Top Tips For Traveling In Costa Rica! | Planning your first visit
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- čas přidán 12. 06. 2024
- Richard is the owner/broker of Coldwell Banker Tamarindo, and the founder of the vacation rental company www.viptamarindo.com. Please get in touch if we can help.
Costa Rica is a wonderful country with friendly people, beautiful beaches and amazing jungle and wildlife. But bring your smarts, to avoid problems.
1. Beach,educational,wildlife, relaxing, cultural. You should prioritize, spiritual
It is good to think about what you want to get out of the trip, there are so many options. Learn to make pottery the traditional way, make tortillas, pick and grind coffee. See sloths etc
2. Which airport? Liberia or San Jose (Juan Santamaria)
There are 2 airports, Liberia (LIR) and San Jose (SJO). Both are clean and efficient and eye wateringly expensive food drink and souvenirs. Neither town has much to offer. At a push there is an interesting half day tour in San Jose, but only really if you need to fill your time. Best to get to your first nights accommodation if you can, rather than a night in an airport hotel
3. The people
In general the people are friendly and welcoming to visitors. You should take time to make some new friends. But just be aware there is an element out there looking to take
advantage and earn money out of you unfairly
4. Seeing the animals and sea life- rainforest walk, boat trip. Stay quiet
In the last month, doing no tours and just staying in my little town I have seen turtles, humpback whales, sharks, crocodiles, sloths, monkeys, iguanas, mapaches. Costa Rica has incredibly plentiful and diverse wildlife. When you are booking a wildlife tour, ask the guide what they have seen in the last few days. Stay quiet, it is not a zoo so if you make noise the animals will go away.
5. Car rental
Book well in advance, research if you need to pay the CDW or if it is covered on your card. They will try to sell it to you
6. Petty theft
Be aware of petty theft, don’t leave things in the car, on the beach, watch your wallet and phone
7. Packlightly,leave expensive jewelry at home
You won’t be dressing for dinner often, so pack lightly, a carry on bag should be enough. Light cottons are great. Leave the
jewelry at home, otherwise it will be a stress if you are leaving it in your car/hotel room.
8. Internal ‘puddle jumper’ flights are great
Take advantage of the great network of local 12 seater puddle jumper planes. Very good and reasonably priced. They use San Jose as a hub. A 5 hour drive is a 30 minute flight. Luggage limits
9. Use airbnbs and small local hotels
There are some beautiful chain hotels such as Four Seasons and Marriott, but try to get the local experience, small hotels and airbnbs. The all inclusives really seal your off in a bubble, get out and experience the local flavor
10.Each beach town is completely different to the next
Research your beaches carefully. Each one has its own unique flavor. Some you need a car, some you don't. Some black beaches some white, surf or no, rocky or swimming beach
11. It is hot
From 11am to 3pm it is hot hot hot. If you have activities, plan them for early or late in the day. Bring lots of water and sunscreen
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You should have included info on best way to get around if you don't want to rent car
Great advice and plenty of info Rich, thank you !
These videos are SO helpful. Thank you!
Thank you so much for your precise and helpful information!
I WATCHED BOTH OF YOUR VIDEOS AND WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR MAKING THEM. THEY HAVE TRULY HELPED ME PUT TOGETHER MY COST RICA VACATION. I ESPECIALLY
APPRECIATE YOUR HONEST WAY OF COMMUNICATING. AWESOME RESOURCE! THANK YOU!
no need to yell, amigo.
Crazy, I was doing some research on Costa since I am coming in a few week….Turns out you are in the condo we rented out for the the 3 months in this video lol.
Super helpful tips, thank you!!
Thanks for these, super helpful for our upcoming trip!
Sansa puddle jumper flights! Great tip! Thank you.
Great tips, you packed a lot into that video.
Thanks for the advice Rich! Planning a trip to CR in a few months, so excited to finally see firsthand what Pura Vida means :)
Hope you enjoy Tiquicia. Pura vida!
