Costa Rica
The information below is provided by Lonely Planet readers and is not verified by Lonely Planet. For the official lowdown, contact your nearest embassy or check out our Travel Links.
Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings
Please advise travellers to pay their exit tax at the airport and NOT at a bank in town. There seems to be a scam going on at the Banco de Costa Rica.
Name Withheld, (Apr 05)
Travel Tips
A lot of the Tican owned land are being bought by foreign investors who, sadly enough, do not give back to the community. While tourism is the leading industry, I would continue to encourage folks to support ecosupportive establishments (true ones) and to support Tican owned facilities.
Learn Spanish. Seriously. If you want to truly and thoroughly learn and enjoy the culture of the country who is hosting you, if you truly want to see the vibrant diversity of the people, learn Spanish.
Elsie Lee, USA (Mar 06)
My family and I recently travelled to Costa Rica and decided to use the ATM machines as our source for cash. However, we found that several ATM machines wouldn't take some of our cards and we had to borrow from others in our party. This happened in Flamingo at the bank as well as Cabano. I wish that I would have taken more cash. My girlfriend and I also had our purses stolen in Montezuma and found it very difficult to make calls with a calling card. All of the public telephones required a swipe phone card and the only other telephone required a credit card or collect calls only.
Nicole Henley, USA (Aug 05)
You can't flush any toilet paper in Costa Rica, and many places don't change your trash for you, or provide extra bags. Travellers should be advised to bring some plastic bags of their own just in case, because it can make for a really gross situation. Especially in the Costa Rican heat.
Cassandra Hoover , USA (Jun 05)
Stay away from the "Calls to US/Canada" phones!! They are a rip off. I was charged $140 for a 10 minute call to the US. Definitely use a phone card and find out the access phone online before leaving the United States.
Gregory Mogilevsky, USA (Jun 05)
I think that wildlife-seekers might have a better shot staying away from traditional places like Monteverde, etc as those places are just getting touristed out. If we were to go again, we'd probably stick with the most off-the-beaten-track places we could find...
Finally, a stupid traveller moment: we both used one of the "credit card" phones that are everywhere in guest houses/hotels that specify international calls. A 2-minute call was $40. You may want to mention, if you didn't already, that these are a bit of a scam. My fault for not checking the rates first, but $20/minute is a little ridiculous.
Anonymous (Jan 04)
You should note that in smaller towns it is hard to break a 10,000 colones bill (no one has change). You've mentioned that VISA-Plus ATM cards are the easiest to use, but I would emphasize this further. It is almost impossible to find an ATM that accepts MC/Cirrus. Many banks have ATMs that do not charge fees except for the 1% imposed by VISA so using ATMs is the easiest and best way to get cash while abroad. I would also suggest bringing a VISA credit card because it seemed to me that about 30% of places accepting VISA did not accept Mastercard (especially in Monteverde, La Fortuna, and Dominical). Finally, your book seems to imply that many things can be paid for in US dollars, but really it is much easier to use colones. Many taxis, buses, grocery stores, restaurants only accepted colones, particularly in less-touristy destinations (including San Jose).
I would recommend only using taxis with a number in a yellow triangle on the side of the taxi (issued by the government) AND a light on top. Some corrupt taxi drivers will take foreigners to their destination via a very indirect route to increase the mileage and the fare. I knew this was being done since I lived in San Jose for a few weeks (and some taxi drivers will falsely claim they are new to the job and didn't know the best route).
Manuel Antonio National Park: The park run refreshment stand on Playa Manuel Antonio has been closed. I think this is because the monkeys were becoming too aggressive and stealing food from visitors (or visitors were feeding them). So bring your own food & drinks for the day.
Bryan Huang, USA (Mar 03)
Montezuma on the Peninsula de Nicoya is a cool place and the horse back riding on the beach is really good fun, however some cheap companies have sprung up that work the horses to death (literally). Don't let them. Don't book trips during the midday heat, its only a 2 hour trip up the beach to the waterfall and back so leaving at 3 pm will still get you back well before dark.
