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!
Last updated on April 22nd, 2024 at 10:37 am GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)
For answers to our most commonly asked questions, please see our related blog post:
The Most Popular Questions We Receive About Costa Rica Travel (And Our Responses To Each)
To read the answers we provided to other travelers who have asked us a question, please see our Answers To Your Costa Rica Questions page.
Pura vida!
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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!).
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✓ 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).
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✓ 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. ❤️
Thank you for the site, I have also joined the DIY portion. We are independent travelers who rarely take a tour. Your site seems to be geared more to those who prefer tours. Are they essential? Do you feel you truly get a better experience? Might we not gain admittance to a national park (due to the cap on attendance) if we do not go via a tour? We plan to go to a place like Monteverde at opening (prior to tours arriving) do we risk not getting in because all tickets are being held for those on tours? We will have a car for our 18 days of travel…should we be thinking more about tours? Thank you.
Patrick Lenow –
Thank you so much for your inquiry! We have issued an answer to your question here: https://costaricatravelblog.com/questions-answers-ask-nikki-and-ricky/are-guided-tours-essential-do-you-get-a-better-experience/
Pura vida! ?
Your page is incredible, I just discovered it today. I inquired with Mapache Car Rental and am pleased with the quote. However, in their response (and i have seen this mentioned elsewhere) they require a credit card that is “printable”. All of our credit cards have converted to “flat” cards where the numbers are not raised off the credit card. Is this a problem throughout Costa Rica? Thank you!
Patrick Lenow –
Thank you so much for your inquiry! We have issued an answer to your question here: https://costaricatravelblog.com/questions-answers-ask-nikki-and-ricky/is-it-possible-to-rent-a-car-in-costa-rica-without-a-printable-credit-card/
Pura vida! ?
Firstly, thank you for such a rapid response. Yes, I did use your code and it resulted in savings of about $180!. Thank you, for clarifying how to work around the non-printable cards which are becoming the norm in the States. I also appreciate the referral to Javier.
Patrick Lenow –
No problem at all! So glad you were able to save a considerable amount of money on your Costa Rica car rental as a result of using our free discount code. If you need any other assistance at all, do not hesitate to leave another comment. 🙂
Pura vida!
Hi Nikki and Ricky,
I am planning a trip to Costa Rica in the month of December. I have been following your blog and I must admit, it is really helpful. Great job!
I went through all the 3 blogs on car rental and got a quote from “Mapache rent a car” for 5 day period for $240 including CDW insurance. I wanted to check with you if this was a good deal.
I heard a lot that rental companies quote less in the beginning and charge more at the counter. Will that be the case here as well or will it be the final price?
Please suggest to calm the uncertainty.
Barath –
Thanks so much for checking in! We’re happy to calm your nerves. 🙂 I just sent you an email with respect to the car rental information; if for any reason you did not receive the message, don’t hesitate to comment here again to let us know so and I can re-send it. 🙂
Pura vida!
Hi, we want to go on a trip to costa rica in Nov/Dec with our 1 year old son. We want to go to La Fortuna area, Montverde and Manuel Antonio to have a mix of beaches and mountains. I found your website very informative. Could you please provide any suggestions if all thsi is do able in a 7 day trip with a baby who is still not walking. We also don’t want to drive.
sanghita –
Thank you so much for your inquiry! We have issued an answer to your question here: https://costaricatravelblog.com/questions-answers-ask-nikki-and-ricky/la-fortuna-monteverde-manuel-antonio-7-days-1-year-old/
Pura vida! ?
If we have only 10 days to see: Monteverde, Arenal, Manuel Antonio is it more efficient to fly in to Liberia and fly out of San Jose? What would you recommend for the most time consuming way to travel to see these places?
Suzanne Siu –
Thank you so much for your inquiry! We have issued an answer to the first part of your question here (answer to the second part of your question to follow): https://costaricatravelblog.com/questions-answers-ask-nikki-and-ricky/10-days-see-monteverde-arenal-manuel-antonio-better-fly-liberia-fly-san-jose/
Pura vida! 🙂
Suzanne Siu –
Thank you so much for your inquiry! We have issued an answer to the second part of your question here (answer to the first part of your question provided previously): https://costaricatravelblog.com/questions-answers-ask-nikki-and-ricky/time-efficient-way-travel-monteverde-arenal-manuel-antonio/
Pura vida! 🙂
My wife and I are planning a trip to Costa Rica that will include La Fortuna/Arenal. Two things we’d like to do are to do a kayak tour of the lake beside Arenal Volcano, and see the La Fortuna waterfall. Is it possible to do these in the same day, or would that be too much? We’re not shy about physical activity (in fact, we want an active vacation), but also don’t want to stretch ourselves to the point that it’s not enjoyable. Thanks!
Matt –
100% possible! 🙂 Both activities are half-day ones (to be honest, the waterfall is even shorter–it usually takes about 2-2.5 hours or so if you factor in time to/from the waterfall, the hike down and back up again, and some time spent at the waterfall’s base) so one can be done in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
For the Lake Arenal Kayak Tour, there are a few different options (we like these three):
https://puravidaeh.ca/2013/02/14/lake-arenal-kayak-tour/
https://puravidaeh.ca/2013/12/29/lake-arenal-kayak-tour-option-b-tofrom-arenal/
https://puravidaeh.ca/2016/12/31/sky-wild-kayak-tour-la-fortunaarenal/
For the La Fortuna Waterfall visit, guided tours are available if you would prefer one, but if you have your own rental vehicle (or don’t mind taking a taxi) and you aren’t looking for a guided tour specifically, you can simply pay the waterfall entrance fee and walk the trail on your own.
Pura vida! 🙂
Hello,
I would like to ask if it’s possible to rent a car with just cash. I don’t have a credit card. And I would like to avoid using debit card. Any ideas?
Aurelija –
Great question! I cannot say “no” for sure as there may be a smaller vehicle rental agency out there who will allow it, but every vehicle rental agency we have come in personal contact with will not allow cash rentals. 🙁 In fact, they will not even allow vehicles to be rented out with a debit card; a credit card is required. This is to guarantee that the renter will be able to provide the security deposit (and have access to available credit) should the vehicle be in an accident or suffer other damages throughout the rental period that the renter must provide payment for upon returning the vehicle.
Pura vida! 🙂
hello you have much good information on your blog. I am vegan and considering traveling to costa rica you do, however, need to know that vegetarians do not consume fish, as indicated on your blog. Carnivores and omnivores consume fish, not vegetarians.
fyi
peace,
Don Mossman
Don Mossman –
Thanks so much for your comment! We have a had a few different people comment on the same regarding our Vegan/Vegetarian blog post, so I will add a special note about it at the top of that article for clarification purposes. 🙂 To confirm, that blog post started out as a post for vegans and vegetarians only (I am a vegetarian), however Ricky–who is a pescatarian (i.e., he consumes fish)–thought it would be good to include options for travellers sharing his dining preference. You are correct, however–vegetarians themselves (like me!) do not eat fish. To avoid any doubt on the part of future readers (and to clarify our intent and perspective when writing our past post with such readers), I’ll add a note to our Vegetarian And Vegan Dining In Costa Rica blog post now.
Pura vida!