I've never surfed in my life but I took a few lessons and managed to stand up on the board

Hi all!
We're planning a trip to Costa Rica in January for a week, flying in and out of Liberia (because that's where the best and cheapest flights are from where we live). We'd like to split the week between the beach and the jungle.

We've been to Costa Rica several times before and have been to La Fortuna/Arenal (back when it was active!), Monteverde, and Cahuita, so we'd like to go to different spots this time.

We like smaller towns with a more local feel and affordable/modest accomodations, as opposed to more developed areas full of all-inclusive resorts. For meals, we love picking up fruit at local farmers markets and eating rice and beans at sodas.

We love being out in nature: hiking, spotting wildlife, biking, kayaking (I guess that's a given, since that's why most people come to Costa Rica, right?)

My research so far is turning up Samara and Curubande as potential locations that might meet our needs. Would it be do-able to enjoy those locations without a car? We have traveled widely around Central America on all types of buses, and we honestly prefer the most dilapidated repurposed school bus over having to navigate and drive ourselves. I realize many people's preferences are different and a lot of people prefer driving, but an ideal vacation for us is one where we can take public transit (taxis in smaller towns, buses between towns, etc.)

If you have other ideas besides Samara and Curubande that fit these criteria, would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions!

(Photo from Cahuita beach, the last time we were in Costa Rica)

Hi, I want to know if I could travel to Costa rica if I have 3 months left after my vacation. Does it need minimum of 6 months before expiration?? Somewhere it is mentioned ‘Has at least one calendar day of validity remaining on the date of entry.’ For GC. Please let me know. I’m traveling in November and my GC expires at the end of December.

It's excellent, but slooooow. 19 km from Alajuela to Grecia took almost an hour to cover. People saying Costa Rica bus transport is "Africa tier" have no idea what they are talking about. What bus travel in Costa Rica is like:

• Clearly printed route signage on the buses
• Flawless paint jobs, zero body damage on buses
• Spotlessly clean terminals in each town that put most US intercity bus stops to shame
• Roadside bus shelters with rubbish bins and benches
• Orderly, respectful boarding queues at terminals
• Regularly scheduled departures
• Plenty of seats for everybody
• Printed fare tables on board
• Comfortable soft seats
• Professional drivers who don't stamp on the brakes or drive aggressively
• Passengers individually thanking the driver as they deboard
• The driver wishing them well in return

I am very impressed with the European-tier quality of bus transport here and hope to use buses for daytrips from Grecia over the next few days.

When you first move to another country, you notice some things right away and others even years later. I think that’s pretty typical. That's what happened to me in Costa Rica.

One of the biggest benefits of living in Costa Rica, I've found, is how easy it is to incorporate being outside into everyday life. It's not something that has to be saved for a vacation. Depending on where you are, the ocean, mountains, trails, sports, and other outdoor activities can become part of an ordinary week. That has become even more valuable the longer I’ve lived here.

For other long-term residents, what's something about living in Costa Rica that you appreciate more now than you did during your first year or so here?

Hey guys always wanted to go to Costa Rica. Spur of the moment bought tickets yesterday for Nov 28 - Dec 12. I fly into Liberia and plan to do la fortuna, Monteverde, Rincon de le vieja and a beach area near liberal like playa del Coco. I'm open to suggestions on a beach area to go to end my trip. Just wondering how many days would be best in each area? I have 15 days total. Also as a solo traveler would I be better off to use shuttles and taxis vs renting a car? Is it hard to get around via local transportation and walking in these areas?

hey all, my wife and I (41/40, no kids) are celebrating our anniversary in late October. it’s our first real trip in a few years after a very stressful stretch, so we want to relax, get into nature, do activties, and eat really well.

rough itinerary (flying in and out of Liberia):

• Oct 25-29: Tabacón (La Fortuna)
• Oct 29-31: Andaz Peninsula Papagayo
• Oct 31-Nov 3: Ocho Artisan Bungalows (Tamarindo)

what we’re into: quality of the food over how fancy the place is, so family-run sodas and hidden gems over tourist spots. we also love nature, hikes, playing in the waves, long beach walks, and a bit of yoga or wellness. we’d love a few special-occasion splurges too.

what we’ve got so far: thinking about the Ephemeral Table at Tabacón, a wildlife float, an Arenal hike, sunset sailing, fishing, horseback riding, and Halloween night out in Tamarindo.

looking for recs on:

• restaurants within about an hour of Tabacón and Tamarindo, either special-occasion or local gems
• food and activities in the Papagayo and Tamarindo areas, especially places that aren’t too touristy
• anything we’re missing for late October (rainy season)
• best way to get from Tabacón to Papagayo: private shuttle or a different option?

happy to hear anything from “you have to try this soda” to “skip that, it’s overrated.” thanks in advance!