It is well worth hiring a 4x4 and driving up to Guanacaste National Park (dry season only) but take a very good vehicle since it is a bad road through the park and you are a long way from help should something go wrong. There is sometimes a warden stationed at the campground at Playa Naranjo but don't count on it. Take your own hammock and definitely a mosquito net. A friend of mine picked up 200 mosquito bites in 1 night there!!! Also keep all food in the car, as the racoons are very clever and very unafraid of humans. I watched as a racoon climbed a tree, dragged the surfboard bag down, got the zip undone and got in to the bags of food we had hidden in there. Also avoid the salt-water crocs that hang out in the waves by the estuary when surfing. Check there are adequate tools to change a tire when hiring 4x4s from the hire place in Cobano, we didn't and paid the price.
Nick Fisher (Jan 03)
One general comment is about ATMs. Though there are a lot of ATMs in different places, it is very hard to find ATMs you can use with Cirrus or Maestro cards (in La Fortuna, about the most touristy place in CR, none of the four ATMs work with Cirrus or Maestro!). We only found "non-Visa" ATM's in San Jose, Liberia, Limon and Ciudad Neilly. Hopefully and probably this will change soon. We did not expect Visa-only ATM's and it caused us a lot of out of money problems.
Marcel en Mara ten Cate, The Netherlands (Jan 03)
I just came back from 2 weeks in Costa Rica. In the guidebook it mentions there are ample ATMs available to get money. On the Penninsula de Nicoya, only in Taramindo did I find an ATM/bank. However, I couldn't use my ATM card here because they only accept Costa Rican credit and debit cards. So, I had to wait 6 hours in the bank to get money from my account in NY, using my debit card. Then, in Fortuna, I found a different bank and tried my debit card there. No luck either, because this bank only accepted ATMs that were a Visa and/or a "Plus" card. This presented quite a problem. Though they do accept and change American dollars almost anywhere, its a problem if you don't have any dollars to change in the first place. So my advice would be to bring enough cash with you before getting to Costa Rica and/or be sure you have a Visa/Plus card. Otherwise, finding and getting money will be very difficult. Epecially when most places charge you 10% extra to use your credit card anywhere!
Kate Dunnells, USA (Dec 02)
Approx. three times a year the main road between Limon and Puerto Viego cannot be used due to heavy rainfall. Many people will have to leave their house because of the floods. The road will usually be closed for up to four days. An alernative route will take you to Puerto Viego but you'll need a 4x4 car and some guts. The alternative route is interesting. It will take across small railroad bridges, gravel roads with really big potholes (bigger than the common Costa Rica potholes).
Jacques Zimmerman, The Netherlands (Dec 02)
As we tried to climb Volcán Tenorio I found out that I was asthmatic, which came as a very bad surprise half way up. I don't know the medical term, but it happens that people get asthma when they're doing somthing exhausting while walking up in heights, which was the case with me. A nasty surprise with no asthma medicine, we had to stop every 10 steps after a while, just for me to try and open my airways. Why someone didn't tell me this before I don't know, especially when I have a relative with strong asthmatic problems. Very not fun. Might be worth thinking of if you haven't done anything like this before..
Ekatherine Lagovardos, Sweden (Nov 02)
Moving About
Just a reminder to everyone to ensure before the gas person pumps gas to your rented car that it has been reset to zero. Also to note that you have been quoted the correct amount before paying. Do not leave the gas pump before paying. I decided to go to the bathroom. I should have known better but I couldn't hold it any longer. The gas person told me an amount different than what was on the pump and since i wasnt there to watch i couldnt argue with him, as a result he overcharged me. This was my first time putting gas in the car so I couldn't well estimate how much the car consumes. However, after my second pump, I had a better idea.
Keith Charabaruk, Canada (Jan 06)
Tempisque ferry: There are signs on both sides of the river in a distance of 300m to the tollbooth. If one cannot drive at least up to this sign, the detour via Liberia is faster by car. We met people at the end of the queue about 1km before the tollbooth. We met the same people in Nosara days later, and they told us they had to wait for about 6 (six!) hours until they eventually boarded the ferry. We made the detour via Liberia, which took only about 2 hours. Nosara residents even told us, if you can't see the ferry from the end of the queue then make the detour... The new bridge is still under construction but shall be opened to the public in March or April 2002.
