Costa Rica
A trip to Costa Rica does not require the erudite, esoteric experience of a European explorer. Pura Vida, the pure life, as the Ticos say, means something akin to Hakuna Matata and is exemplified in the behaviors of the locals, though perhaps not so much in the hustle and bustle of San Jose.
Infrastructure in Costa Rica is a little different than many of the more developed countries we have visited. Electricity is available in nearly the whole country, and nearly all of that comes from renewable sources. The tap water in most of the country is drinkable, which will be a welcome surprise if you have traveled in other Central and South American countries where this is lamentably not the case. Make sure to ask the locals, though, if you are unsure.
Make sure to have a few things on your to do list, have accommodations and transportation taken care of ahead of time, carry some cash with you, and take your time getting wherever it is you are going. Costa Rica offers both abundant, diverse adventure and a relaxing, quiet enjoyment away from anything and everything.
Our trip to Costa Rica took place in mid April, which is considered to be the end of high tourist season as well as the end of the dry season. Our accommodations were at Lake Arenal Condos on the western tip of Lake Arenal.
Money
The currency of Costa Rica is the Colon (CRC, ₡), which is derived from Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus. Most places, even out in rural areas, will accept credit cards. The US dollar is also accepted but the exchange rate hovers around 500:1 so it’s a little obtuse to do the math and convert currencies when trying to buy something. Most of the time we had no problem but once we did come out on the wrong end of some poor math and after the fact is too late.
Bring singles! You’re going to need single dollar bills or small denomination colones to tip and pay for items like parking or small trinkets. Many of the parking lots, attendants, waiters, café, and other services will appreciate your preparation.
For simplicity just use a card (make sure you use one that does not have foreign transaction fees of course). Or if you want to be more considerate and save someone the transaction fee that is charged with every swipe of a credit card, use cash. If you do want some of that sweet Costa Rican cash, find a bank, currency exchange at the airport, or get change from paying in dollars. We had no issue asking for colones as change or even swapping out a few dollars for coins or bills at a cash register.
While tipping is not necessary for nationals, it is suggested and for tourists it is next to mandatory. Small tips are expected and are a part of the livelihood of the service staff and tourist workers laboring at all of the wonderful attractions and natural sights we enjoy. Show them some love and slip them a couple bucks when appropriate. This is most often the case for cafés, restaurants, parking lot attendants, guides, and drivers.
How to Get Around
Drone footage of Lake Arenal, in Costa Rica
Driving a car in Costa Rica is the way to go. You can always arrange to be transported around by a tourist service but having your own vehicle allows for a lot more flexibility and can save a lot of time in this country where there are no major public transportation arrangements other than local buses and taxis..
There are highways in the country where you can make good time driving but in the mountainous regions, of which there are many, and in San Jose, the going will be slower. Most of our time not on highways was spent driving between 10 and 40 miles per hour due to the elevation changes and winding routes the roads must take, being hindered as they are by the hills and mountains.
Though the existence of the roads is impressive because of how difficult they must have been to create in such a difficult environment, they can be a hassle if you are in a hurry. The solution here is to not be in a hurry! The views are going to be simply majestic a lot of the time and you never know when a tapir or monkey will appear, so enjoy your time driving around.
If you are a person who becomes carsick easily, we suggest being the one to drive. Or elect a smooth, reserved driver to take the wheel. If you’re going off of the main highways, you’re not going to be going fast, so take it easy and enjoy the great scenery off the beaten track.
When you do park, there may be a fee or a park-and-security for a tip system in place. Usually, unless otherwise stated, $2 is the going rate for a parking lot tip. At many places, parking is an additional fee, like at Monteverde Cloud Forest. Many times there are other options though, like parking on the street or a free parking lot near your destination. So be smart about your car placement, but know that money for parking is established and usually not expensive.
Costa Rica has a quirk when renting a car: you have to purchase the insurance. It does not matter if you bought insurance beforehand through your third party provider (Expedia, Trivago, etc.) or if your credit card has rental car insurance as an added benefit. Costa Rican law required insurance to be purchased from the rental car company to cover potential damages. If you drive around the mountains, this does make sense, but it does add between $100-$200 on average to the coat if you haven’t accounted for it in the rental car budget
If you do not like the idea of renting a car, bus (or van) tours are very much a thing and offer scheduled drop offs and pickups from the airport in San Jose to all kinds of destinations, like Monteverde, La Fortuna, and many different beaches.
take a look at https://monteverdetours.com/shuttle-transportation.html, the shuttle will take you from San Jose to Montverde as well as between various Costa Rican beaches and Arenal Volcano. Looking for a full out planned bus tour in La Fortuna? Check out red lava https://www.redlavatouristservicecenter.com/en offering an array of tours at various price points starting at 45 usd
You will almost never need to pay to use a bathroom in Costa Rica. Some places will have better plumbing than others and you may need to discard your paper goods from your trip to the bathroom in the garbage rather than down the toilet.
Where to Go
Lake Arenal
Lake Arenal, the largest body of freshwater in Costa Rica, is centrally located and west of both San Jose and Volcán Arenal. You can see Volcán Arenal even from the western shore of Lake Arenal when it is not obscured by clouds, but that does not happen often.
On the western shore you will find where we stayed, the Lake Arenal Maleku Condos. You will also find a windmill farm as this side of the lake is constantly windy, making it an ideal place to stay in the warmer months as the constant breeze off of the lake makes for lovely, everyday temperatures.
