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The Official Costa Rica Travel Blog

FOR YOU, FOR FREE: 18 years' worth of firsthand Costa Rica trip planning and travel advice compiled into hundreds of articles, plus exclusive discounts. Created by a Costa Rican and a four-time published Costa Rica guidebook author. Welcome, amigos, and as we say in Costa Rica, pura vida!

MENUMENU
  • About Nikki and Ricky
        • Mucho gusto! (Nice to meet you!)

          Meet us, learn about our Costa Rica experience, and learn how we help Costa Rica travelers!

        • ► Meet Nikki and Ricky
        • ► Why we love Costa Rica
        • ► Testimonials and reviews
        • ► Contact
        • ► Our Costa Rica travel guide published by Moon Travel Guides
        • ► Our Costa Rica discounts database (Pura Vida! eh? Inc.)
        • ► Our online community (DIY Costa Rica)
        • ► Our Costa Rica trip planning 101 e-course
  • Costa Rica Trip Planning: Getting Started
        • Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about starting to plan a Costa Rica vacation. If you’re just setting out on this journey, review our introductory Costa Rica trip-planning resources first.

        • ► Planning a trip to Costa Rica? READ THIS FIRST!
        • ► How to plan a trip to Costa Rica for free, step by step
        • ► When to reserve Costa Rica tours and activities
        • ► When to reserve Costa Rica hotels, transfers, rental cars, and restaurant visits
        • ► The cost of traveling to Costa Rica
        • ► Is Costa Rica Busy? (crowds and groups)
        • ► When to go to Costa Rica
          • Best time to visit / Costa Rica's seasons
          • Costa Rica in January
          • Costa Rica in February
          • Costa Rica in March
          • Costa Rica in April
          • Costa Rica in May
          • Costa Rica in June
          • Costa Rica in July
          • Costa Rica in August
          • Costa Rica in September
          • Costa Rica in October
          • Costa Rica in November
          • Costa Rica in December
        • ► Costa Rica itinerary planning
          • Building a 5-day itinerary
          • Building an 8-day itinerary
          • Building a 10-day itinerary
          • Building a 12-day itinerary
          • Building a 15-day itinerary
        • ► 75 photos that will make you want to go to Costa Rica ASAP!
        • ► Costa Rica scams and red flags
  • What To Do: Tours & Activities
        • Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn what to do in Costa Rica, including recommendations for the most popular Costa Rica activities, as well as ways to discover Costa Rica off the beaten path.

        • ► When to reserve Costa Rica tours and activities
        • ► 30 popular things to do in Costa Rica (Costa Rica activity guide)
        • ► Off-the-beaten-path things to do in Costa Rica (Costa Rica activity guide)
        • ► The cost of tours and activities in Costa Rica
        • ► How to save money on Costa Rica tours and activities
        • ► Info about guided tours in Costa Rica
        • ► Info about self-guided adventures in Costa Rica
        • ► Photos of Costa Rica trail maps
        • ► List of Costa Rica entrance fees
        • ► List of Costa Rica operating hours
        • ► Things to do in Costa Rica with kids
        • ► Aerial trams
          • Sky Tram (Arenal)
          • Sky Tram (Monteverde)
        • ► White-water rafting
          • Pacuare River
          • Rafting Q&A
          • Rafting tour comparison
        • ► Zip-lining / canopy tours
          • Sky Trek (Treetopia Park)
          • Sky Trek (Sky Adventures)
          • Selvatura Park
          • Arenal Mundo Aventura
          • Zipline tour comparison
          • Ziplining Q&A
        • ► Hanging bridges
          • Mistico Park vs Sky Walk/Adventures: Arenal hanging bridges comparison
          • Treetopia Park vs Selvatura Park: Monteverde hanging bridges comparison
          • Sky Walk Hanging Bridges (Sky Adventures)
          • Sky Walk Hanging Bridges (Treetopia)
          • Arenal Hanging Bridges (Mistico)
          • Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges (Selvatura)
          • Hanging bridges comparison
        • ► Hot springs
          • Guide to all 12 Arenal hot springs / hot springs comparison
          • General hot springs Q&A
          • Tabacon hot springs
          • Springs Resort hot springs
          • EcoTermales hot springs
          • Baldi hot springs
          • Paradise hot springs
          • Los Lagos hot springs
          • Free La Fortuna hot springs
          • Club Rio hot springs
          • Vandara hot springs
          • Rio Negro hot springs
        • ► Waterfalls / waterfall jumping / swimming holes
          • Guide to 25 Costa Rica Waterfalls
          • La Fortuna Waterfall
          • Llanos del Cortes Waterfall
          • El Salto Swimming Hole
        • ► Volcanoes
          • Volcano comparison: Top 5 volcanoes
        • ► Adventure parks, national parks, & refuges
          • Sky Adventures Park
          • Mistico Park
          • Treetopia Park
          • Selvatura Park
          • Arenal Volcano National Park
          • Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge
          • Poas Volcano National Park
          • Manuel Antonio National Park
          • Tortuguero National Park (Cuatro Esquinas)
          • Tortuguero National Park (Cerro Tortuguero)
          • Carara National Park
        • ► Wildlife & wildlife exhibits
          • Wildlife photography
          • Where to see sloths
          • Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center (ZooAve)
        • ► Other Activities
          • Choco Tour Chocolate Tour
          • Hacienda Doka Coffee Farm
          • El Toledo Coffee Farm
          • Monteverde Orchid Garden
  • How To Get Around: Transportation
        • Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about transportation in Costa Rica, including different ways to get around Costa Rica.

