Free Travel Guide for Costa Rica - Top Sights, Sustainability, History, Culture, and Food
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Everything You Need for a Trip to Costa Rica
This guide was designed to share quality information from the best bloggers for Costa Rica. There is enough information and resources in this post to cover just about everything that you would need to know when traveling here. If you find that something is missing, or that you need more information that is not covered here, please send us a message - or comment near the bottom of this article - and we will find the answer for you and provide it here in this article for other people as well.
Please feel free to share this guide with anyone you feel it will help! Enjoy your adventures!
In this Guide
Where to stay in Costa Rica
What to do in Costa Rica
Best things to see and do in Costa Rica
Sustainable Travel in Costa Rica
Cultural and Historical Places in Costa Rica
What to eat in Costa Rica
Unique foods to try in Costa Rica
Best restaurants in Costa Rica
Easy planning for Costa Rica
Best Tour Packages in Costa Rica
Best Day Experiences in Costa Rica
Be your own guide in Costa Rica
Additional info for Costa Rica
Healthcare & Hospitals in Costa Rica
Visas, Working, and Retiring in Costa Rica
Language & Learning in Costa Rica
Photo by Christian Hess Araya on Unsplash
Where to stay in Costa Rica
Fill in the fields below and use the filters to find your ideal place to stay!
Rio Celeste Waterfall. Photo by Marcelo Villalobos on Unsplash
What to do in Costa Rica
1. Best things to see and do in Costa Rica
The Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica
From Puerto Viejo to Santa Teresa, these are Nomadic Matt's favorite places to visit in Costa Rica.
My Adventures Across the World - 38 Absolutely Fabulous Things To Do In Costa Rica
A comprehensive guide to Costa Rica covering all the best things to do from national parks to outdoor adventures.
2. Sustainable Travel in Costa Rica
Guide To Ecotourism In Costa Rica: Sustainable Travel Tips For Every Visitor
An award-winning blog and travel website that focuses on sustainable travel around the world. The blog focuses particularly on ecotourism in Costa Rica and the environmental impact of tourism with tips for traveling sustainably.
Visit Costa Rica: A World Leader in Ecotourism
Well-laid out blog that covers all the aspects of Costa Rica such as sights to see, travel tips, and more from an eco-friendly and sustainable point of view.
Photo by Dana Fallentine on Unsplash
Cultural & Historical Places in Costa Rica
1. Historical Places in Costa Rica
The History of Costa Rica - Javi the Frog
An interesting, slightly off-the-beaten-track blog that covers topics like travel tips in Costa Rica, best hotels, best coffee, best ruins, best birds. Good historical cover of the country:
2. Cultural Places in Costa Rica
Photo by David Regueira on Unsplash
What to Eat in Costa Rica
1. Unique Foods in Costa Rica
Costa Rican Food - Authentic Local Specialties
A comprehensive guide to the country covering everything from things to see, getting around, budget and money tips, when to go, and safety. There is a great section on food, recipes, and eating there.
2. Best Restaurants in Costa Rica
Tips for Traveling as a Vegan or Vegetarian in Costa Rica
Includes a number of Vegan and Vegetarian restaurants!
A Taste of Latin America:
Culinary Traditions and Classic Recipes from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico & Venezuela
Explore the world's great culinary traditions and landmarks - find a fabulous itinerary of foods, dishes, markets, and restaurants worth traveling far and wide to savor.
Photo by Cosmic Timetraveler on Unsplash
Easy Planning for Costa Rica
1. Best Tour Packages in Costa Rica
Costa Rica Family Experience and Costa Rica Family PLUS
An education in biology and ecology that can never be found in a textbook - in San José, La Fortuna, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio National Park. Study the flora and fauna in the cloud forest, then go rappelling, rafting, swimming, horseback-riding, and even surfing.
Go for the PLUS to add in a stop at a coffee cooperative, a jungle oasis in the Sarapiquí Rainforest, see the nesting grounds of the green and leatherback turtles in Tortuguero, and snorkel in the Caribbean or hike in Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.
Costa Rica UPGRADED Family Adventure
Head off to the West side to speed through the canopy on a zip line, soak in volcanic mud baths and thermal pools and search for wildlife with an expert naturalist, and go horseback riding or swim beneath the waterfalls of the Rio Negro in Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park. Spend an afternoon at the beach in Playa Potrero or opt to take a sunset sailing trip around the Santa Catalina Islands. Then stop for a jungle boat cruise through Palo Verde National Park to spot wildlife like monkeys, crocodiles and birds.
Trek Hidden Costa Rica's South
"Trek into the heart of the jungle to live with three families in a remote village. Discover the emerald core of a diverse land while bunking down behind a massive waterfall in a hidden cave. Learn about the medicinal plants native to these parts and how to make sugarcane candy. This is a spectacular country with opportunities for waterfall rappelling, surfing, and whitewater rafting. This is what adventure is all about."
2. Best Day Experiences in Costa Rica
San Jose Day Tour: Poas National Park & Volcano (full day)
Visit Poas Volcano National Park, attempt a glimpse at the elusive volcano crater, enjoy lunch at the Doka Estate, view America's only metal churches in the town of Grecia, and then visit Sarchi, known for its intricate and colourfully decorated oxcarts.
Photo by Delphine Beausoleil on Unsplash
Be your own guide in Costa Rica
These sites are essentially guide books. You can either just use the sites as your guide for your entire trip, if you have cellular data in every spot, or you can grab a physical guide book to carry with you.
1. Guide Book sites for Costa Rica
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Covers important destinations, like La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio, as well as itineraries, unique foods, and long-term living requirements.
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Basically, a guidebook site that covers background info, tips, culture, food and recipes, beaches, cities, national parks, wildlife/nature, and the top things to do.
Two Wandering Soles – Costa Rica Page
A short and succinct introduction to Costa Rica with the basics such as the best time to visit, things to do, things to eat, a budget guide, and what to pack. Easy to read with clear information and some interesting extra articles to read on Costa Rica.
Little Grey Box – The Ultimate Guide to Costa Rica
An easy-to-navigate guidebook style blog with YouTube video inserts that covers general info, culture, travel, food, wildlife, nature, best places to visit.
2. Physical Guide Books for Costa Rica
Thrifty Traveler’s guide to Costa Rica:
A Perfect Journey for the Budget Traveler - Visit the Best Surfing, Ecotourism, Nature, Food & Lodging Recommendations by a Seasoned Traveler
Photo by Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash
Additional information for Costa Rica
1. Healthcare & Hospitals in Costa Rica
2. Visas, Working, and Retiring in Costa Rica
iVisa - Get a Visa to visit Costa Rica
The essential site to get all of your visa info and documents.
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The Costa Rica Escape Manual 2021
Your personal guide to moving to, traveling through, and living in Costa Rica.
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Information about the process of moving internationally. It contains the basics of what people need to know. Topics include: Medical, Schools, Banking, Housing, Work, and Transportation. Bestselling Authors, Steve & Nikki Page, tackle relocation challenges head-on with this book.
Happier Than A Billionaire: Picking a Town, Finding a Home, and Creating a Budget in Costa Rica
This book answers your most frequently asked question, “What kind of lifestyle can I afford on my budget in Costa Rica?” Three monthly budget categories, including $1200, $2500, and $3500. These amounts represent not just rent, but an entire monthly budget, including groceries, healthcare, utilities, etc.
3. Language & Learning in Costa Rica
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Quite simply the easiest and cheapest on-the-go translator you could ask for - as long as you download the language profile and have wifi or data to access it whereever you are!
Grab these Cards and Stick them in your Wallet!
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