Written by Nikki Solano

Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️

Update:

The below promotion (i.e., free DIY Costa Rica access) is no longer available.
DIY Costa Rica access (365 days of unlimited access for a one-time fee of $4.99) is available.

EXCITING NEWS!

Today we are releasing DIY {do it yourself} Costa Rica (a.k.a., DIY Costa Rica–the best Costa Rica travel guide we could imagine) to the public. A project more than two years in the making, we are offering our blood, sweat, and tears (moreover our tips, advice, and recommendations as documented on our private website) to you FOR FREE! Since today just so happens to mark the last day of my birth month and I just so happened to turn thirty-three this year, we are offering unlimited access to DIY Costa Rica for the next thirty-three days (access will automatically expire on Thursday, November 3rd 2016, regardless of the date this offer is claimed). All we ask for in return is that you submit a review of DIY Costa Rica via our website at any time prior to access expiry (note: visitors must be logged-in to DIY Costa Rica to submit a review). As we continue to edit and review the project over the thirty-three-day roll-out period, we will rely on your comments to inform our revisions and future directions.

Registration is now FREE for access to all of DIY Costa Rica’s private content. No purchase, download, or payment information required.

 Or visit our website to learn more about DIY Costa Rica.

WHAT IS DIY COSTA RICA?

According to our website’s tagline:

DIY Costa Rica is a ‘best of’ content portfolio documenting firsthand Costa Rica travel experience, tips, photos, and recommendations for “do it yourself” vacation planners. More interactive, responsive, and current than a guide book; more succinct and reader-focused than a travel blog; more of what you want out of an e-book or app; more of what you need from a trip planning resource.

In reality, it is a solution to a problem that we have been annoyed by and anxious to fix for years.

Costa Rica travel guides are dominated by a triangle of paperback textbooks, downloadable e-books, and haphazard blog posts; resources that are either unresponsive, lacking in structure and quality, or fast approaching an expiry date. We are thankful for their rigid and limited construction, however; without it, we may have never noticed the hearty gap in the middle of the form that has long held its shape, and we may have bypassed an opportunity to turn the wasted space into a resourceful place that can revolutionize the way travellers approach vacation planning.

“In reality, DIY Costa Rica is a solution to a problem that we have been annoyed by and anxious to fix for years.”
~ Nikki & Ricky,
Costa Rica Travel Blog

You’ve heard of “DIY”, right? DIY home renovations, DIY wedding planning, DIY… everything! DIY is not merely a practice, it is a movement—one in which people believe in themselves, their creativity, and their abilities. It is progress that represents independence, strength, and confidence; when someone needs to get something done, they do it themselves. We believe in you too, inspired Costa Rica traveller, because we are like-minded individuals who see the benefit in exploration sought after on one’s own terms. Our repertoire of Costa Rica travel speaks volumes to it. And no, such exploration does not equate to travelling alone, off the grid, or without support. In fact, most DIY-ers would agree that a project’s success is not without a YouTube video, webpage bookmark, or forum comment to reference as an educative pillar of support. DIY is as much about learning from others as it is self-action, and the process of planning a vacation to Costa Rica is no different.

“We believe in you too, inspired Costa Rica traveller, because we are like-minded individuals who see the benefit in exploration sought after on one’s own terms.”
~ Nikki & Ricky,
Costa Rica Travel Blog

Enter us, and our bucket load of Costa Rica expertise. On this project, we are the backbone you need to stand up a little straighter and walk a little prouder toward the vacation of your dreams. We believe that DIY Costa Rica vacation planning is all you—your wants, needs, desires, interests, preferences, and plans; our fabulous stories, trials and tribulations, polished recommendations, and bountiful lessons learned along the way are provided to help inform your decisions and keep you on a safe and rewarding path. The challenge of Costa Rica vacation planning is half fun and half frightening, but we know you can do it. We’ve got your back.

HOW IS DIY COSTA RICA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER RESOURCES?

How is the sun different from the planets? All coexist in the same solar system and serve distinct purposes, but the sun is arguably the nexus of it all.

DIY Costa Rica is not your typical travel guide afloat on the internet or on a bookstore shelf. Designed as a portfolio compilation, written and edited as a book, and published as a website, the project includes fresh and updated content as soon as it becomes available—no new “versions” or “volumes” to wait on. Each of our project pages (more than one hundred, and counting!) is its own book chapter that delves into one of our many vacation recommendations. Ever-changing and always-evolving, the project gives you what you really want: sound advice from knowledgeable individuals with local experience; information that is interactive, responsive, and device-friendly; unique tips and tales; fun-to-read content that is interesting, personal, and easy to relate to; and recommendations that cannot be accessed anywhere else online or in print. Like we said above, DIY Costa Rica is the best Costa Rica travel guide we could imagine.

SO WHAT EXACTLY DOES DIY COSTA RICA ACCESS PROVIDE?

Whew! How much time do you have? 😉

DIY Costa Rica access (granted following a PayPal payment of $4.99 USD, or CURRENTLY FREE WITHOUT PAYMENT FOR 33 DAYS, as per our promotion above) includes:

*Unique written content exposing the very best experiences that Costa Rica has to offer
*100+ photo galleries showcasing 550+ personal travel photos
(every photo that appears on DIY Costa Rica was snapped by us—we’ve been here, there, and everywhere!)
*A “Costa Rica Field Notes” section identifying extra tips and lessons learned throughout our travels
*An “Experience Details” section noting recommendations details, such as hours of operation
*A “Spanish Pronunciation Help” section phonetically describing the Spanish words we include in our projects
*An “Additional Resources” section linking to supplementary reads
*A “Maps” section marking the location of our recommendations (via Google Maps) and linking to our customized DIY Costa Rica Map

In addition to over 100 pages of firsthand experience, knowledge, and tips, DIY Costa Rica also provides:

*Access to your own personalized and private Costa Rica trip wish list
Each of our portfolio projects includes the option for our recommendation to be added to a trip list to help you keep track of items you like and want to remember throughout the planning and travel stages of your trip
*Access to our customized and private DIY Costa Rica Map.
Each of our portfolio projects is marked on our map to help you identify the locations of our recommendations, as well as determine which recommendations should not be missed at each destination you plan to visit during your trip
*Access to DIY Costa Rica’s protected website content—including yesterday’s content, today’s content, and tomorrow’s content—for the next 365 days

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A DIY COSTA RICA ACCOUNT EXPIRES?

Nothing, other than you lose access to all of the protected content that the website contains. Since no credit card or payment information was requested up front, there is no obligation to purchase an account renewal if you have no interest in it. Of course, if you absolutely love our recommendations and want to continue to have access to everything our website provides, simply click on the “BUY NOW” button of our join us page, make the $4.99 (USD) payment via PayPal, and your account will remain active for a period of 365 days.

Awesome, right? Now you can understand why we have spent the last two years of our lives developing DIY Costa Rica. It is our baby… literally; we don’t have kids. We would like to someday, however, if and when we can afford them. Won’t you help us out a little by showing us some reciprocal support? The two of us—and any future offspring we may produce—will be eternally grateful for your investment in what we feel is the best Costa Rica travel guide out there.

Pura vida!

NOW FREE! DIY Costa Rica; The Best Costa Rica Travel Guide We Could Imagine

Hey, 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!

Click on the button above to donate through PayPal. (If you cannot see the PayPal button above, click here.) A PayPal account is not required to make a donation; credit and debit cards are also accepted. PayPal donations are confidential; we never see your payment details.

Love our blog? Check out our other Costa Rica-related projects, too: