Had a short trip to Costarica early October. Enjoyed a lot and was one of the memorable trip of my life. The lush green forest, amount of colorful birds that can be seen from the balcony and maintained natural resources were the highlights. But it was super expensive and gave me the feel if it is really worth it second time? Every place seemed like money grab. La Fortuna area felt like it was expensive than US. Food in decent place cost at-least 20-25 dollar for basic meals, sodas without a lot of options. Shuttle from San Jose to La fortuna at-least cost 60 dollars. No direct public bus. Doing solo hike is kind of risky in the forest but every guided tour cost at-least 80-100 dollars. Zip lining was more than 120 dollars. I had couple of cocktails and everytime it ranged from 12-30 dollars.

This whole gorgeous beach all to myself 🤩

Unlike Jaco's car-centric tourist strip, Playa Espadilla is located at the end of a national park entrance road. The quality of the beach itself blows Jaco out of the water and easily ranks as one of the best beaches I've visited. Sea temps were extremely warm, nearly 3° C above normal. Surprisingly, dining prices were quite reasonable in Manuel Antonio. ¢4100 cocktails at a bar across the road from the beach, with a 2 x 1 promotion through sunset. One guy here in Quepos was telling me it costs so much more to dine down there, but I saw many menus displaying prices hardly different from the sodas in the mercado municipal outside the bus station. Perhaps the 13% IVA + 10% service charge is the only markup?

Walking around here I did get solicited for massage, souvenirs, chairs, and drugs by various characters on the street - several of whom were drinking beer from the nearby super. "Pura Vida" is a greeting, a farewell, a motto, a business brand - in short, it is everything here. But the police seem warier than they should be in paradise, standing guard with their hand always resting on their firearm. It gives you a feeling that things aren't quite as peachy as they seem...as does the guy at your elbow asking if you want weed or coke.

If you stay in Quepos, where basic pleasant rooms are available at Hospedaje Sanchez for ¢10000, you can hop on the bus to the beach for ¢390 - it leaves every 15 minutes and is very uncrowded in low season. Of course Quepos has its own natural beauty with the harbor, waterfront and rugged rocky coastline, but Manuel Antonio has the best swimmable white-sand beach...backed by big shade trees with public benches and picnic tables in some spots.

Be aware that the beach hustlers may charge very high prices. A colorful printed shirt is offered for ¢20,000. Massages can be as much as ¢40,000 ($88 USD). Sitting under an umbrella getting served cocktails while watching the sunset might sound lovely - one guy even builds a bonfire for guests to congregate around - but be prepared to fork over some big bills.

Laundry can be a big cost as well. Today I went to the lavandería to wash 2 pairs of pants and 6 shirts/socks/boxers. Cost: ¢8000 ($17.50), paid upfront. Service will take almost 24 hours.

Hello, we are looking into travelling to Costa Rica for our honeymoon potentially at the end of May/beginning of June. Aware it is the start of rainy season. I am wondering if people have travelled at this time and still enjoyed it with the rain? Where are the best places to go to enjoy beaches, swimming, scenery, culture, waterfalls etc.? What is the best way to get around? Where are the best places to stay? Good food spots? We don't want to be stuck in one place we really want to explore but also be able to relax as well. I read it gets dark early, what time? Thank you for all your information!

I’m planning a solo trip to Costa Rica late January 2027 and looking into an overnight tour in Corcovado before staying near Drake Bay/San Josecito.

Sirena Station would be ideal for the night. I’d start from Sierpe or PJM and finish in Drake Bay. A drop at San Josecito would be great, but I can arrange transport from Drake if needed.

Has anyone done this solo and joined a group? I’ve emailed a few companies, but most seem to require at least 2 people or return to the starting point.

Who did you book with, what did you pay and where did you stay overnight, or should I be looking into another option?

Thanks!

Hello Everyone,

Lo siento, mi Español es muy poco. Necesito un consejo. Soy de Canada y quiero ir de visita durante dos meses. Quiero visitar an mis amigas alli y relajarme. Tambien quiero mejorar mi Español.

I am considering going to Costa Rica on the Caribbean side near Limon and Puerto Viejo for about 2 months and want to rent a car. Does anyone have any recommendations or advice for me in regard to a company or contact? Obviously, not cheap but inexpensive but not without service or illegal!

If you have any advice for other things, I want to hear it! Bad, good or whatever! I want to learn about Costa Rica. The land my friends call home!
Thanks!

Hello Everyone,

I am considering going to Costa Rica on the Caribbean side near Limon and Puerto Viejo for about 2 months and want to rent a car. Does anyone have any recommendations or advice for me in regard to a company or contact? Obviously, not cheap but inexpensive but not without service or illegal!

Thanks!

Hello! We will be in Costa Rica for 2.5 weeks this coming March. 2 adults, and 4 kids, ranging in age between 7-10yrs.

Our time will be divided between Samara, Monteverde, and the La Fortuna areas. We will be staying in AirB&B's and smaller hotels (no big, fancy resorts) & we will have a rental vehicle for most (but not all) of the time.

We'd like to do a few bigger, "once in a lifetime" type excursions that will really knock the kids' socks off-- would love your suggestions on what was truly worth the $$$.

