travel tips for costa rica

view of arenal volcano in la fortuna from our resort

a few months ago i enjoyed a week of relaxation and adventure with one of my closest girlfriends in la fortuna and san jose, costa rica. it was my first big trip outside of asia, and i had the BEST TIME! costa rica is an absolutely beautiful country, with lush, green natural beauty; warm, welcoming people; vibrant culture; comforting food; and so many options for fun and relaxation. the tourism industry is well-established and competitive, and you can therefore plan a very budget-friendly trip.

my trip expenses included:
-roundtrip airfare thru spirit airlines
-roundtrip shuttle service from san jose to la fortuna (~3-4 hours each way) thru the costa rica shuttle bus
-5 nights at a resort, the volcano lodge & springs
-1 night at in&basic hostel lounge
-several adventure tours: ziplining, horseback riding, white water rafting, arenal volcano hike, nature safari boat tour, and hot springs with desafio and wave expeditions
-taxis, meals, tips, souvenirs
-items bought specifically for my trip (which included insect repellant, sunscreen, chaco sports sandals, poncho, snacks, etc.)

...all for just under $1,500 USD. pretty awesome if you ask me!

i thought i would share some random tips about traveling in costa rica that i found to be particularly helpful. this is by no means a guide to trip planning, as there are already so many informative websites just a google search away. please also keep in mind the specifics of my trip, which might make some of my suggestions inapplicable to you:

-6 nights/7 days during the last week of august
-rainy season
-travel limited to la fortuna and san jose

gallo pinto, a typical tico plate

lush green on our resort

spotting wildlife on our nature safari boat tour

tips and tricks
- as a general rule of thumb, if you're in a store and notice that prices are shown only in dollars (without a colones equivalent) or not marked at all, be wary. these places are usually targeting tourists and therefore overpriced, or the employee will make a price up on the spot.

- if you are looking to stock up on coffee and chocolate as gifts, check out supermarkets or convenience stores. i found the prices there to be cheaper than purchasing at gift/souvenir shops, and the brands/packaging were almost always the same.

- there is a $29 exit tax that must be paid if you depart costa rica via airport. i would suggest paying by cash, as if you pay by credit card it is often charged as a cash advance, which can result in a fee of around $10. plan ahead by bringing and setting aside $29 worth of clean, unmarked bills to use at the end of your trip.

- in addition to the often-used discount travel websites, check groupon getaways and livingsocial escapes for deals on places to stay and tours. that is how my friend and i found our resort, which was really nice- and we saved 59%! make sure to read the fine print as well as the cancellation policy.

- exchange a minimal amount of dollars into colones. i exchanged about $30 for a 6 night, 7 day trip and was scrambling to spend it all by the end, especially because you will almost always receive change back in colones, even when you purchase with dollars. i was able to use dollars to pay for everything, including taxis, food at sodas, tip, souvenirs, EVERYTHING- in both la fortuna and san jose.

- cargo pants are great for adventure tours. they are lightweight, dry quickly, have zippered pockets to store small items (camera, room keys, cash) plus drawstrings at the ankles (helpful in preventing easy access for mosquitoes). you should look for a few pairs that tick off all these boxes. i found them to be a much better alternative to jeans, which are basically the opposite- heavy, hot, impossible to get completely air dry in the damp costa rican weather, and no zippers.

a big bag of rambutan bought for $1-2 at a roadside
fruitstand. they never taste this sweet in chicago!

- eat fruit! the year-round tropical climate results in a nutrient-rich soil that grows juicy, deliciously sweet fruit, including pineapple, guava, watermelon, papaya, mango and more!

- helpful odds and ends to pack: wristwatch with alarm, small umbrella, waterproof camera case, plastic grocery bags, ziploc bags, extra sheets and camp towel if you plan on staying at a hostel.

- tipping is up to you. it is not part of tico culture to tip, but most individuals employed by the tourism industry are familiar with tipping and of course appreciate it.

•  you generally do not have to tip for taxi rides
•  many restaurants will already include a 10% "service fee," which is actually a tip
• a $1-2 tip/day for housekeeping is standard
• a $1-2 tip/bag for bellboys is standard
• for the tours we went on, i noticed that none of the europeans tipped, while all tourists from the unites states did. my friend and i tipped our tour guides btwn $5-10 based on the nature of the work they did on the tour (i.e. our whitewater rafting guide really got down and dirty, so i tipped him a little more). the same applied to the driver- if he helped out in some way in addition to driving i tipped more (i.e. for our nature safari boat tour, the driver helped set up all of our equipment in the pouring rain).

although my time in costa rica was brief i fell in love hard, and quickly. i hope to return to visit another region in the future. pura vida!
** coming soon: a review of my experience with spirit airlines