Last updated on December 8th, 2024 at 12:14 pm
Hola, amigos! We’re Ricky, a born-and-raised Tico (Costa Rican), former rafting tour guide, and nature and wildlife photographer, and Nikki, a longtime Costa Rica explorer, four-time published Costa Rica guidebook author, and Tica (Costa Rican) at heart. We’re a happily married, adventurous couple in our 17th year of discovering Costa Rica together. (Click here to read our full bio.) In addition to writing this Costa Rica Travel Blog, we’re also the team behind several other Costa Rica-based projects, including:
Some (yes, only some!) of the Costa Rica sights and attractions that Nikki and Ricky have experienced:
Kudos
LUX Life Magazine’s Travel Blogger of the Year 2020 – Costa Rica (Nikki Solano)
Book Authority’s #3 Pick, 40 Best New Hiking eBooks To Read In 2020 (Moon Costa Rica 2019)
Recipient, Versatile Blogger Award
Recipient, Liebster Award
Recipient, Very Inspiring Blogger Award
Recipient, Trip 180’s Traveler’s Award
Feedspot’s Pick, Top 30 Costa Rica Blogs And Websites To Follow In 2018 and 2021
Asher Fergusson’s Pick, Top 5 Costa Rica Travel Blogs
Viva Tropical’s Pick, Top Costa Rica Tourism Sites and Top Blogs About The Costa Rica Lifestyle For Expats And Investors
Prosoft Nearshore’s Pick, Best Costa Rica Travel Blog
GotSaga’s Pick, Top 40 Incredible Travel Bloggers’ Sites That You’ll Want To Follow
Smartlad’s Pick, Top 100 Travel Blogs You Should Be Following In 2017
Popular articles
Costa Rica Trip Reservations: Booking In Advance, How Much Time Is Needed? Curious about Costa Rica trip reservations? Here's when you should book hotels, tours, transportation services, rental cars, and restaurants. Read our full article
Is Costa Rica Busy? (Photos) Must-Know Info About Crowds And Groups We describe (with photos!) when and where you might encounter crowds or groups in Costa Rica, all while answering the question: Is Costa Rica busy? Read our full article
How Much Does It Cost To Go To Costa Rica? Costs Of Activities, Hotels, Food, Transportation Services, And More! Our helpful charts illustrate the cost to go to Costa Rica according to activities, hotels, transportation services, meals, souvenirs, and more! Read our full article
Planning A Trip To Costa Rica? READ THIS FIRST! Planning a trip to Costa Rica? Our #1 piece of advice is based on the top Costa Rica trip planning mistake travelers make. It's the opposite of what you'd expect! Read our full article
Costa Rica Food Guide: 30+ Things To Eat In Costa Rica & Where And When To Eat Them We detail the top things to eat in Costa Rica, including where and when to eat them, and how to pronounce them! Read our full article
How To Plan A Trip To Costa Rica For Free Step By Step Want to plan a trip to Costa Rica? Follow our steps for free and easy Costa Rica vacation planning help! Read our full article
How To Decide Between La Fortuna / Arenal or Monteverde (or Why You Should Visit Both) We compare and contrast La Fortuna / Arenal and Monteverde, plus offer a quiz, photos, and discounts for both areas to help you decide! Read our full article
Costa Rica Highway Conditions By Route We compare and contrast Costa Rica highway conditions by design, terrain, pace, traffic, flow, tolls, river crossings, and 4x4 requirements. Read our full article
Nikki Solano Talks Costa Rica on Rick Steves’ Europe Monday Night Travel Show Watch Nikki Solano cover 10 of the most sought-after Costa Rica destinations (and standout experiences at each) on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel Show. Read our full article
15 Things To Do In San Jose Costa Rica (And 3 Things To Skip Doing) We answer the question "Is San Jose worth visiting?" and detail 15 things to do in San Jose Costa Rica if you make the trip! Read our full article
How Not To Fall For Costa Rica Car Rental Scams Avoid falling for Costa Rica car rental scams by learning about the latest ploys and reviewing our must-know car rental tips. Read our full article
80+ Costa Rica Beaches (In Photos) And Where To Find Them See our master list of Costa Rica beaches for photos of 80+ beaches in Costa Rica to help you decide which one(s) to visit! Read our full article
Costa Rica Off The Beaten Path: Where To Go And What To Do We detail (with photos!) which destinations and beaches to pick, and things to do if you want to experience Costa Rica off the beaten path! Read our full article
Costa Rica Safety Guide: Is Costa Rica Safe? Yes, If You Do This. We answer the question "is Costa Rica safe?" while assessing robbery, assault, water safety, car safety, money safety, and other travel risks. Read our full article