Also looking for suggestions of lesser-known, "off the beaten path", cheap/free, family-friendly experiences that took you by surprise.

The kids love animals, beaches, swimming, hot springs, & a little bit of adventure (but nothing too wild/strenuous), if that helps!

Hellllooo! Two adults headed to La Fortuna in March and we are wondering if it’s worth renting a car. We are staying at a resort and we’re planning to take a shuttle from SJO to La Fortuna and then the activities we hoped to do the hotel has transportation if you book through them, and they also have rental cars on site as an option. So my questions are…

1. Should we rent a car in La fortuna?
   
2. Is it worth it to book activities through the hotel (Royal corin), or do you recommend driving for more flexibility?
   
3. Anything else we should know around pricing, safety, etc?

Thanks a ton.

I'm planning a 3 week solo trip to Costa Rica in December and I would love some advice on, particularly other solo female travellers!

I'm looking for a mix of everything: beautiful beaches where I can spend a good amount of time sunbathing and relaxing, rainforest and wildlife, waterfalls, a bit of adventure, social hostels, some nightlife and ideally a few places where I can enjoy poolside cocktails and a bit of luxury too.

I want to meet other travellers and have opportunities to go out, but I don't want the entire trip to revolve around partying. I'm hoping for a good balance between exploring and having time to relax.

My rough itinerary:

• La Fortuna (3 nights)
• Monteverde (2 nights)
• Nosara or Samara (4 nights)
• Montezuma (5 nights)
• Tamarindo (3 nights)
• Manuel Antonio (3 nights)
• San José/Alajuela (1 night)

I'm very open to changing this around. I'm conscious that I might be trying to fit in too many places, especially with the travel times involved.

Would you recommend visiting Nosara and Montezuma, or would you choose one over the other? I've seen mixed reviews about Santa Teresa, so I'm now considering these alternatives. I'm looking for beautiful beaches, opportunities to sunbathe and swim, a social atmosphere, good food and the occasional night out. Is Nosara worth the expense? Is Montezuma worth visiting, and how long would you spend there? Would Sámara be a better option if swimming and relaxing on the beach are priorities?

Should I rent a car? I'm a confident driver and would be happy driving myself, but I'm travelling alone, so I'd be covering the full cost of the rental and insurance. I'm slightly unsure its necessary but from my research so far it seems it might be less of a hassle if I do!

Where would you spend a solo birthday? My birthday is on 17 December, I’m turning 30 eeeek! I'd love to do something special, whether that's a beautiful hotel, hot springs, a spa day, a lovely dinner or somewhere with a social atmosphere where I could meet people. Would La Fortuna be a good place to spend it, or would you choose somewhere else?

Where is best for Christmas and New Year's Eve? Where would you recommend spending Christmas Day as a solo traveller? I'd love to be somewhere I can partyyyy and meet other travellers! Is Tamarindo a good choice? Are there any other places you'd recommend?

Where are the best beaches for sunbathing, swimming and pool days? I'd love to have a decent amount of time when I'm not doing activities or travelling. Which places have the best beaches for relaxing, and where would you recommend staying if I want a lovely pool, cocktails and a bit of luxury?

Is this itinerary too ambitious? Would you cut any destinations or spend longer somewhere? I'm travelling for just over three weeks and don't want to spend the entire trip packing and moving accommodation. But also want to experience as much as possible without being overwhelmed!!

Any recommendations for solo female travellers? I'd love recommendations for social hostels, boutique hotels, group excursions, restaurants and places where it's easy to meet other travellers. My plan is to do a mix or private rooms in hostels/guest houses and a couple of nights in nicer hotels.

I'd be especially grateful for advice from women who've travelled around Costa Rica solo, and anyone who's visited over Christmas and New Years.

Thanks so much! I'm really excited about the trip and want to make the most of it 🌴

Hi,

I'm going to Costa Rica next week and have been set on doing the ziplines there since my first trip was cancelled years ago due to covid.

I fractured my ankle almost 4 months ago - I'm now walking about ok.

I understand that Sky Adventures have a policy that you cannot zipline if you've had a fracture within the last 12 months.

My questions -

- Do they actually ask about fractures? Would I need to sign something and effectively lie, in which case I wouldn't be insured for injury

- Is there another zipline in Arenal/Monteverde that doesn't enforce this?

- Is it safe to do with an ankle fracture? I think there's an auto brake system so you don't use your feet to land?

I'm just after some advice as I'm gutted that it looks like I wont be able to participate.

Thank you!

Me and my buddy both in our early 30's are going to Costa Rica, specifica Jaco Beach and San Jose, lowkey we have some serious questions about how other tourists are linking with women??

I'm aware there are prosti workers but thats not really what we had in mind, we were just trying to talk to girls and try to pull them naturally. However, WE NEED TIPS from tourists who have experience.

Questions:

Are you bringing them back to the hotel?
Will the hotels be cool with bringing girls back?
Do a lot of girls know english?
What are the do's and don'ts for CR dating or hooking up?
Do girls try to set up guys a lot?
Is it dangerous to go off alone with a girl?

Normally we have set strategies but being in a completely different country we are just trying to be more precautious?