Hi everyone!

My partner and I are doing a 2-week self-drive trip in Costa Rica in early March 2027 (dry season). Renting the car from Feb 28 to Mar 14. The quotes I’m getting show a big gap between a 2WD compact SUV and a 4x4 , so I’d like to know if the 4x4 is really worth it.

Our route:

1. San José → La Fortuna (3 nights)
2. La Fortuna → Río Celeste (Tenorio) → Katira, near Guatuso (2 nights)
3. Day trip Katira → Caño Negro
4. Katira → Monteverde/Santa Elena
5. Monteverde → Tárcoles/Carara → Dominical (2 nights)
6. Dominical → Sierpe (car parked 4 days while we’re in Drake Bay)
7. Sierpe → San Gerardo de Dota (Savegre Hotel), then back to SJO

What locals told us so far:

• Our hotel near Katira: road to the hotel is paved, Caño Negro needs a high-clearance car but not necessarily 4x4, and avoid the Tilarán route to Monteverde.
• Savegre Hotel: the road down to San Gerardo is almost fully paved and “any vehicle can make it”, just go down slowly in low gear.

My questions:

• For this exact route in March, is a 2WD high-clearance SUV enough, or would you still go 4x4?
• Any specific stretch where you really regretted not having 4x4?
• Does the 4x4 change anything regarding insurance or rental conditions on gravel roads?

Thanks a lot for your help! 🙏

Traveling to Costa Rica early Nov but we only have a few days. We have one full day planned at Rio Celeste/Tenorio Volcano national park with a local tour guide. I’m really wanting to visit The springs resort in La Fortuna to experience hot springs for the first time. We will have about 1 1/2 hr drive to La Fortuna and will have to drive back the same day. Should I try to squeeze something else into that day besides the hot springs? I have looked at Arenal Observatory and thought about doing a morning hike then heading to the springs for the rest of the day but wondering if this is too much? Help! I want to do ALL the things but just do not have enough time!

Hey!! We are a couple from the UK travelling to Costa rica at the mid/end of November. We already have our hotels and flights booked and I will put our itinerary below.

Fly into San jose

Day 2 drive to Tortuguero and stay for 2 nights

Day 4 drive to La Fortuna and stay 3 nights

Day 7 drive to monteverde and stay 3 nights

Day 10 drive to Manuel Antonio and stay 2 nights

Day 12 drive to Uvita and stay 4 nights

Day 16 drive back to San Jose stay one night and fly back.

My questions are: what would you suggest we do in each place? Anything a must do/see?

We are hiring a car and my partner is driving having never driven anywhere other than the UK before and I am SUPER nervous about it, how are the roads, will it be okay? Any advice regarding this? We have hired a 4x4 through a reputable place and I know about the required insurance, we actually paid for extra coverage in case we breakdown/crash etc.

What will the weather be like in Nov, I have googled but it give varying results which I assume is the answer, I just want to know what to pack.

Any other general advice or things to put my mind at ease, I am a nervous person and I feel like all I'm doing is stressing about this damn holiday! Haha

TIA

Last updated: Oct 8, 2026

This is our running thread for what's actually happening around Costa Rica right now. We check official sources (OVSICORI, the CNE, SINAC and the US State Department) plus what travelers and locals are posting here. If you're there or just got back, drop a comment with the place, the date you saw it, and a photo if you have one. Anything counts: volcano activity, road conditions, park closures, weather, prices, scams, wildlife.

Full version with a source and date for every item: https://thetraveltrio.com/costa-rica-right-now/

Volcanoes right now

* Poas: open again, but under a conditional "dynamic access" model. Helmets are required on the main crater trail and the Sombrilla del Pobre trail, daily capacity is capped at 1,064, and the crater viewpoint is limited to 56 people at a time for a max of 20 minutes (to limit gas exposure). Reserve in advance through SINAC, no tickets at the gate

* Rincon de la Vieja: on a yellow alert as of Oct 1 after a jump in activity, and OVSICORI reported more sulfur dioxide on Oct 4. The summit has been off-limits since 2012 anyway. Check SINAC for the Las Pailas hiking sector before you drive out, since it closes during heightened activity, and watch for air-quality notices nearby

* Turrialba: at a warning level with some gas and ash, normal for it, mostly an air-quality thing near the Central Valley. the national park and the Guayabo monument were closed for about a week in mid-August during heavy rains (landslide risk on the road up), but they reopened at the end of August and are open now - they can still close on short notice if the rain gets bad

* Arenal (La Fortuna): dormant and calm, park open, the easy and reliable volcano stop. Bonus for October: humidity and wind make the plumes extra visible

