Travel Guide: Everything you need to know for a trip to Costa Rica

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How to get to Costa Rica?

Edelweiss Air flies direct from Zurich to the capital San José 2 to 4 times a week all year round. From there we continue on our way to Liberia, north of Costa Rica, at least once a week. Liberia is especially interesting for travelers looking for a beach holiday in the northwest.

What do you need to enter Costa Rica?

Login is quick and easy. To enter the country for up to 30 days, you only need a passport valid for another six months. It is recommended that you keep a printed copy of the return flight ticket with you. Sometimes the border officer will ask for proof that you want to leave the country again. You should also be able to name the first hotel and travel route.

How does travel work in the country?

You can reach every corner of the country with it. bus. While express buses connect large towns, local buses also serve small villages.

Bus stops are often a bit chaotic, but people are happy to help you and show you both the right ticket office and the right bus. Larger towns sometimes have more than one bus stop from which buses depart to different areas. Just ask the hotel or taxi driver.

Buses are very cheap but you need to bring a few seats with you; traveling speed is slow.

Private Service/Taxi: Private shuttles and taxis, which are faster and more comfortable than public buses, also operate between the main tourism centers. These offer a good price-performance ratio for groups.

Aeroplane: Two airlines (Sansa and Green Airways) connect destinations within Costa Rica. These will be particularly useful if you want to travel south from the capital (or the north). However, for small aircraft the maximum luggage weight is 14 kilograms. Book in time, routes fill up quickly in high season.

Above: Uber now operates in the metropolitan area of ​​the capital, San José, and in larger tourist centers as well.

Rental car: The best way to travel to Costa Rica is with a rental car, allowing you to reach your desired destination at your own pace and stress-free. Driving is a little more chaotic than in Switzerland, but it can be done by anyone without any problems. When renting, make sure you have fully comprehensive insurance that covers underbody and glass damage.

You’ll get the best deals if you book the car online (or through a tour operator) in time. Most tourist routes can be easily managed with a regular car. If you want to visit the less developed Osa Peninsula or more remote locations, you’ll need to rent a four-wheel drive vehicle.

Internet and surfing with your mobile phone in Costa Rica

Free Wi-Fi is available in every hotel, cafe or restaurant in Costa Rica. However, it is still recommended to purchase a local SIM card with sufficient data volume.

There are three providers in Costa Rica, Claro, Movistar and Kolbi, whose prices do not differ much. Various data packages with different durations are offered.

For example, a 5 GB data volume from Claro costs 10,000 columns (about 17 francs) for 30 days.

Providers’ network coverage varies. Therefore it is difficult to make a recommendation. I always use Claro, with whom I get along well.

You can buy SIM cards (almost) everywhere: from kiosks, supermarkets and of course directly from providers. I discovered only one Claro counter at the airport in San José (January 2024). Resellers will be happy to assist with activation.

It is important that the phone is SIM unlocked and accepts two SIM cards.

Is Costa Rica a safe country to travel to?

Costa Rica is a safe country to travel to. The crime rate is lower than other Central American countries.

However, you should be careful about petty theft. This is especially true of the party and red light spots in the capital San José and the tourist centers of Jacó, Tamarindo and Puerto Viejo.

If you are traveling at night, you should only carry an appropriate amount of cash and place all valuables in the hotel safe. If something is lost at the exit, the loss will be bearable.

When traveling by bus, always pay attention to your luggage, including your backpack, which you take with you as hand luggage on the bus.

When traveling with a rental car, do not leave your valuables in the vehicle and, if possible, park it in a secure area. Secure parking spaces can be found in every major city and most major tourist attractions.

Is Costa Rica an expensive travel destination?

(Almost) every country in the world is cheaper than Switzerland, but Costa Rica is not a budget travel destination.

Costa Rica is currently experiencing a tourist boom, causing rental car and accommodation prices to rise. Especially exquisite eco-lodges, many of which are located in magnificent locations intertwined with nature, now dominate prices at the European level.

At the lower end of hotel quality, the price-performance ratio is not always good: quality and price sometimes do not match.

Can I enjoy street food without worry?

Yes, Costa Rica is a highly developed country, so you can eat anywhere without worry. However, since Costa Rica is in the tropics, “traveller’s diarrhea” (especially at the beginning of the trip) is not uncommon. As a rule, this disappears quickly.

Even though tap water is officially considered drinkable, you should still use bottled water.

What health risks are there?

Costa Rica is a tropical country where health risks are higher than in Europe. However, tourists are not much affected by tropical diseases; especially if they are staying in tourist areas. Depending on the length and type of trip, vaccinations or supplements may be necessary. Therefore, you should consult your doctor about four weeks before traveling. It is important to protect yourself from mosquitoes (long clothing, anti-hum) that can transmit various diseases. www.osir.ch offers the first overview.

There are about two dozen poisonous snakes and a few nasty spiders in Costa Rica. However, as a tourist, the risk of being bitten by a snake is quite low.

The health system is good.

When is the best time to travel to Costa Rica?

The main season is the dry season from November to April. Then it can sometimes get quite crowded in the most popular destinations. It is recommended that you make accommodation and rental car reservations in advance.

Rain begins gradually in May and reaches its maximum in August-October. Overland travel is often difficult due to rising rivers and flooding.

However, Costa Rica can also be visited during the rainy season. Advantage: almost no tourists and low prices.

What are the main travel destinations?

Nicoya Peninsula

The peninsula in the northwest is known primarily as a beach destination. The bays offer beautiful beaches and the seaside resort infrastructure is well developed. Surfers will also find ideal conditions here. The center of beach and party holidays is the town of Tamarindo.

Central Pacific Coast

If you don’t have much time and want to experience “Costa Rica in miniature”, the central Pacific coast is the right place for you: Here you will find some of the most picturesque national parks (for example, Manuel Antonio National Park) and some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. The most popular place for beach and entertainment is Jaco.

South and Osa Peninsula

Although traveling in Costa Rica still feels like adventure, the country is still fairly developed outside of the south and the Osa Peninsula. The roads here are bad, the infrastructure is a bit poor and the nature is wild. If you’re looking for adventure, rent a 4×4 and head to the Osa Peninsula and the incredible Corcovado National Park, the most biodiverse region on Earth.

Valle Central and San Jose

There’s one place in Costa Rica that’s definitely not worth a visit: the capital, San José, is ugly and depressing. There are still some worthwhile sightseeing spots in the area called Valle Central. This is where most of the coffee plantations are located, offering interesting tours of coffee cultivation and production.

caribbean coast

The Caribbean coast is less developed than the Pacific regions, but a good tourist infrastructure has developed. If you are looking for beach fun and party, you should go to Puerto Viejo. Nature lovers head north, especially to Tortuguero National Park, where you can easily observe sea turtles laying their eggs.

Plateaus and volcanoes

Costa Rica’s highlight is its central mountain range, which runs like a spine through the middle of the country. There are dozens of volcanoes here (the most famous is Arenal Volcano), some of which can be climbed. While tropical rainforest grows along the coasts, cloud forest can be found higher up, looking particularly mystical due to its location within the clouds. The forests in Monteverde National Park are especially beautiful.

Source : Blick