Your such a beautiful human!!❤ Thank you so much for this very informative video🥲🤗
Really good work with the video. Thanks
Nice I learned something new bc I didn’t know about the “car watchers!” Interesting profession to find yourself in.
Good info. Thank you.
Appreciate your professional guidance 🙂
Very helpful thank you!
Thank you for the videos
Great videos. Thank you!
That was a really nicely put together video, I'm thinking of going to CR with my wife this August if corona allows the trip
Are U still going? How is the weather?
Love your videos. Just starting to plan my 3 month trip for next mid January from Europe (With my border collie dog)
Great videos! We will be in Tamarindo in July 2021. Your videos are very informative. Thanks!
Great, please get in touch richard@cbtamarindo.com
What great no b******t advise, thanks Rich really useful. My wife and I are coming over to Costa Rica in March for 12 days so your videos are invaluable. Haven't planned our itinerary yet but taking on board everything you're saying. Would be really interested if you could recommend a local travel guide please ?
Thanks for sharing! It helped us when travelling Costa Rica (and vlogging). I highly suggest getting a car. It was really nice having option to go off beaten path.. away from crowds and we found some hidden gems we wouldn’t have found otherwise.
Cool
We're a few days into our trip in Costa Rica and so far we've been impressed by the range of Airbnb's on offer. We're long term travellers, so having a kitchen comes in very handy. A lot of places seem to have Netflix as well, which is a nice bonus!
I remember Tamarindo from the 1984. That whole area was like the wild west of CR. Another wild west area was the oso peninsula, those were the days.
Great tips! but if you plan to go into the mountains, youll need a rain jacket and a sweater and some pants. Also, dont forget your hiking boots or running shoes
Great tip!
Once was more then enough!
Hi from Trinidad!!😁I really wanna visit here soon, I would love for you to give some pointers on where to go/do or even show me around a little if you have time.
Very useful and insightful information about Costa Rico. As far as the Internet, what is your recommendation for the best SIM card to use?
Hello Rich. Love your videos. Very informative! Planning a visit in August. You mentioned the puddle jumpers and getting packages to travel around, we aren't seeing that....how would we go about getting a package?
Planning a visit in August as well
Coming in 2 days for winter
Come see Watusi
Hello!! Thank you for your video! I am planning to visit there in the first week of september and your video is helping me a lot to navigate!!
one question is that we will be there for 5 nights and 6 days. And we want to be flexible with our schedule. So I am wondering would it be okay to book a hotel/airbnb when we get there. without booking in advance? Because september is not a busy season, I assume it should be fine though. Could you please advise me? thank you :)
Thank you so much for your advice on traveling in Costa Rica. Thank goodness I listen to your advice about getting an SUV. We only got a 2 Wheel SUV instead of a four-wheel-drive and it turned out OK. We were lucky. On the peninsula we ran into very bad gravel roads. That were so badly damaged by water we only averaged 20 km. I heard your voice ringing in my ear saying if the mapping program says an hour and a half plan on four hours. That happened to us multiple times. The worst was crossing streams that weren’t on the map. Evidently they didn’t exist a couple of days before we arrived. There were some that were so bad we could not cross them. So we had to go back and retrace our route on very painfully slow horrible roads. I have never seen roads in such terrible condition. One local described it as the road crisis in Costa Rica.
Would you please make a video that included a map of the paved roads versus the non-paid roads. Evidently the mapping programs do not distinguish between the two. I wish they did. If you need footage of actual roads with photographs and videos I will be glad to email them to you. We changed our plans on three different days because the roads were in such a bad condition. Going over that many bumps for that many hours actually made my body hurt
The locals (some of which speak English rather well) can help you with directions and routes. That's how us Costa Rican's get around. We stop and ask "medio mundo" if the road in my plan is passable. Many times they know of issues that might make my drive painfully slow or even dangerous. It doesn't hurt to ask a local.
