A Complete Guide to Costa Rica: The Best Way to Get Around, Currency to Have and More!
A guide to Costa Rica! Before you decide to read further, I’ll just mention that we visited Manuel Antonio, Monteverde and Arenal/La Fortuna. If things on the Pacific coast do not correlate to things on the Caribbean coast, I am sorry 🙂.
Costa Rica was one of the first countries we visited outside of Europe where we rented a car and drove ourselves and we felt a little more underprepared and learned a few things on the go!
Here is a guide to the best time to visit Costa Rica, currency used, what sort of accommodations are best, how to get around Costa Rica (which was a huge learning curve!) and more!
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Best Time to visit Costa Rica
I am a BIG fan of off-season travel. I avoid crowds (or lines) at all costs. However, in Costa Rica, off-season is usually also rainy season.
- Dry Season (high season): Mid-November/December to April
- Wet Season (Off-season): May to Mid-November
So, to me, the best time to visit Costa Rica is right before or after high and dry season (October/beginning of November or end of April/beginning of May). We opted to travel in October which is technically rainy season (but I’ve heard can be nice on the Pacific side!).
Our rainy, off-season experience: recommend! Rainy season in Costa Rica doesn’t mean a constant, down poor of rain all day long. We only FELT the rainy season in one location: Monteverde where the altitudes are HIGH. Everywhere else, the weather was mild with only light showers here or there and we had minimal lines or crowds at restaurants and during excursions.
Have an itinerary yet??
An Adventurous 8 Day Costa Rica Itinerary!
Spend 8 days seeing wildlife in Manuel Antonio, hiking to waterfalls like Rio Celeste, white water rafting in Arenal, ziplining in Monteverde and more!
Weather in Costa Rica
Warm. Humid. Intermittent rain.
That pretty much sums it up! I mean, the majority of Costa Rica is either rainforest or on the coast. Don’t expect nice hair days. However, the rain is seasonal as it really is anywhere.
- Just because it’s “rainy season” doesn’t mean its going to rain ALL day or even every day. Weather is just an unpredictable variable in the travel formula that you have to be flexible with. Don’t let the rain ruin your parade!
Again, we traveled in what is considered rainy season, but actually had pretty great weather, with sunshine about 75% of the time!
- DO KNOW THOUGH: Rainy season is real in the high altitudes of Monteverde. Rain typically starts around 11am-1pm and does NOT stop until the next morning (at least for us). We were still able to go go zip-lining, however, it was nearly pouring rain on us the WHOLE time😅.
- If you are wanting to travel during rainy season, I recommend just stopping in Monteverde to zip-line and move on. The rain DID keep us from being able to do a night tour in the Monteverde jungle. We felt like we wasted almost two whole afternoons due to the weather (it POURED in the afternoons in Monteverde).
Currency Used in Costa Rica
The national currency of Costa Rica is the colón or colones.
Though USD is accepted in a LOT of places, I always like to have local currency (it feels more polite) and you will need to have some cash for tolls and smaller business.
In restaurants and many stores credit cards are usually accepted as well, so you won’t need a LOT of cash while you are in Costa Rica.
Accommodations
There’s no MUST-BOOK type of accommodation in Costa Rica. There is an abundance of VRBOs/AirBNBs and hotels throughout Costa Rica. I recommend simply comparing prices and fees of each to see what the cheaper route is.
For us, it varied depending on location. We had mostly hotels (because that is what I prefer), but in Monteverde found a VRBO because hotels were more scarce/more expensive.
For more information and tips on booking accommodations, click here!
I will say, accommodations aren’t as cheap as I was anticipating. So, it would benefit you to book them sooner rather than later to save money!!
Transportation: How to Get Around Costa RIca
Buses are available in Costa Rica. However, the routes are limited and, thus, you may be limited on what you can see.
