We love talking to other travelers in Costa Rica to hear about their experiences and thoughts. Our goal is to get as much feedback to constantly improve our blog so whenever we have a chance, we ask them what they think of the country, where their favorite place is and if they would come back.
Majority of the feedback is extremely positive and most of the not so good were attributed to a mistake they made traveling in Costa Rica. Most of the time they didn’t research a destination properly, forgot to bring an essential item or ignored an important factor for their trip. It either cost them time or money and it is always something they wished they knew before they visited.
So when planning your Costa Rica trip or traveling in Costa Rica, make sure to avoid these 10 mistakes for a stress free vacation. Some of them are costly and can make you lose time and money, which you do not want at all!
10 Mistakes to Avoid Traveling in Costa Rica
Believing Google Maps
When it comes to driving times and distances, never believe Google Maps. The distances are accurate, but not the times. We always tell people to add at least 30 minutes to 1 hour to the estimated Google Maps driving time because driving in Costa Rica is not that straightforward or easy!
Roads in Costa Rica are notorious for being in bad condition and it is very much true. Then you have those big and very slow trucks that cause congestion because most roads have only one lane making it impossible to pass. So if you get stuck behind these trucks, that will prolong your driving time greatly.
In addition, many routes are not as the crows fly. Many of them have very windy roads, adding even more driving time since you need to go slow. So on a map, the destinations may not look far apart but the road is not straightforward. Check our detailed guide to road conditions in Costa Rica so you know what to expect.
For GPS, we suggest using the Waze app, it’s a lot more accurate than Google Maps. Waze is generated by user data and information, so you can get real time info about traffic, accidents, police and more. Since it knows where the traffic jams are, Waze can take you on an alternative route to avoid the jams.
Not asking about tides
Some beaches can only be reached during low tides because the path gets covered by high tide. We made this mistake ourselves when we tried to visit Playa Arco by Playa Dominical and just missed low tide. If you want to go to a hidden beach, make sure you ask a local or someone who has been there if tide is a factor. Another beach is Playa Blanca in the Central Pacific, you have to walk through Playa Mantas in low tide to get there.
This also applies to Marino Ballena National Park. You don’t need to visit in low tide, but if you want to see the famous Whale’s Tail then you absolutely have to. We were able to get some great shots with our drone because we went at the lowest point of the tide.
You should also ask about rip tides when swimming in the ocean. Tourists have drowned getting caught in rip tides, so make sure you ask a local or watch for signs before you take a dip, especially in the Central Pacific like Jaco.
Not looking up bus schedules
Especially if you’re on a tight schedule. The bus is cheap but it takes much longer so you’ll have to sacrifice either time or money. If you want to make the most of a short trip to Costa Rica, then taking the bus is not the best idea.
It is pertinent to look up the bus schedule to get a general idea of how your day will go. Many destinations have limited routes so you need to plan accordingly so you don’t miss the bus and have to wait until the next day. We’ve met travelers who didn’t bother to look up the schedule, assuming there would be plenty of routes to a certain destination, only to find out there was just one bus a day and had to change their whole schedule.
Read our tips for taking public transportation and take note of the routes on the Instituto de Turismo’s bus itinerary. We recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time, a few times our bus arrived 20 minutes early and we would’ve have missed it.
Not booking hotels during peak season/Not booking car rentals during high season
This one is a very common mistake. Some travelers come thinking they can find a place when they get here, which does generally work but not during peak season. During Christmas, New Years and Semana Santa (and don’t forget mid winter break, the 2-3rd week of July), hotels book up fast and fairly far ahead in advance since locals are also on vacation. Hotels also hike up the prices during these times so it’s not smart to think you can just find one when you get here for cheap.
This also goes for car rentals. If you want to rent a car, do it before your trip. Although there are a handful of car rental companies, most of the fleets are small and it is never guaranteed that you will get a car if you don’t reserve one, especially in high season. We have met many travelers who found out that the public transportation isn’t quite as efficient as they thought it was (mistake 3) and want to rent a car in January. Unfortunately, no cars are available (or only the luxury very $$ cars were) because well, it is high season and they have to re-think their plan.
Get 10% and more off with our discount plus 2 free drivers and 33% off GPS
Trying to go to too many places
Costa Rica is a small country so when you look at it on a map, you think, “Wow I can go everywhere!” Unfortunately, things aren’t what they always appear to be.