So do u think that no needs a 4x4?? I think to travel san jose to la fortuna then Monte Verde then sjo. I dont think that have to much mud to get stuck, what u think?
It depends on the driver. I usually average double the speed on "bad" roads than what most people do.
Would you know by chance what’s the actual time it would take driving from Jacó to Manual Antonio National Park? (Google maps shows 1h 17 mins) And from Jacó to the airport? (Google maps shows 1h 40 mins). Are these roads paved? Thanks
Have been trying to decide how many days to stop in San Jose. Thank you!
Where’s your video covering all the different beaches you mentioned? I’ll be visiting for abt 5 days 1st wk of Dec - no idea which beaches make sense to visit in that time (?) Thanks for the awesome videos that finally convinced me to visit!
Thanks Rich, I know that a vacation in Costa Rica is Loved by all ...BUT what are the real world challenges for people who move here after there honeymoon vacation. Is it true that there is a very high failure rate, people who move then reality sets inn and the challenges are faced. I enjoy your videos.
Hi Rich, I’m going to Costa Rica in a few days. Will be staying in Guanasaste . Not sure if I’ll be renting a car as yet. Staying just a week though, do you suggest I rent one for a few days, and what are the must do around that area. Not really looking forward to the bad roads, since I have back issues 😢. Thanks
Hey Rich, you got any listing of good surf beaches...? thanks
Great content/tips Tamarindo Rich! I'm planning to visit over Xmas and NY. Do you know if national parks will be closed on any of those days over the holiday season? Or if anything is planned for NYE that's good to visit?
Hi, how was your holiday in costa rica? :)
@@sabrinamo6698 was great! Go!
@@IS-hi6uh Thank you for your answer 😍 did you go by bus and were there maaaany tourists? ☺️
How about the Airbnb by the beach or jungle with no A/C is it to hot in beginning of July to stay in? Also I heard you can rent ATV for the week if you’re staying in a certain area?
such wonderful, entertaining. and practical video's...I would love to hear your experiences in other countries.
Glad I discovered your channel. Do you have a video on getting dental implants in CR? I hear dental work is significantly cheaper there. Any links would be appreciated.
Also I love the cooler highland temperatures, what are some of the best highlands to visit?
Labor is cheaper but materials are more expensive. Better to get a quote beforehand
We’re staying a week at Tango Mar. I see very little to do around the property. Can you suggest some things to do in that area? Do we need to rent a car and drive to other places?
Any information about how to get a residency there?
You mentioned airports. Might you tell us how to catch a flight from San Jose to FON? We're staying in Arenal in February 23 and would prefer NOT to drive for 3 hours there and then 3 hours back when we leave. We can't seem to find ANY flights on ANY of the local airlines to fly us into Fortuna.
where do you recommend getting a CR sim card for an unlocked phone? At the airport, or is that a bad deal like the currency exchange? thanks!
So I'm looking for a beach vacation close to a town with nice restaurants and night life. Where do you recommend
I’m planning going to Costa Rica in March. I was wondering where are the best areas for street food please? Is street food everywhere? Thanks. Good videos btw!X
Lots of Street food options
@9:54 Hello Salt Lake City Airport!!!
is there a town that is not hot...a spring or fall climate?
just got back from a 3 week travel in costa rice, for anyone who wants to see how it went, and with our 8 months old!
Come back soon
I have a five year old, and going mid june, any tips?
Helooo i think in to go to costa rica now in February, and visit la fortuna then travel to monte verde then go to san jose, do u think i need a 4x4??