        • ► 15 ways to travel around Costa Rica
        • ► The cost of transportation services in Costa Rica
        • ► How to use guided tours to travel between destinations
        • ► Tour transportation: hotel pick-ups and drop-offs
        • ► Best ways to travel between La Fortuna and Monteverde
        • ► Tortuguero docks (La Pavona vs. Cano Blanco)
        • ► Costa Rica car rental information
          • Reasons to rent (or not rent) a car
          • Car rental insurance
          • Car rental scams
          • Our preferred car rental agency
        • ► Costa Rica highway conditions by route
          • Highway 1 / Highway 2 / Highway 3 / Highway 4 / Highway 6 / Highway 10 / Highway 14 / Highway 17 / Highway 18 / Highway 21 / Highway 27 / Highway 32 / Highway 34 / Highway 35 / Highway 36 / Highway 39
        • ► Driving distance/duration charts for popular routes
        • ► Driving to La Fortuna/Arenal
        • ► Driving to Monteverde
        • ► Driving to Drake Bay
  • Where To Go: Cities & Towns
        • Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about Costa Rica destinations, including recommendations for cities, towns, and communities to visit in Costa Rica.

        • ► Guide to 70+ Costa Rica destinations
        • ► Use our Costa Rica Destination Tool to determine where to go in Costa Rica
        • ► Popular Costa Rica destinations
        • ► Off-the-beaten-path Costa Rica destinations
        • ► Most-visited Costa Rica beach towns
        • ► Common Costa Rica destination name and location misunderstandings
        • ► San Jose
          • Things to do in San Jose
          • National Theater
        • ► La Fortuna / Arenal
          • La Fortuna city guide
          • La Fortuna hotel guide
          • Driving to La Fortuna
          • La Fortuna vs. Monteverde
          • Mistico Park vs Sky Walk/Adventures: Arenal hanging bridges comparison
          • Guide to all 12 Arenal hot springs / hot springs comparison
          • La Fortuna waterfall
          • Arenal Volcano National Park
        • ► Monteverde / Santa Elena
          • Monteverde city guide
          • Monteverde hotel guide
          • Driving to Monteverde
          • Monteverde vs. La Fortuna
          • Monteverde cloud forest vs. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
          • Treetopia Park vs Selvatura Park: Monteverde hanging bridges comparison
        • ► Manuel Antonio / Quepos / Central Pacific Coast
          • Manuel Antonio city guide
          • Manuel Antonio National Park
          • Playa Manuel Antonio
        • ► Puerto Viejo / Southern Caribbean Coast
          • Puerto Viejo city guide
          • Playa Puerto Viejo
        • ► Alajuela (SJO Airport)
          • Things to do in Alajuela
          • Poas Volcano National Park
          • Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center (ZooAve)
        • ► Liberia (LIR Airport)
          • Llanos del Cortes waterfall
        • ► All Other Costa Rica Destinations, including Tortuguero, Tamarindo, Montezuma, Santa Teresa, Nosara, Samara, Jaco, Dominical, Uvita, Drake Bay, Puerto Jimenez, Cahuita, Bijagua, San Gerardo de Dota, and more!
  • Where To Go: Beaches
        • Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about Costa Rica beaches, including recommendations for beaches to visit in Costa Rica.

