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!
We describe the most memorable aspects of the Tortuguero National Park (Cerro Tortuguero Sector) in Tortuguero, Costa Rica, plus share photos from our visits.
We describe the most memorable aspects of the Tortuguero National Park’s Cuatro Esquinas Sector in Tortuguero, Costa Rica, plus share photos from our visits.
We list the Costa Rica hours of operation for national parks, biological reserves, wildlife refuges, and other attractions!
We describe the most memorable aspects of the Monteverde Orchid Garden in Monteverde, Costa Rica, plus share photos from our visits.
We describe the most memorable aspects of the Carara National Park in Tarcoles, Costa Rica, plus share photos from our visits.
We describe the most memorable aspects of Vandara Hot Springs and Adventure in Rincon de la Vieja, Costa Rica, plus share photos from our visits.
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!
Plan to travel to Costa Rica with kids? We outline the best things to do and provide child and student discounts!
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!
Interested in visiting Club Rio Costa Rica in La Fortuna? We provide information, helpful tips, and a free Club Rio discount!
Want to know which Costa Rica canyoning tour is the best? We recommend this tour, and we offer a free discount for it too!
We explain when and why you should (or shouldn’t) reserve Costa Rica tours and activities in advance, with recommendations month by month.
Introducing our new DIY Costa Rica project! We explain how to use DIY Costa Rica to build your own Costa Rica trip. Learn more here!
Wondering how our DIY Costa Rica project differs from our Costa Rica Travel Blog? We outline the differences and provide examples here!
Last updated on June 19th, 2019 at 05:22 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)Your vacation time is precious. You probably don’t get it all too often, you work incredibly hard to afford it, and it creates opportunities for you and your loved ones to make once-in-a-lifetime …
Is Tortuguero worth visiting? We detail the experience, what you can expect, who should visit, and who should skip the area altogether. Learn more!
Wondering which Costa Rica volcano is the best to visit? We compare Costa Rica’s top 5 volcanoes, outline ways to visit each, and answer popular volcano-related questions!
We list adult and child rates for Costa Rica entrance fees to national parks, biological reserves, wildlife refuges, and other attractions!
Last updated on June 25th, 2019 at 08:12 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)Work is busy. Almost always. If you’re in your own business (or you work for someone in their own business) you already know this. The growing pile of unreviewed papers and/or unanswered emails are …
Avoid falling for Costa Rica car rental scams by learning about the latest ploys and reviewing our must-know car rental tips.
Choosing our ultimate happy place in Costa Rica was as difficult a task for us as a Lays-lover being challenged to eat just one salty, crispy, delicious potato chip. If you bet we couldn’t do it, you were right. We thought long and hard about …
We answer the question “is Costa Rica safe?” while assessing robbery, assault, water safety, car safety, money safety, and other travel risks.
Have questions about Costa Rica? We answer the top questions we receive about Costa Rica travel, tourism, trip planning, and saving money.
We’ve done the Arenal Mundo Aventura canopy ziplining tour with Maleku visit. Here’s what you need to know, plus free discounts for each!
✓ We choose not to display ads, sponsored content, or affiliate marketing on our blog. 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 is entirely voluntary.
✓ 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. ❤️