Stefan Hegnauer, Switzerland (Jan 02)
Scams & Warnings
When we were in Matapalo in Costa Rica in January 2005 a huge 60 year old man drowned in the sea. When we asked our host how often things like that happened, he told us that there are about 40 deaths every year. He himself tried to save 20 people, but for 5 people it was too late. There is no safe swimming in Matapalo and the riptide is really strong.
Susanne Giegerich, Germany (Mar 05)
I think my message is very important for all travellers who go to Costa Rica. The boat trip from Tortuguero to Puerto Limón is booked by tourists every day. I think it's very important to warn travellers in the new edition of the LP and ASAP at the website. They should look at the weather themselves before they step into the boat and then decide to go or not and don't blindly trust a captain who says there's no risk...
Me and my boyfriend Frank had the accident on 29.11.2003. We were on our way from Tortuguero to Puerto Limón by a small flat-bottom-boat. There were 6 tourists and one captain. The night before it had rained and stormed very bad. The morning we stepped into the boat it seemed okay, just a bit cloudy. There were a lot of wood and parts of trees in the water, but we thought maybe that was normal. We went through the Tortuguero canal. At an opening to sea (Barra de Matina), the captain brought the boat dangerously near the sea. We were hit by a few waves and the boat was immediately in trouble. It started to sink and me and Frank jumped overboard - we had no life vests, because we were not given any. We thought we'd swim to shore, but that was a mistake. We were dragged by the strong current to sea. In the waves, I lost sight of Frank and the waves kept pushing me under water, I thought that I was going to drown. Somehow I got hold of a big part of a tree and I could lean on it. And the waves had pushed me to the beach. I alarmed next boat that came along and we looked to the sea, but Frank was gone and the boat was gone, we saw nothing.
Frank was found dead two days later. And he was such an excellent swimmer and diver for years. He was in perfect shape and strong, but this sea can and will kill anybody. Another girl is still missing, but there is no hope she's alive (I did not know her). The other tourists were rescued from sea about 5 hours after the accident, as was the captain.
Later I heard that the weather conditions were so bad from the storm that the captain should never have got us in that boat that day. The two openings to sea in that route are dangerous places in that weather (high water in the canal, due to a lot of rain the last few days). We had no clue that the conditions were bad that day, but if we'd known that this is the case after a lot of rain, we might have made the decision not to go or at least wear a vest which probably would have saved Frank and the other girl's life. I think it's very important that travellers know this. I hope this sort of thing never ever happens again, and maybe the warning in the Lonely Planet will help some people in the future.
Viola van Wonderen (Jan 04)
Ahh, Costa Rica, what a beautiful place! It's just a shame San José has become such a hotbed of thievery aimed at backpackers. A few months ago, while staying in San José for about 2 weeks, I heard many stories about thieves snatching backpacks, muggings, and violent assaults. But I figured I had nothing to worry about. I felt comfortable and safe in San José, and I had walked all over the city - in day and night - with no problems whatsoever. Anyway, I was walking back to my hostel from the grocery store - about a 15-minute walk from the hostel - and I had bags of groceries and an umbrella, because it was raining. I had grown a little cocky, because I had been on the road for a while, so I was wearing my metal watch. I got jumped by three kids, aged 20ish, one grabbed my right arm, the other grabbed my left arm; a third clutched my throat. They got the watch. I struggled, and resisted, and I landed a few punches, then one of the punks pulled a pistol on me. They were attempting to pull down my pants - looking for a hidden wallet, no doubt. They ended up just walking away with the only thing I was missing being my watch. The reason I am writing is to warn backpackers in San José that many thieves are abound. Many neighbourhoods are not safe, but it's fine if you use common sense, which I did not. Don't wear shiny jewellery, and walk with at least one other person, maybe two. Oh yeah, my robbery took place in daylight, 3 o'clock, on an empty street, two blocks from the hostel. Hey y'all, watch your back, and your pack in San José, but still have fun - there are some great times to be had in the city.
Paul Mantia, USA (Jan 04)
Hotels: When looking for a hotel room ask the desk personal you want to view the room you'll be staying in. If they don't comply, go to your next choice of hotel. I had the misadventure of viewing their showroom quarters and getting something awful. Make sure that the Hotel is accessible 24 hours - I was locked out after leaving for an early breakfast because the desk guy decided to leave himself.