        • ► Guide to 80+ Costa Rica beaches
        • ► Most-visited Costa Rica beach towns
        • ► Guide to Blue Flag (eco-friendly) beaches
        • ► Guanacaste / Northern Pacific beaches
          • All Northern Pacific / Guanacaste beaches
          • Playa Danta
          • Playa Dantita
          • Playa Hermosa
          • Playa Junquillal
          • Playa Nacascolo
          • Playa Puerto Viejo
          • Playa Tamarindo
          • Playa Virador
        • ► Nicoya Peninsula beaches
          • All Nicoya Peninsula beaches
          • Playa Cangrejal
          • Playa Curu
          • Playa Quesera
          • Playa Garza
          • Playa Samara
          • Playa Las Manchas
          • Playa Santa Teresa
          • Playa Tropical (Isla Tortuga)
        • ► Central Pacific beaches
          • All Central Pacific beaches
          • Playa Blanca
          • Playa Dominical
          • Playa Herradura
          • Playa Jaco
          • Playa Mantas
          • Playa Manuel Antonio
          • Playa Uvita
          • Playa Ventanas
        • ► Caribbean beaches
          • All Caribbean beaches
          • Playa Arrecife
          • Playa Chiquita
          • Playa Puerto Viejo
          • Playa Manzanillo
        • ► Osa Peninsula beaches
          • All Osa Peninsula beaches
          • Playa Preciosa / Playa Platanares
          • Playa Cocalito
  • Where To Stay & Luxury Travel
        • Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about Costa Rica accommodations, including recommendations for where to stay in Costa Rica.

        • ► The cost of hotels in Costa Rica
        • ► Tour transportation: hotel pick-ups and drop-offs
        • ► La Fortuna / Arenal hotel guide
        • ► Monteverde hotel guide
        • ► SJO Airport hotel guide
        • ► High-end accommodations for luxury travel
        • ► All-inclusive resorts and non-all-inclusive resorts
        • ► How to choose an accommodation
        • ► Accommodation recommendations
  • Spending & Saving Money
        • Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about saving money in Costa Rica, and to access free discounts for Costa Rica tours, hotels, car rentals, and shuttle services.

        • ► The costs of traveling to Costa Rica
        • ► 13% VAT tax in Costa Rica
        • ► USD, colones, and credit card info
        • ► Colones / dollars (USD) exchange info
        • ► Tipping info
        • ► How to use tour transportation to save money on travel in Costa Rica
        • ► How to save money on Costa Rica tours and activities
        • ► FREE discounts for Costa Rica tours and activities
        • ► FREE discount codes for Costa Rica hotels, shuttles, and car rentals
  • Food & Drink
        • Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about food and drink in Costa Rica, including recommendations for things to eat in Costa Rica, drinks to try in Costa Rica, and Costa Rican recipes so you can re-create Costa Rican meals in your own home!

        • ► The cost of food and drink in Costa Rica
        • ► 30 things to eat in Costa Rica
        • ► 20 things to drink in Costa Rica (alcoholic & non-alcoholic)
        • ► Vegetarian and vegan food in Costa Rica
        • ► Gluten-free food in Costa Rica
        • ► Recipes for Costa Rican food and drinks
  • Travel Anxiety, Safety, & Health
        • Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about staying safe in Costa Rica, including Costa Rica safety tips and ways to keep a level head while traveling.

        • ► Costa Rica safety information and recommendations
        • ► Costa Rica travel anxiety information and recommendations
        • ► Ways Costa Rica’s mantra, pura vida, can help you get through the pandemic
        • ► Our master list of Costa Rica do's and don'ts
  • Packing, Souvenirs, & Sustainability
        • Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about coming and going from Costa Rica, including Costa Rica packing information, Costa Rica souvenir information, and tips for practicing responsible, sustainable tourism.

        • ► What to pack for Costa Rica
        • ► Sustainable tourism in Costa Rica: 15 ways to travel responsibly
        • ► What to buy in Costa Rica
  • Top Questions & Answers
        • Browse our Costa Rica blogs to read our responses to some of the most common questions we receive about Costa Rica, including questions about white-water rafting in Costa Rica, questions about zip-lining in Costa Rica, questions about visiting the hot springs in Costa Rica, and more!

        • ► Our answers to common Costa Rica questions (master list)
        • ► Our answers to Costa Rica rafting tour questions
        • ► Our answers to Costa Rica hot springs questions
        • ► Our answers to Costa Rica ziplining questions
        • ► Our answers to travelers' questions submitted through our blog
  • Extras
        • Browse our Costa Rica blogs to discover other things about Costa Rica not included in other categories.

