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 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!
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 outline three ways to make a day trip to Monteverde from La Fortuna / Arenal (or vice versa) and explain why doing so isn’t a good idea.
Want to plan a trip to Costa Rica? Follow our steps for free and easy Costa Rica vacation planning help!
Curious about Costa Rica trip reservations? Here’s when you should book hotels, tours, transportation services, rental cars, and restaurants.
Want to know how to choose a Costa Rica hotel based on its location? We’ve gathered the best resources to make choosing a Costa Rica hotel easy!
We answer the question “Is San Jose worth visiting?” and detail 15 things to do in San Jose Costa Rica if you make the trip!
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 …
Over two decades, we’ve visited the Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica several times. In this article, we explain what keeps us going back.
Want to visit one of the Central Pacific beaches in Costa Rica? Don’t miss these noteworthy beaches!
Debating renting a car in Costa Rica? We outline advantages and disadvantages, scenarios to consider, and rental tips to help you decide!
Avoid falling for Costa Rica car rental scams by learning about the latest ploys and reviewing our must-know car rental tips.
Last updated on June 6th, 2019 at 08:22 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)A few months ago we wrote about a donation project we were proud to begin supporting (Would You Take A Moment To Comment On A Post If It Meant That A Costa Rican …
Planning a visit to Costa Rica’s Guayabo National Monument? We outline what to know and why the site is worth a visit!
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!
Wondering what to pack for Costa Rica? We outline what to pack, what not to pack, and offer photos and packing tips with our Costa Rica packing lists!
Last updated on June 25th, 2019 at 08:12 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time) HAPPY NEW YEAR! We wish you happiness and prosperity. On second thought, we can help with that. January 1st marks the beginning of something pretty awesome. Let’s say you plan to travel …
We work with the best Costa Rica tourism companies. Here’s 75+ of them, and an explanation of why they’re awesome!
✓ 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. ❤️