Where To Go In Costa Rica: 70+ Costa Rica Destinations (In Photos) See our master list of Costa Rica destinations for photos of 70+ places to consider when narrowing down where to go in Costa Rica. Read our full article
Must-Know Info About La Fortuna Costa Rica From Longtime Residents Our free La Fortuna city guide covers everything we've learned from living in and exploring La Fortuna Costa Rica for years. Read our full article
Must-Know Info About Monteverde Costa Rica From Seasoned Visitors Our free Monteverde city guide (Santa Elena) covers everything we've learned from exploring Monteverde Costa Rica for years. Read our full article
Costa Rica Tours And Activities: Should You Book In Advance Or Wait? We explain when and why you should (or shouldn't) reserve Costa Rica tours and activities in advance, with recommendations month by month. Read our full article
Costa Rica Guided Tours: Are They Necessary, Valuable, And/Or Worthwhile? Curious if you need a tour guide in Costa Rica? We explore whether Costa Rica guided tours or unguided tours are better, and why. Read our full article
Best Ziplines in Costa Rica: Comparing 6 in Arenal and Monteverde Looking for the best zipline in Costa Rica? We compare and contrast a number here, and offer free discounts for ziplining tours! Read our full article
When To Go To Costa Rica According To Cost, Weather, Wildlife, And More! Debating when to go to Costa Rica? We outline the best times to visit if you want to save money, have great weather, see wildlife, and more! Read our full article
30 Popular Things To Do In Costa Rica And Where To Do Them We detail the 30 most popular things to do in Costa Rica (with photos) and describe the attractions, beaches, cities, and towns that offer them! Read our full article
50+ Common Questions About Costa Rica And Our Answers To Each! Have questions about Costa Rica? We answer the top questions we receive about Costa Rica travel, tourism, trip planning, and saving money. Read our full article
Our Master List Of Costa Rica Do’s And Don’ts Our list of Costa Rica do's and don'ts (compiled over 14 years of Costa Rica travel) will maximize your Costa Rica travel experience. Read our full article
Renting A Car In Costa Rica: Should You Do It? Debating renting a car in Costa Rica? We outline advantages and disadvantages, scenarios to consider, and rental tips to help you decide! Read our full article
Comparing And Contrasting 20 Costa Rica Beach Towns To Help You Decide Which One(s) To Visit We compare and contrast the 20 most sought-after Costa Rica beach towns according to a variety of criteria to help you pick your favorite! Read our full article
Best Hanging Bridges in Costa Rica: Comparing 4 in Arenal and Monteverde We compare the most popular hanging bridges in Costa Rica and offer discounts for hanging bridge tours and entrance fees! Read our full article
Self-Guided Adventures: 20 Things To Do In Costa Rica Without A Guide Want to experience Costa Rica without a guide? We outline which tours and activities do and do not allow for unguided adventures. Learn more! Read our full article
Costa Rica Transportation: 15 Ways To Get Around Costa Rica We compare/contrast 15 types of Costa Rica transportation, plus offer free discounts for shuttles and car rentals. Learn more! Read our full article
Best Hot Springs In Arenal: We Compare All 12 La Fortuna Hot Springs Looking for the best La Fortuna hot springs in Arenal Costa Rica? We compare and contrast all 12 and offer discounts for hot springs passes! Read our full articleHey, Costa Rica Travel Blog reader, thank you for visiting and reading our blog! We’re truly grateful for your time and preference.
Do you know that your spam-free reading experience is most important to us? Unlike some other Costa Rica blogs, we do not to sell your personal information, and we choose not to display ads, sponsored content, or affiliate marketing on our blog so we can keep your visit as distraction- and junk-free as possible. Because we prioritize your privacy, we don’t earn money when you visit us, when you sign up for our e-course, or when you click on our links, which means the time and work we put into this blog—including its 300+ articles—is entirely voluntary! If you find our content valuable, and you’d like to thank us for making the trip-planning process easier and your Costa Rica vacation more enjoyable, please consider making a small donation ($1, $2, $3, or an amount of your choosing) to our blog. Doing so is a great way to pat us on the back if you feel we deserve it. 😊 Pura vida, amigos!
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