        • ► Costa Rica Photography
        • ► Costa Rica travel with kids
        • ► Ways to get engaged in Costa Rica
        • ► DIY Costa Rica
        • ► Our Donation Project
        • ► Costa Rican culture
        • ► Moon Costa Rica, our guidebook published by Moon Travel Guides
        • ► Miscellaneous Costa Rica blogs
        • ► Glossary (English and Spanish words and phrases you'll see around our blog)
  • Contact Us
MENUMENU
  • Our Costa Rica guidebooks published by the prestigious Moon Travel Guides
        • Our 2023 Moon Costa Rica guidebook (third edition)

          Moon Costa Rica guide
        • Our 2022 Moon Best of Costa Rica guidebook (first edition)

        • Our 2021 Moon Costa Rica guidebook (second edition)

        • Our 2019 Moon Costa Rica guidebook (first edition)

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  • FREE DIY COSTA RICA ACCESS! Details here.

Our company is inclusive. Read our Anti-Hate, Anti-Racism, Anti-Xenophobia, Anti-Inequality, Anti-Discrimination Statement here.

NEW! Our awesome Costa Rica Destination Tool filters 66 destinations by nearly 150 criteria to help you quickly and easily decide where to go in Costa Rica according to your unique preferences, wants, and needs. Learn more and access the tool on our sister site, DIY Costa Rica, here.

Costa Rica Luxury Travel

Costa Rica Luxury Travel: All-Inclusive Resorts And Non-All-Inclusive Resorts in Costa Rica

Costa Rica Luxury Travel: All-Inclusive Resorts And Non-All-Inclusive Resorts in Costa Rica

Everything you need to know about all-inclusive resorts in Costa Rica (and non-all-inclusive resorts) that deliver a luxury travel experience.

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Bahia Salinas, Brasilito (Playa Conchal), Costa Rica Luxury Travel, Escazu, La Fortuna (Arenal), Las Catalinas, Malpais, Manuel Antonio (Quepos), Matapalo (Northern Pacific), Matapalo (Osa Peninsula), Monteverde (Santa Elena), Nosara, Papagayo, San Jose, Santa Teresa, Tamarindo, Uvita (Bahia), Where To Stay In Costa Rica
Costa Rica Luxury Travel: 7 Types Of High-End Accommodations For Luxe-Loving Travelers

Costa Rica Luxury Travel: 7 Types Of High-End Accommodations For Luxe-Loving Travelers

Everything you need to know about the seven types of high-end accommodations that deliver a Costa Rica luxury travel experience.

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Bahia Salinas, Costa Rica Luxury Travel, Escazu, La Fortuna (Arenal), Las Catalinas, Malpais, Manuel Antonio (Quepos), Matapalo (Northern Pacific), Matapalo (Osa Peninsula), Monteverde (Santa Elena), Nosara, Papagayo, San Jose, Santa Teresa, Tamarindo, Uvita (Bahia), Where To Stay In Costa Rica

Our seal of ownership

Nikki and Ricky

Each Costa Rica Travel Blog article reflects our own work, travels, and lessons learned. We strive for quality, not quantity, and we never stuff our blog with general information about Costa Rica that is widely available elsewhere. We write only what we believe or choose to believe in, and not a word more. .

Our company is inclusive

Read our Anti-Hate, Anti-Racism, Anti-Xenophobia, Anti-Inequality, Anti-Discrimination Statement.

 

Our Site, Our Right

All of the opinions, recommendations, and advice expressed on Costa Rica Travel Blog are our own. We support our comments with evidence, however we welcome opposing comments. Please note that our reviews are not financially supported by the companies we choose to evaluate. Our thoughts are influenced by our own travel experiences for the sole purpose of contributing feedback to the greater travel community.

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Your SPAM-FREE visit to OUR FREE WEBSITE is more important to us than making money off your clicks. Also, unlike competing blogs, we never sell any personal information we receive. We appreciate your interest, preference, and time. Pura vida, amigos! 🙂

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All content, concepts, and photos (unless credited otherwise) property of Ricky and Nikki Solano. © Copyright 2007-2025 Costa Rica Travel Blog (Pura Vida! eh? Inc.)
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P.S. Did you know that, unlike several other Costa Rica blogs, our website is ad-free, affiliate-link-free, sponsor-free, and A.I.-free? Providing authentic, trustworthy, spam-free content is more important to us than earning money off your visit. Enjoy, amigos! 🙂

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