Though small in size, Costa Rica packs a punch when it comes to adventure activities and diversity of landscapes. You may find out that you really love one destination and want to spend more time there. Or you make mistake 1 and assume that driving will be easy peasy and time efficient.
There are a ton of great destinations in Costa Rica and you can visit several in one trip, but give yourself ample time to really explore an area. It’s not fun cramming in 10 different destinations in a 2 week trip!
Take a look at this 2 week itinerary we made for my brother and friends. We visited 4 destinations over a span of 14 days, allowing us to experience the rain forest, cloud forest, volcano and two different beach towns. Sure, I could have cut it down to only 2 days in each place and added more destinations, but we would have felt really rushed and wouldn’t have been able to get a well-rounded experience.
If you need ideas for the best places to visit, here is our list of the top destinations for first time visitors to Costa Rica.
Not telling your credit card company you’re traveling overseas
Definitely do not make this mistake! I went on a tour to Nicaragua and was delayed for an hour because one couple forgot to tell their credit card company they were traveling overseas and couldn’t withdraw cash from the ATM. They ended up not being able to go to the tour.
If you get blocked out of credit card, that will be a big hassle until you can contact your company or unless you brought a ton of cash. Costa Rica accepts USD so you don’t need to exchange your money into colones before hand, but make the necessary arrangements to use your credit or debit card if you plan to.
Learn more about how to handle money in Costa Rica in this post.
Leaving your valuables in your car
This is one of the first things we tell visitors when it comes to safety in Costa Rica. It is pretty easy to tell who is a tourist, so thieves can easily pinpoint their next target especially if they see them leaving all their valuables in the car. Unfortunately Costa Rica isn’t a country where you can leave your backpack or purse in plain sight so you should never ever leave valuables in your car.
Yeison and I always take our belongings or most prized possessions with us. If we absolutely have to leave things in the car when we go to the market or eat at a restaurant, we park it where we can see it all the time or have one person stay in the car. We do this even with his surfboard, we always park the car where we can see it.
We’ve met travelers who left their backpacks and suitcases in their car, went to the national park and came back only to find out their car had been burglarized. It has also happened to us. We stopped at the Limonal plaza to use the bathroom, Yeison was only a few feet away from the car and he caught a guy breaking our window! It only takes a minute for thieves to get in and out so please take this seriously and do not make this mistake.
This is also why we recommend getting travel insurance, just in case your items get stolen or damaged. You can read our post on Costa Rica travel insurance to find out more.
Taking out all your money of your wallet
Nothing attracts thieves more than when tourists are paying for something and they take out all the cash in their wallet to count their money. Take out only what you need.
By flashing 100 dollar bills or a wad of 20,000 colones, you’re letting everyone around you know that you got a lot of cash on you. And unfortunately, it could make you the next target.
Read about some common scams in Costa Rica and how to avoid them.
Not putting on sunscreen
Nothing is worse than getting a horrible sun burn your first day in Costa Rica and being uncomfortable and in pain for the rest of your trip. The sun is very strong here so make sure you put on ample sunscreen to protect yourself. I know most people want to get a tan, but trust me you will even with sunscreen on. It’s about protecting your skin and not getting 2nd degree burns on vacation!
Fun fact: locals like to call the gumbo-limbo tree in Costa Rica the “tourist tree” because the bark is bright red and peels, like the skin of sun burnt tourists. It’s not a good look, so make sure you use lots of sunscreen!
Costa Rica is only 8-12 degrees above the equator so even if you grew up in Southern California or Florida, it is pertinent to put on sunscreen.
Not bringing appropriate gear for rainy season
We’re sadly guilty of this one. We put our brand new camera in a not-so-waterproof backpack, went hiking to Cerro Chato in a thunderstorm and our camera didn’t survive (surprise surprise). If we had used an actual waterproof backpack that we ended up getting later, we would have saved our camera and an extra $500. Thank goodness it wasn’t a very expensive camera, can you imagine if it was your high end DSLR? Not good at all!
Visitors underestimate Costa Rica’s rainy season because it’s a tropical country so they assume it’s sunny all day all year long. Wrong. Read up about the weather in Costa Rica before you plan your trip so you pack accordingly. Need some tips? Check out our packing for rainy season post.