The wind on the west side of the lake allows for some premier windsurfing and kitesurfing, as well as wakeboarding and kayaking. There are not many boats on the water at any given time, which makes it much more picturesque and easier to go out
All around the lake there will be places to stop and admire the dreamlike view of the largest lake in Costa Rica. Much of the land around the lake is forest owned by the state or state owned companies, but there are approaches where you can reach the water like the public park in Nuevo Arenal. The shore isn’t all that impressive up close, the ground being made of red clay and dirt, so beach goers would be better served at the excellent sand beaches on either coast.
La Fortuna
East of the lake lies the town of La Fortuna, the launching point for many adventures. Close to the town you can find many exciting things to do and there are plenty of places to stay if you want to plan your stay around this place, as many do.
The La Fortuna Waterfall, aptly named, is simply necessary to visit. Swimming near the waterfall is allowed and just downstream as well, though directly in the waterfall is prohibited as it could result in dismemberment or drowning. So don’t.
There is an entrance fee and 500 steps on the way to the waterfall, making it a difficult walk for some visitors. The water comes down from a cliff at a height of 246’ and splashes vigorously into a large pool before passing over a rocky bed and mellowing out a short distance away. Come early to avoid crowds, which will accrue greatly even on weekdays.
One thing we suggest bringing are water shoes. Not just to La Fortuna but all around Costa Rica. There are many waterfalls and beaches and while we did not see much litter things are very natural here, so there are rocks, sticks, shells, and all kinds of other obstructions in and out of the water. Water shoes made these issues secondary and our water based excursions much more enjoyable.
Monteverde
The cloud forest in Monteverde is a once in a lifetime excursion. You may be thinking, “What is a cloud forest?” and the answer is very likely exactly what you’re thinking. It’s a forest. In a cloud. Though in this case the forest more closely resembles a jungle and being inside a cloud is an awful lot like being in fog.
Being in a cloud is rather wet, so we suggest that even if the temperature is high the day that you visit, inside the cloud forest will be cooler and much more moist. Bring a rain jacket or be prepared to pay the watery consequences.
No matter how the cloud forest is best described, it is wonderful to enjoy and even more wonderful to be in. The wildlife, though often obscured by both forest and cloud, can be heard all around in a constant cacophony and clatter of animal, mostly avian, ardor.
There is a restaurant, gift shop, coffee shop (Café Colibri), bathrooms, and a small parking area at the entrance to the forest. The website states it costs $5 to park and that may be true of the parking lot a half mile before the entrance, but there is very little parking at the entrance itself. We ended up parking on the side of the road with many other tourists, for free, shortly before the entrance.
The forest itself lends its best self to the quiet observer as much more wildlife is forthcoming when there are fewer interruptions.
The coffee shop is fantastic, serving good food and great coffee. Our espresso was delicious and the mocha we ordered was unlike any other we have ever quaffed. Adjacent to the coffee shop there is a space set aside for the feeding and observing of hummingbirds. There are multiple hanging feeders and there are dozens of hummingbirds flitting around. The setting is surreal as at any time a handful of the little birds can flash past your head, buzzing like giant bumblebees, stopping for an instant to hover, then moving on to feed at the red and white feeders before flashing into the woods. Good luck catching these flying delights in flight with a camera, it’s much harder than you might assume given their numbers.
Don Juan Coffee Tours
If you’re already in the area definitely do the Don Juan Coffee tour. Also available in La Fortuna, it is informative, enlightening, and entertaining. We considered it well worth the amount we paid. The staff were kind and engaging and made an effort to show us tourists a good time.
Our tour was interactive and we learned all about the cultivation and farming of sugar cane, cacao, and coffee beans. The tour guides were all very engaging and the tour was family friendly, moving from station to station through the lifecycle of these crops as a product, and involved hands on activities and tastings
The gift shop at Don Juan’s is very reasonably priced, as gift shops go, and we ended up buying many of our souvenirs and coffee from here.
Even if you do not opt for Don Juan, we suggest a tour of some sort involving coffee, chocolate, and sugar. Costa Rica is well known for having excellent exports of all three and a visit to the country would be incomplete without seeing where they come from and how the final products are made.
Café Y Macadamia
A great restaurant and café overlooking Lake Arenal is Café y Macadamia. The coffee and food are fantastic, it’s not too expensive, and the view is excellent. It does cost $2 to park (give directly to the attendant). They have many items for sale aimed at their tourist clientele but the prices are a little higher than many other gift shops and tourist spots.
The restaurant and café are excellent and have a decent menu with foods both local and worldwide. We came here several times for food and coffee and were very happy every time.
Playa Ocotal
Though the exact number of black sand beaches in the world is hard to pin down, it is certainly in the low double-digits. This excellent and tranquil beach with black sand has tide pools at both ends. It is a family friendly beach and has lots of wildlife, including iguanas, grackles, parakeets and other birds, crabs, fish, and jellyfish. The color of the sand does make it especially hot when the sun shines on it in the heat of the day, which is another great reason to bring water shoes.
This and many other beaches in Costa Rica offer exceedingly clear water and lend themselves very well to snorkeling, scuba diving, and surfing. Even just goggles will add a layer to your experience as tidepools and coral are common. Remember to bring only sun lotion and moisturizers that are safe for coral and other aquatic life; this is a common issue in many popular tourist areas.
Father Roosters is a restaurant right on the beach and serves strong drinks and decent food. The staff were very kind and courteous and spoke, at minimum, Spanish and English. There is a small street that ends at a small parking lot just before the beach. There is a parking attendant and it costs $4 or 4,000 colones to park there.
San Jose
There are many things to do in San Jose but if you’re not into museums or came for the outdoors you won’t be spending much time here. The jade museum and pre-Columbian gold museum as well as the national theater are worth going to if you’re going to be around town. There is no end to the places to eat or get a good coffee, and all of the usual entertainments of a capital city are spread around. Movies, malls, and public parks are all here.
