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!
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!
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!
Want to know where to stay in Samara Costa Rica? We recommend Hotel Leyenda and we offer a free discount promotion code for the hotel too!
Want to know everything there is to know about flying to Costa Rica? We breakdown the information by airline so you can quickly find what you need.
Want to know how to save money on Costa Rica tours? Use our tips and sample itineraries to pay less for tours and activities in Costa Rica!
Want free Costa Rica discount codes? We’ve got plenty, including discounts for Costa Rica hotels, shuttle services, and car rentals!
We explain when and why you should (or shouldn’t) reserve Costa Rica tours and activities in advance, with recommendations month by month.
Need to make your own diy sloth costume? Costa Rica inspired us to pull off this three-toed sloth project with little time, money, and materials. Learn more!
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!
DIY Costa Rica is the best Costa Rica travel guide we could image. Learn why, what it offers, and how you can gain access to it asap!
Want to learn about the Pacuare River in Costa Rica? We are part of the Pacuare River family and we describe why the river is a community–not only a tourist spot. Learn more!
Everything you need to know about spending money in Costa Rica, including cash (USD and colones), credit cards, and travelers’ cheques.
Want to know about technology, cell phones, devices, SIM cards, signals, and the internet in Costa Rica? We outline need-to-know tech tips for travel!
Everything you need to know about gluten-free Costa Rica, including gluten-free food in Costa Rica, gluten-free restaurants in Costa Rica, and more!
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 …
Want to know where to stay in San Jose Costa Rica? We recommend Hotel Robledal and we offer a free discount promotion code for the hotel too!
Last updated on July 4th, 2019 at 06:52 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)For all the things that money can buy, we are far more rich because of all that it can’t. What can we afford? To work hard and humbly accept whatever success comes our …
Learn which Costa Rica car rental agency we use, why we use them, and gain access to a 25%-50% discount off your Costa Rica car rental!
Is Tortuguero worth visiting? We detail the experience, what you can expect, who should visit, and who should skip the area altogether. Learn more!
Last updated on July 4th, 2019 at 06:53 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)Whew! Is it just me or did last year seem to fly by? It feels like it was only yesterday when we were discussing our future plans for 2015, and here we are …
Last updated on July 4th, 2019 at 06:53 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)Competition is a diversely understood word. For some, it can spark friendship, such as for a group of University friends who partake in a game of flag football or frisbee golf after class. …
Wondering about Costa Rica car rental insurance? We cover mandatory insurance in Costa Rica and provide cost examples for different options.
View photos of our personal collection of 60+ Costa Rica souvenirs and learn tips for buying the best souvenirs in Costa Rica!
✓ 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. ❤️
