Costa Rica

Daily Budget

€58 budget traveler, €132 backpacker+

Travel time

Dec – Apr. The rainy season starts from May, with a chance of rain.

Weeks

Between 3 and 4 weeks.

Vaccinations

Recommended: DTP, Hepatitis A. Check the website of your goverment for the actual Covid-19 situation.

Plug

Type A and B, you need a world plug.
Visum

Visa

With most passports you do not need a visa, but you do need proof of departure upon entering the country.

General.

Costa Rica, literally means ‘Rich Coast’, is rich in untouched nature and high biodiversity of flora and fauna. From mist and rainforests to vast beaches, and inhabited by many species of animals. The nature lover can enjoy themselves here, because whether you are inside or outside a national park, the chance that you will encounter animals is high. A sloth high in the tree, monkeys over the power lines, iguanas and crabs on the beach or the macaws soaring through the sky: this is Costa Rica.

Itinerary

Costa Rica has several corners, so it is sometimes seen as difficult to draw up an itinerary. However, because of the different points, it also makes less difference how you travel, there are many options. San José is the central hub where many buses run to and from. However, the place where you enter the country also determines how your travel route will look like, because Costa Rica can easily be combined with Panama or Nicaragua. The destinations that are more remote and require more travel time are Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Corcovado National Park and the coastal towns near the border with Nicaragua, such as Tamarindo and Samara. For these destinations you sometimes have to go back and forth via the same road. Yet many destinations can be easily combined with each other, including by public transport. Do you have questions about creating an itinerary in Costa Rica? Please let us know.

Highlights.

La Fortuna, like Monteverde, is located in the rainforest and interior of Costa Rica. The difference is that La Fortuna is lower in elevation and therefore the temperature is also higher than in Monteverde. La Fortuna has a beautiful natural environment with the Arenal volcano as its landmark and highlight. Multiple activities and attractions are […]

One of the most famous national parks in Costa Rica is Manuel Antonio. With the image of being “a zoo,” not everyone likes this park. It is indeed a busy park and not always interesting, but if you go early, walk a different route than the others, and avoid the weekend you can have the […]

Monteverde, surrounded by cloud forest, is higher at about 1300 meters. Regularly covered by clouds and temperatures are generally a bit cooler. Most people stay in Santa Elena, a village entirely devoted to tourism and located in the region of Monteverde. And the fact that it is touristy is also noticeable in the prices. All […]

On the peninsula of Costa Rica, you will find several small towns, but the best known is Santa Teresa and the slightly lesser known Montezuma. Montezuma Montezuma waterfall Montezuma is small in size, not very touristy and has a relaxed character. You will also find free to visit waterfalls in Montezuma and Montezuma has its […]

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca A well-known beach town against the border with Panama is Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. There is also another Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica, so make no mistake. Puerto Viejo has a number of beautiful beaches that are easily accessible by bicycle. Also, Cahuita National Park is 30 minutes away by bus. […]

Uvita Uvita is a larger, sprawling village known for its rugged beach with many palm trees and a stretch of beach that runs into the sea in the shape of a whale’s tail. The beach with adjacent park is part of the Marino Ballena National Park, so named because Uvita has a whale season twice […]

Checklist

Well prepared to travel? Then download our travel checklist (PDF).