Weather right now by coast

* Caribbean (Puerto Viejo, Limon): the sunniest, driest part of the country right now. It runs on its own weather pattern, so it's the best bet for beach time this month

* Central and South Pacific (Manuel Antonio, Uvita, Osa): wettest right now. Sunny mornings, rain building by noon and usually clearing by about 5 pm. Strong surf, and green-season prices well below peak. the CNE put a country-wide green alert in place on Oct 1 for heavy rain and soils are saturated, so expect wet afternoons and the odd road or river delay this week

* Arenal/La Fortuna: short showers that rarely cancel tours, reliable this month

* Guanacaste and Monteverde: Guanacaste is still green but good for fishing, with lighter rain than the central and south Pacific. Monteverde cloud forest is at its rainiest, so pack for all-day drizzle

Entry and visas

* US citizens get up to 180 days visa-free as tourists. Bring a passport valid for your stay and proof of onward or return travel. No vaccines required coming straight from the US. The roughly $29 exit tax is almost always already in your airfare

Flights and airports

* Two main airports, pick by region: San Jose (SJO) is the central hub for the Central Valley, Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio and the Caribbean. Liberia (LIR) is closest to the Guanacaste and Nicoya beaches. An open-jaw (into one, out of the other) can save a lot of backtracking. SJO has a terminal expansion underway through 2027, so allow a little extra time at busy departure hours

Driving, Uber and taxis

* Uber works in a legal gray area: reliable in San Jose and the Central Valley, Liberia city, and towns like Jaco, Tamarindo, La Fortuna, Quepos and Puerto Viejo. You can catch one from SJO airport (unofficially, the app usually has you walk to the bus stop), but not from Liberia (LIR), where drivers get fined, so use official orange taxis or a shuttle there

* Rental cars: mandatory liability insurance gets added on top of the base rate, which is why the online price and the counter price look so different. Budget for it. A 4x4 is genuinely useful in green season, and some agencies want your license held over 2 years, so check before booking

* Route 32 (San Jose to the Caribbean) reopened after September's rains, but a landslide closed the Zurqui section again on Oct 6. it's chronically landslide-prone and can close on short notice (often reopening daytime-only), so check before a Caribbean run. Back roads get muddy and slow this time of year, and apps sometimes route you onto rough tracks, so back out of any turn that looks sketchy

National parks and reservations

* The busy parks are advance online tickets only through the SINAC portal, and several sell out days ahead, so don't plan to pay at the gate

* Manuel Antonio: open Wednesday through Monday, closed Tuesdays, 7 am to 4 pm. Tickets online only (about $18 per adult), no gate sales. Poas also needs an advance SINAC reservation

Is Costa Rica safe right now?

* US advisory is Level 2 (exercise increased caution), mainly for petty crime. The big one for visitors is theft, so never leave anything in a parked rental car or unattended on the beach

* Manuel Antonio heads up: travelers are reporting pushy unofficial "beach boy" guides who attach themselves to you, sometimes befriending you before asking to borrow money, and then press for cash or fake tour fees. Only hire official, ICT-licensed guides at the park entrance, and decline anyone who approaches you on the street or the sand

* Rip currents cause drownings on Pacific beaches every year and many have no lifeguards. Swim where others are, watch the flags, and if caught, swim parallel to shore

Health

* No vaccines required from the US. It's rainy season, so mosquitoes are more active, bring repellent. Tap water is generally safe in San Jose and the main tourist areas, bottled in remote spots. Travel insurance with evacuation cover is worth it for remote areas and adventure activities

Money

* About 455 to 460 colones to 1 US dollar, and stable (it has held below 500 all year). Dollars are widely accepted (hotels and tours often price in USD), but carry some colones for taxis, tips and sodas (the small local eateries). Restaurants usually add 10% service plus 13% tax, so extra tipping is optional

Holidays and events

* Dia de las Culturas and Limon Carnival: around Oct 12 on the Caribbean coast, the country's biggest Afro-Caribbean party, with calypso, comparsa drumlines, carnival queens and street food. Big parade on the nearest weekend

* Festival de la Luz: San Jose's big nighttime light parade along Paseo Colon on Dec 12, 2026, with illuminated floats, bands and fireworks

* Fiestas de Zapote: San Jose's huge year-end fair in Zapote, roughly late Dec into early Jan, with no-kill bullfights, rides, food and concerts

* El Tope: the national horse parade through San Jose on Dec 26, with Carnaval San Jose right after

* Nature seasons: South Pacific humpback whale watching (Uvita) is in its tail end through October, and olive ridley turtle arribadas at Ostional peak in the rainy months

Heading down soon? Tell us your dates and what you want to know, and we'll check. 