We met a solo traveller while zip-ling who had been utilizing buses thus far. However, he said that his options were becoming limited and he was having a hard time doing and seeing what he wanted, and, thus, would likely be renting a car soon!
So, I feel renting a car is the superior form of transportation. However, be aware:
- Minimal street lights. Driving in the dark wasn’t awful along the coast. However, in Monteverde the roads are curvy and if you add rain and darkness, driving can be a feat!
- Be prepared for toll booths that are cash only. Colones or USD accepted and cost around $1 per toll.
- *We took $40 in cash for tolls, tips, etc*
- GET 4-WHEEL DRIVE. We requested it, but didn’t actually get it. We also got STUCK in our VRBO driveway in Monteverde 🙃
Renting a Car in Costa Rica
A guide to Costa Rica isn’t complete without discussing the rental car situation. Renting a car is the best way to see Costa Rica.
HOWEVER. I will warn you that renting a car in Costa Rica is like nothing we had ever experienced so far. When booking the car, the total was about $53 for the week online (Expedia maybe). Obviously we felt like something was up, but we didn’t know what it was until we went to go pick the car up.
Insurance:
Long story short, the “price of the car” was about $53 for the week but they wanted to charge us $635 USD for the car insurance when we went to go pick up the rental car. I still don’t have a great grasp on the concept of insurance in Costa Rica. A few things of importance:
- There is a liability insurance (SLI) required by the government when renting a car
- The rental companies will push HARD for you to purchase their HIGHLY priced full-coverage insurance as well
- If you have a travel credit card, there is a good chance it covers your rental
- CHECK YOUR CREDIT CARD!
- (Some CC’s don’t cover cars in Latin America, so again, CHECK)
- The rental agency wanted us to purchase CDW (not required by law) which covers theft or damage to the car
- Then, they let us know that insurance wouldn’t cover bodily damage (if we ran over someone) so we would need additional coverage for that
Honestly, it was a LOT to take in and, like I said, I still don’t have a good grasp on the insurance even with research.
Where to Rent a Car!
Many of the rental companies look likek they are super affordable, but when you go to pick up your car, you will be charged a boat load for insurance.
To get a TOTAL, upfront price and to know exactly what you will be paying, I recommend booking through Adobe Rental Car!
Guide to Costa Rica Food: What to Expect!
The fooood. Best plantains, hands down, were bought by our shuttle driver when stopped in traffic on our way from the airport to the rental office. They were AMAZING and I wish I had some right now.
My other favorite food came about by accident.
While coming back to our AirBNB in the pouring rain after zip-lining we got stuck in our muddy driveway (hence the recommendation of a 4WD!). Luckily our AirBNB host was an ANGEL. She came to the rescue with an ATV and SUV and pulled us out of the driveway.
AND, since we were then stuck in our AirBNB for the night, she offered for her dad (who used to own a restaurant) to cook us dinner AND bring it over. It was the BEST meal we had the entire trip. We had a traditional Costa Rican meal with rice, shrimp, salad and plantains. It was the sweetest gesture and best food. Pura Vida, Costa Rica!
This guide to Costa Rica doesn’t dive very far into food recommendations. I’m not really a foodie, so my food recommendations don’t usually get too involved 🙃 But I was pleasantly surprised by the food and found something I liked everywhere we went.
Is it safe to Visit Costa Rica?
I mean, make good decisions and you’ll be good! We traveled in a group of 3 women with no problems at all. Our trip involved renting a car, driving miles and miles, hiking, adventuring, walking around La Fortuna and we never felt unsafe and had zero things stolen.
Doesn’t mean it can’t/ won’t happen, but we give Costa Rica the CHECK for safety!
Your Complete Guide to Costa Rica Recap
I LOVED Costa Rica. I loved the lush scenery, wildlife, the adventure, the hot springs soaking, the VOLCANO. Costa Rica has so much to offer. I highly suggest renting a car so you can see more of the country!
Enjoy your trip! Click here for a full itinerary to Costa Rica!
