Yes, yes, yes & YES! We love it when our clients want to get involved, we love it so much we have an entire section dedicated to what we call our "Volunteer Adventures". On a volunteer adventure you spend some time volunteering and some time having an adventure of a lifetime.

Like all of our trips these are customized specifically for you. Depending on the time you have we will try and pair you with the right volunteer experience.

There are surfing areas in every corner of the country. Some areas stand out, Jaco is known for having very consistent surf year round, Hermosa Beach right up the road has some of the strongest and largest breaks in the country. This is a good area in general, having both beaches side by side gives an avid surfer plenty of options.

Other areas such as Pavones in the southern zone, Mal Pais in  Nocoya, Playa Grande in Guanacaste and famous breaks such as Ollies Point and Witches Rock all await the would be surfer.

If you are just starting out and are interested in lessons let your travel planner know, there is also PLENTY of surfing for those who are going out for their very first time.

Yes, Costa Rica has a large number of fruits and vegetables that travelers may or may not be familiar. We can incorporate culinary experiences into trips that focus on vegetarian cuisine and will give our picks for restaurants in each area you visit.  Let your travel planner know of any dietary requirements while you are planning your trip together.

Banks located here in Costa Rica are going to give you the best exchange rates. As a general rule we recommend paying for items marked in Colones with Colones and items marked in USD in dollars. The reason is there are no laws dictating that any given shop or store honor the days bank exchange rate so you will not always get the best exchange. Most items on your trip will be in Colones.

You can use credit cards while you are here, there are ATM's available in most areas and USD are accepted in small denominations of $20 or less. There can be no defects on the bills such as tears or writing or they may not accept it. You can also exchange larger denominations in banks while you are here.

Travel Tip: If you have a private transfer on arrival we can arrange for the driver to exchange money with you at the days bank rate (USD only). This will save you time and you get your trip started with Colones in your pocket. Let your personal travel planner know that you want to include this free service.

Most areas do have ATM access but the more remote your trip is the more you will need to plan ahead. Some areas like Tortuguero or the Corcovado area may not have a working ATM so you may need to bring money into the area with you. The more popular beach towns and areas such as Arenal have many options, most of the country has access but check with your travel planner about your current route and they can help advise you for your specific trip.

Most places accept Visa and Mastercard. Other options such as Amex or Discover you will find is more difficult. If you have an option, make sure the credit card you bring does not have any transaction fees for using outside your home country. Capital One is a good travel card, no fees.

This really depends on your personal travel style. If you do not want to drive and are not worried so much about the budget, private transfers are by FAR the best way to get around. Our drivers make the trip fun! You make stops at points of interest during the trip, the driver is not just a chauffeur but a guide to Costa Rica and will make the time fly by. We have some of the best drivers in Costa Rica. With private transfers we can set the timing as you like instead of having to stick to a specific schedule.

If you are on more of a budget shared shuttle might be the best way to go for you. These work great but there are limitations. First, they run on a fixed schedule. This may or may not work with your trip plan so the logistics need to be worked out with your travel planner. Another problem with shared shuttle is that they do not go everywhere. They work well for most of the more popular routes but if your trip goes off the beaten path you might be out of luck for this option. This will be for you to work out with your travel planner, they will know how best for you to accomplish you

Another option and if the budget allows are flights within the country. We can use small planes to get you from place to place if you do not want to spend too much time on the road or if an area is very remote. This is an expensive option in many cases but it can be a great way to save time.

Yes, you can use official taxis, these are RED in color with a bright yellow triangle on the side. Taxis operate by meter here so the driver should put the meter on when you enter the taxi.

There are also PIRATE taxis that operate in most areas. These tend to be a little less expensive but the vehicles themselves leave a lot to be desired in many cases. These come in every shape and size and are more of a gamble, we advise you stick to using official RED taxis on your trip.

Available yes, legal not really. Use UBER with caution, there is a lot of animosity between regular taxi drivers and Uber drivers right now and this does not seem to be something that is going to get any better any time soon.

Driving can be a great way to see more and do more while you are here in Costa Rica. Driving vs. Private Transfers does not typically save you money, when you factor in gas prices here (very high) the rental car will many times come out to be more expensive.

Driving at night is a NO-NO. We do not recommend driving any long distances at night. If you are in Arenal and want to head into La Fortuna for dinner, no problem, this is a short distance. But we strongly recommend NOT driving at night for any long distance travel. Poorly lit roads, a lack of road signs, no sidewalks or shoulders and pedestrians and animals in the road, the dangers are real and this is why only professional drivers should move long distances at night.

The history of tipping here is a short one, something that has happened over the last 20 years or so. It is not something found in the culture, but foreigners introduced it and it caught on as you might guess it would. Costa Ricans to this day basically never tip, and nobody on the trip will have their hand out, only ever tip if you think the service deserves the tip.

• Red Taxis - don't tip - use official taxis. They are bright red in color with a yellow triangle. taxis are expensive enough.
• Private Drivers - You can tip $5-10 but only if you enjoyed the drive. Every driver should earn that tip with making the trip interesting.
• Maids - I tip $2 a day
• Restaurants - There is a 13% government tax and an additional 10% service charge applied to all food bills by law here. The 10% is supposed to go to the server but this is not always the case. I leave $2-3 when I eat out but you should only do this of the food or service deserves.
• Guides - I usually tip $10-20 if a guide impresses me. I ask questions a lot on tours, I think the guides ability to answer questions set them apart, instead of guides that phone it in and follow a script. We only use guides who have impressed us 🙂

Yes, most areas and hotels will have free WiFi available to you. In some cases, with remote areas, internet might only be available through a hard-line connection.