Costa Rica Destinations: Common Name And Location Misunderstandings
Avoid confusion, frustration, and travel mistakes by learning how to correctly identify similarly named Costa Rica destinations, including towns and beaches.
FOR YOU, FOR FREE: 17 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!
Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about Monteverde (Santa Elena) Costa Rica, including why you should visit.
Avoid confusion, frustration, and travel mistakes by learning how to correctly identify similarly named Costa Rica destinations, including towns and beaches.
There are 40+ ziplining tours in Costa Rica; read our answers to popular Costa Rica ziplining tour questions, plus tips and need-to-know info!
Use Costa Rica tour transportation to save time and money! We list tours that provide transportation between two destinations, and offer discounts for them too!
Everything you need to know about all-inclusive resorts in Costa Rica (and non-all-inclusive resorts) that deliver a luxury travel experience.
Everything you need to know about the seven types of high-end accommodations that deliver a Costa Rica luxury travel experience.
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!
See our master list of Costa Rica destinations for photos of 70+ places to consider when narrowing down where to go in Costa Rica.
We list adult and child rates for Costa Rica entrance fees to national parks, biological reserves, wildlife refuges, and other attractions!
Browse our photo galleries to view free Costa Rica trail maps for national parks, reserves, waterfalls, and other areas of interest!
Everything you need to know about sloths in Costa Rica, including where to see sloths, how to increase your chances of seeing sloths, and when you should visit.
Want to know which is the best river for rafting in Costa Rica? We compare and contrast a number here, and offer discounts and savings for each!
We have rafted in Costa Rica 2,000+ times; read our answers to popular Costa Rica rafting tour questions, plus tips and need-to-know info!
Want to know which Monteverde coffee tour is the best? We recommend this coffee, chocolate, and sugar cane tour, and we offer free savings for it too!
We compare 25 Costa Rica waterfalls according to their features, hike duration/difficulty, and location, plus we explain how to visit each!
Want to know where to stay in Monteverde Costa Rica? We recommend the Monteverde Country Lodge and we offer a free discount promotion code for the hotel too!
Want to know our best Costa Rica hotel tip? If you plan to visit La Fortuna (Arenal) or Monteverde, don’t miss this critical advice!
Going to Monteverde? You may be visiting Santa Elena Costa Rica instead. We separate the two and help you decide which is the best to stay in and why.
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✓ Ricky is a born-and-raised Costa Rican and Nikki (married to Ricky) has explored Costa Rica since the mid-2000s.
✓ We've operated our Costa Rica-based business, Pura Vida! eh? Inc., for 16 years (and counting!).
✓ Our Costa Rica guidebooks are published by the prestigious Moon Travel Guides brand.
✓ We only ever write about experiences we know firsthand, and we never stuff our blog with general information about Costa Rica that is widely available elsewhere.
✓ We never copy or plagiarize other writers' content. How we wish other writers would show us the same respect!
✓ Unless stated otherwise, every photo displayed on our blog was taken by us, and with our own two hands. (Unlike some other bloggers, who rely on drones to travel and conduct research for them, we actually visit and explore the places we write about.)👍🏽
✓ We're active in promoting Costa Rica around the world. We've written about Costa Rica for Wanderlust Magazine (UK), presented Costa Rica on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel Show and podcast/radio show (US), and served as a Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist (Spain).
✓ Our work is backed by hundreds of positive reviews and testimonials (read some here)
✓ We are not overly active on social media. Instead of fixating on our own popularity, we spend the majority of our time exploring and researching Costa Rica, updating our various Costa Rica resources, and working with travelers one-on-one. We're focused on the quality of your travel experience, not the quantity of our followers. ❤️