Thank-you Rich ! I'm a Coldwell Banker Realtor in Redding California since 1990~ I'll be arriving Liberia May 29th and staying in a private property on the beach in Tamarindo~ Would love to plan some boating excursions and a dive trip~ Any suggestions? Ronda Culp
Please email me Richard@cbtamarindo.com
Richard@cbtamarindo.com
hello which hotels would u recommend
You mentioned in one of your videos that you believe there are 6 great areas in Costa Rica. What are the Nicoya Peninsula areas that you think are the most interesting to consider as a place to explore and potentially live?
richard@cbtamarindo.com please drop me a line
@@cbtamarindo thank you for all the info!! I am dying to visit with the hope that it it’s a fit and will be my home. Appreciate the tip on Liberia airport. Is it wise to have my trip all mapped out or if I rent a car can I just wander and find a safe place to stay? I am a single woman and want to explore to see what areas I like? I own a business here so I will just stay a week at a time but would like to make multiple trips to educate myself. All suggestions are much appreciated! I am not looking for fancy I want a slower pace of life
@@marciesullivan3916 hi Marcie, I’m planning a trip and as a single female, I’m at least booking a casita or something on the Guanacaste area. May rent a car to explore inland but, as independents we are, knowing someone is a plus as well. Good luck and enjoy
Do I need to get travel visa to go to CR
I’ll be going for around 5 days and planning on two regions: 1) Manuel Antonio and 2) Arsenal/La Fortuna, which one should I visit first?
YOU MEANT "ARENAL", DIDN'T YOU?
Hi Richard we are visiting this February any recommendations what not to do
We’re going on the pacific cost.
How to be safe is our concern …
Thank you in advance
Sorry i just saw this, hope you had a good trip. richard@cbtamarindo.com next time you come
I’m staying in Atenas
Do you think vaccines are needed to travel there for 3 weeks, thanks
Hi Richard ,how do I get an invite to visit Costa Rica 🇨🇷, I’m from Africa.
Which rental car place has the lowest deposit that you would recommend?
You
How many days do you recommend to visit CR?
It is a solid 3 or 4 hours between all the good stuff, so absolute minimum 1 week, but really you need 2. Dont try to do too much or you end up driving all the time
#1 and main one ...WALLET...Watch it closely!!!
In what city is the international airport?
SJO is in the capital San Jose. LIR is in Liberia, about an hour from Tamarindo
I'm will be in Costa Rica in May 20 Should I expect alot of rain? I will be in Guanacaste
I did a video on the weather in each month. There will likely be a bit of rain late afternoons but nothing that will affect your fun
@@cbtamarindo thanks
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Your videos are interesting but the audio is hard to figure out. The room you shoot them in is large and the echo dispels and blurs your words, making your speech a lot of work to follow. In a word, the sound has no "presence". Please see to that.
If we were to visit Tamarindo, what is the best airport to fly into? We enjoy the informational videos.
Librería lir is closest
I dont get what theyre watching out for with the car?
Some of these are like Guatemala, especially the watchy guy. Except there, if you don't pay him upfront, you guarantee your car will be broken into or vandalized.
Hello Rich, Having watched many of your videos about CR my wife and I feel very comfortable in possibly relocating to Guanacaste region. We are in need of an attorney for the setup of a trust and bank account and would greatly appreciate any referral you feel comfortable in making. We will also need accommodation, rent first then purchase, any assist with this, again greatly appreciated. Keep up the great channel and we look forward to your response.
Bro you looks like Jeffery Epstein 😭
I just lost 2900 dollars in my vacation package to Guanacaste. Is discriminatory why Costa Rica asks for a tourist visa for US permanent residents if they are ONLY CUBANS with CU-CU6 on their green card (almost everyone). If you do not read the small letters like me then you will find out that it takes months and a lot of paperwork that frankly, I found illegal to ask for bank accounts, notarized background police reports, and a letter to Inmigration, etc. They play cat and mouse at the Consulate/Embassy and do not give you an appointment to discuss your case or hold any secure deposit (another ridiculous option you can read in their website). PURA VIDA? Really. I do not recommend traveling there at all. Shame on them.
When are people going to start leveling about CR? Rains like crazy half a year.3rd world country.Shitty infrastructure,literally since there is no sewer systems anywhere and health care to die for...again literally.
I'm heading to Soltara healing retreat.
Which airport do I fly into?
I'm coming all the way from Australia!