Jakke St. Clair, USA (Dec 03)
When we arrived at San Jose airport there are a lot of smartly dressed men with official badges, departure tax receipt pads etc. Most of them are genuine but the one we paid was not and when we got to check in they could tell his stamps were not correct(otherwise they looked the same). They did not charge us again but could have. They seemed to know the culprit but do not do anything to stop him. It is best to pay inside the airport building.
Caroline Evans, UK (May 03)
Coca-Cola Terminal in San Jose: There is a long row of benches people sit on waiting for the buses. Look for persons standing across you, facing you and watching from left to right all the time.They wait for the moment you take your eyes off your bag and signal the snatchers to come and grab it. The ones I saw were smartly dressed, not distinguishable as locals by clothing.
Another scheme I noticed: I asked a traveller about where to buy the tickets. Shortly after another couple asked him the same question. Thieves noticed this and soon he was approached by a local who was asking for some sort of undefinable information. While he tried to help, he lost eye contact with his bag and gone it was. All took less than 30 sec.
Be careful when approached by locals for whatever reasons, never take your eyes off your bags for a second and preferrably stand against the wall to avoid someone sneaking up behind your back. I heard numerous stories of theft from other travellers - threat of theft is VERY real.
Jacek Zielinski, Finland (Apr 03)
Of great importance is that people should be aware they must be very careful when walking in Costa Rica. On the third day of my trip there I was hit by a jeep whilst taking a stroll from Santa Elena town to the Monteverde Rainforest. This is a walk that is recommended in the guide book - it says there is some good wildlife spotting to be had. But as my boyfriend and I were making our way up there a jeep came round the corner at high speed and totally lost control and swerved vigourously from one side of the road to another. There was no grip on his tyres and in the end he smashed straight into me. I was lucky because my knee was broken, my head was cut open, and I was covered in bruises - but I was alive! But I would like future tourists to know that the roads are often bad, the cars are often not in the best condition, and walkers should have their wits about them. It was a Costa Rican driver who hit me - and basically after hitting me he abandoned his jeep which had now turned on one side, and made a run for it. The local police were not prepared to trace him even though they had his car number plates. They said we had to go to Puntaranus (3 hours away) if we wanted to lodge a complaint. And although Santa Elena is a tiny place and there is no hospital there, I was very impressed with the medical attention I received at the Red Cross centre. We had to go to the police to get an escort to the centre. The centre was closed but they opened it up for me. And then they went off to find a doctor who could look after my wounds. I received further medical attention in the Clinica Biblica in San Jose which was also very good. Much better service than in the UK!
Joanna Woolf, UK (Jan 03)
The trip was safe except in San Jose near Coca-Cola terminal near our hotel. The first day of arrival, we walked outside at 9 am on calle 2 and my boyfriend was carrying a small backpack on his back. The street was tiny and crowded and a man bumped in his back , opened the bag and stole sunglasses and binoculars in about 1/3 secs! In the book, your advices against pickpockets in the area are pretty clear and you should continue to do so. I suggest people not going out with a small backpack but carrying it on front and keep valuables in a money belt or at the hotel. I met 2 different Canadian people that were robbed in this area too. A woman came from the bank and her wallet was robbed from her pocket without her noticing! A man was waiting a taxi with his sister and niece, while their three luggages were near them on the ground. A man ran and took one piece of luggage which contained his passport. Another French Canadian told me he forgot his wallet in a public phone, came back 5 minutes later and it was gone...
Vanessa Gérard-Lemieux and Marc Tétreau, Canada (Jan 03)
I got mugged at the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge (south of Manzanillo [Talamanca]) by three armed men who threatened to kill me if I wouldn't co-operate. One of them had a gun pointed to my head, the other two had knives. It happened just south of the Punta Manzanillo. They forced me into the jungle and after about one hour of walking, arguing and sitting they took my money, personal belongings and clothes. I don't want to get into details about that particular hour; to me they were horrifying. After a while they left me alone (my hands strung together) and after another 45 minutes waiting I ran on bare feet and in my underpants in the direction of the sea.
In Manzanillo the news of the mugging came as a very big shock. I went to the police in Puerto Viejo. I have had a wonderful time in Costa Rica; the country is very beautiful and friendly. I want travellers to know that at this time the Gandoca-refuge isn't a safe place to be.