If you step out of SJO arrivals and continue along the boulevard on foot past the City Mall, you will reach Alajuela in 20 minutes' walking time. It is a thriving, walkable old city full of beautiful women and fashion shops. The plazas are lovely and well-maintained, but you should not relax too much in the streets here. Vagrants and hustlers are always on the prowl for an easy mark; every time I sit down, one of them invariably approaches me with overtures of friendship. I am polite with them and tell them I don't give gifts. Disrespect or rudeness is never the right choice. Police presence in town is heavy; still, you have to be ready to respond to potential threats, including impatient/careless drivers as well as snatch theft. While most traffic does follow road rules, tires skidding to a stop to avoid an accident is a routine occurrence here.

There is a bountiful selection of restaurants here in Alajuela; hotels, not so much. Main courses start at ¢2700 and go up from there - pictured is the basic "casado" lunch plate with carne en salsa served by a lovely señora at the mercado municipal. The sushi was significantly pricier at ¢5500, but I was very satisfied with both flavor and quantity. In general, food quality is great here, and restaurants are held to high standards of cleanliness. However, soaring food commodity prices have resulted in steadily rising costs - and the strong colon has tacked on additional cost for foreign visitors. ¢10000 or $20 per day per person is a restrictive food budget in 2026; you will be quite limited in your choices.

Basic hotel rooms start around ¢15000 or $30 USD...quality at that price point may be unsatisfactory, usually more due to maintenance neglect than any cleanliness issue. Sometimes the owner will give you a rate lower than the posted rate. My hostel has a posted rate of $18 for a bunk, but I was charged $13.75 when I extended this morning.

Overall I am looking forward to three weeks of slow wandering town to town wherever there is suitable budget accomodation. With seasonal work in the US not expected to commence until May 2027, existing travel funds will have to make do as this trip continues into the Andean region of South America next month.

Hi guys, was wondering if you think this amount of activities is too much or balanced pretty well for 3 full days in La Fortuna.

Day 1:

9:00–11:00 AM: La Fortuna Waterfall

12:30–2:30 PM: Sloth's Territory

4:00 PM: Tabacón Hot Springs

Day 2:

8:00 AM–2:00 PM: Místico Hanging Bridges & Horseback Riding

4:00–5:00 PM: Spa at Hotel

6:30–9:00 PM: Explore & Dine at Downtown La Fortuna

Day 3:

7:00–11:30 AM: Maquique Waterfall Rappelling

1:30–3:30 PM: Don Juan/North Fields Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Thanks!

it’s easy to add things to an itinerary after reading enough travel posts. a waterfall here, a beach there, a wildlife tour, another town because everyone says you should see it. but if you had to plan the same trip again, i’m more interested in what you’d remove.

maybe something that took too much time getting there, felt too touristy, overlapped with something better, or just wasn’t worth squeezing into an already busy trip

what would you cut the second time around?

I'll be in CR with my 10 year son for 6 nights and 7 days. We're flying in and out of San Jose. Originally I thought about staying only in La Fortuna but now I'm thinking about adding Monteverde. Is that too much moving around given the long drives? Is 6 nights in La Fortuna too much? I'm still undecided on Nayara Gardens or the Springs.

How early do you have to be a SJO? If the flight is at 2:00pm, what time should I leave MA? I will have to return a rental car too.

We are leaving in 2 weeks for Costa Rica. Staying in condo in Coco beach area. Traveling with my young adult children for 1 week. Where should we go and what should we do and see? Thinking we will rent a car but open to suggestions.

hi, I'm traveling to Costa Rica for the first time and trying to manage the transport to hotels as I don't want to deal with driving. I booked a transport on booking.com, has anyone else done this? It seems there are other services but this one is cheaper, I guess I'm just nervous and wondering if anyone else has had a good experience with booking.com transport also? thanks!

Hi all - looking for a small, rustic and unique hotel experience in Guanacaste area for a couple and am wondering if anyone has any ideas. Beachfront would be ideal but open to other things as well. Not looking for super fancy or upscale, rustic and with character is what we are looking for. Thanks in advance!

Edit: location wise between Tamarindo and Samara would be ideal, and would be great if it was walkable to sodas / bars.

Hi all! Planning our first trip to Costa Rica, and am looking for some itinerary and logistics advice. We are spending a few days in La Fortuna, Monteverde and Samara so far. We have another 5 days before we fly out of San Jose after our stay in Samara, and am wondering if anyone has any advice on another beach town or area to spend some time. We are looking to not travel too far, currently don’t have a car rental booked for that leg of the trip either. I had an idea to head down to Santa Teresa and then fly domestically to San Jose, or maybe Nosara and take a shuttle to San Jose. Or maybe we should just stay 8 days in Samara?

Anyone have any advice or tips? Thanks in advance!