Costa Rica Travel
Plan your Costa Rica trip with fewer surprises.
Practical articles on when to go, getting around, money and the national parks, written to correct what most travelers get wrong.
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The questions almost every first-time visitor asks.
Best time to visitDry and rainy season, region by regionWhich airport?San José or Liberia, and why it mattersDo you need cash?When colones beat cardsDriving in Costa RicaRules, fines and what to do after an accidentBeach safetyRip currents and where to swimVisa runs & the 180-day ruleHow long you can stay, and border runs
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Trip PlanningCosta Rica Cafes: Find Local Coffee Shops Worth VisitingCosta Rica grows some of the best coffee on earth, which travelers reasonably assume means any cafe will serve them a great…
Moving & RetiringCosta Rica Visa Runs & the 180-Day RuleYou don't have to wait 90 days between visits, whatever the forums say. How the 180-day rule and border runs really work…
Things to DoCosta Rica Hot Springs: Every Option ComparedNearly every hot spring here is a resort with a gate and a price list. An honest comparison of what you get…
Trip PlanningUber in Costa Rica: Where It Works and Where It Doesn’tUber is neither banned nor normal in Costa Rica. Here's where the app actually works, what happens at the airports, and when…
Trip PlanningCosta Rica Beach Safety: Rip Currents & Where to SwimRip currents kill more visitors than anything else in Costa Rica. How to read one from the sand, which beaches are safe…
Culture & TraditionsWhat Does Pura Vida Actually Mean in Costa Rica?Pure life, sure — but Ticos use it as hello, thanks, no worries and never mind. Where the phrase came from, and…Useful links
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