I am astonished that such a thing can happen there. I sincerely hope that it doesn't give Costa Rica the same bad name as some other countries in the area have. Costa Rica does not deserve that, because as I've already said, Costa Rica is a very friendly and - despite the mishap at Manzanillo - a very safe country.
Jasper Groos, The Netherlands (Jan 03)
A word of caution, do not wear any jewellry that is in any manner flashy. I met several people (4 people over the course of two weeks) who had jewelry taken off of their bodies while they were walking the streets (gold necklaces, silver watches and gold earings). Be cautious. Many people I met reported some kind of theft or attempt while they were in the city (San Jose and some beaches along the Nicoya Penninsula, such as Playa del Coco and Montezuma), despite using caution in travel times and within groups. I had a pair of gloves taken from me while I was in the bathroom stall!
Jenny Berzai, USA (Dec 02)
When climbing and hiking the Chirripó, less experienced hikers should keep in mind that the last, very steep, 150 meters of the climb require the use of your hands. Remember that going up is fairly easy, but going down is much more difficult, especially when looking down into emptiness. Also something to consider is the descent. If it takes you more than 10 hours to get up to the hostel, you might do well to not walk to the top and descend to San Gerardo on the same day. Remember that it is dark at 5.30pm, or earlier when walking in the forest. My partner and I went with a couple that was so slow they had to descend the last 2 hours in the dark on a very slippery path because of the fog and the rain (not unusual there). Luckily we had given them one of our flashlights before we decided to each go down in our own pace. We ourselves had to walk in the dark for about half an hour (no fun) before we could get help.
Nicole van Beeck, (Jan 02)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
Ostional is a great place. Guides take you to the turtles for little money (just go to the meeting point) and if you've been in town for a day or two and they know you, you can go alone, too. Sitting on the beach among hundreds of turtles under a starlight sky is an incredible experience.
Christine Cooper, Switzerland (Dec 03)
Rincon de la Vieja National Park: All round, this was our favourite national park because it is more accessible than Corcovado and not nearly so humid. We saw lots of monkeys again (howler, spider, and capuchin). Also 2 enormous snakes which we think were black-tailed cribos, and a large iguana. We hired a tent from Liberia (overpriced) and camped at Las Pailas for $2 per person per night (you can't get a bed at a ranger's office in the park, although our Lonely Planet guide said that we could). The coatis will tear apart your tent and eat your breakfast, though (the best option seems to be to leave all your stuff in the ranger's office during the day when you are away from your tent, which at least safeguarded all our food even though the coatis still ransacked our tent anyway). We walked to the hot springs which were lovely and which you can bathe in. The waterfalls were also beautiful, but the walk to the Hidden Falls can be atrocious in high wind.
David Lacy (Mar 03)
Santa Rosa National Park If you have a great 4WD or other truck, the drive to the campsite at Playa Naranjo is definitely worth it. We hiked in, which takes about 2-3 hours depending on your pace. Remember that since you're walking downhill most of the way, the way back is all up! It would also be impossible with surfboards (ours went down in a truck) or if you were planning on going for more than a few days, as there is no fresh drinking water at the campsite and you have to bring your own in. There is, however, an amazing beach with an outdoor shower and sink (though with brackish water) and outhouses. Witch's Rock is about a 30 minute walk down the beach (or through a wooded trail) from the campsite if you really want to see it from a close proximity. Be wary though, because the estuary to be found right by the rock is the feeding ground for crocodiles during tide changes.
Despite all this, Playa Naranjo was my favourite place in Costa Rica. It was absolutely beautiful, and the overwhelming amount of wildlife to be seen was more than I expected. Numerous species of lizards, geckos, iguanas, birds, butterflies, snakes, and even scorpions live right near (or IN) the campsite. It MUST be noted that food, coolers etc. should be very secure at night because raccoons will definitely try to rip them apart. We found that a very effective thing to do was to actually put the picnic tables on TOP of our coolers, resting the benches on them to keep them securely closed. Another important thing to remember is that if out on the beach at night, sea turtles do come up to nest. So please don't use flashlights out there, as it will disturb them when they're coming up to dig the hole. Last note: bring loads of insect repellent!
Jocelyn Roper, Canada (Nov 02)
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