Visitors also assume that it’s really hot everywhere in the country which isn’t true either. Monteverde, the Central Valley and certain parts in the mountains can get chilly, especially in rainy season. You will actually need long pants and shirts for those places!
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These are some of the best travel tips for Costa Rica you’ll need so avoid these 10 mistakes when traveling in Costa Rica and you’ll have a fun, hassle free vacation. As you can see, many of these mistakes can cost you lots of time or money, so do your research and make the appropriate travel arrangements!
Read more Costa Rica travel tips here!
Lorenzo says
Lol We also call the gumbo limbo tree the tourist tree in Belize!
Liza H says
We were very happy with the Adobe car rental from Alajuela, where the airport is. We came in late, had a shuttle there. You will have to post a $1000 deposit which is refunded at check out. We got a free simple cell phone which we used while there,Garmin GPS, and a cooler.
Cautions regards Garmin use. You have to plug in specific Spanish names to get the correct location. I found it frustrating to use but when on target was invaluable. It led us a wrong street in San Ramon..dead end. We were off by one street. We also had a good water resistent map from AAA…National Geographic. I recommend using that one. Poor signage, you have to know cities. Numbered roads are optional except big ones. You have to be very defensive driving and somewhat aggressive at the same time. Lots of motorcycles and pedestrians on the roads. Be careful. A 4WD option is good. Most drivers especially trucks avoided going off the pavement for any reason. The ground is very moist and muddy. Often steep drop offs on the non curbside for their drainage purposes. We drove from Alajuela clockwise to San Geronimo de San Pedro (Below Chirripu), to Uvita (nice quiet place), to Jaco, Monteverde, Avenal, San Ramon, back to Alajuela.
Argo says
Hello all I just love this blog. Between reading many books and reading your blog I’ve gotten a pretty good understanding of Costa Rica. So much I bought a condo in Tamarindo.
One thing I would recommend is if you travel by car carry a fair amount of water and some snacks as sometimes you can actually be stuck in traffic for hours, especially if there is a vehicle accident or road construction
on one of the small roads. It seems like it takes forever for ambulances and police to come and take care business. Nothing is worse than being thirsty, hungry and tired. A little snack goes a long way.
Sammi says
Great tip and soo true! There have been many times when we’ve been stuck in traffic and I was starving. They just changed this law but since the roads here have no shoulders it’s doesn’t really work but before, if you got into a car accident, nobody was allowed to move the cars, even if it was blocking the road until the doctors and police got there. Now, the law is that if both parties consent, you can move the cars but roads here have no shoulders so there’s nowhere else to go and it still backs up traffic. We got stuck behind an accident for 2 hours before!
liolita thanasi says
All of these tips are accurate. I would add “do not exchange your US dollars at the Liberia Airport, they will charge you an extra tax”. You will receive about 30% less than what you would have received by exchanging the money at a local bank or at the hotel. In fact it is not necessary to exchange US dollars to local currency at all, the US dollar is widely accepted everywhere. If you ask they will print you a copy of the receipt with both; local currency amount and USD amount.
I would also suggest you to buy souvenirs at the local stores instead of the Airport. Liberia Airport will double tax your purchase, every item sold there is extra expensive.
Sammi says
Good tips!!
Whitney says
I just want to thank you so much for your blog! My husband and I are taking my parents with us and we are staying at Jardin Del Edén in a few weeks. I am learning so much from your posts that is going to help us! Thank you, thank you! <3
Sammi says
Hi Whitney, I’m glad to hear the blog has been helpful for your trip. We hope you have a great time in Costa Rica!
kim says
Hi Sammi,
We’re going to Costa Rica and will be staying at Dreams Las Mareas mid-August. Do you know if there’s any local farmer market around there so we can check out. We love tropical fruits and want to see what they have there. thanks much.
Sammi says
Hi Kim, I haven’t been there but from what I know Dreams is a resort in the Bay so you aren’t really close to a town. I think La Cruz may be the closest one so you’ll need to taxi out.
Lilia says
We stayed at the Dreams in May 2018. Absolutely loved it! We booked some of our excursions from vendors on the beach, found it a lot cheaper than going through the resort. Have a great trip!
Ilona says
I probably should have read this article before going to Costa Rica and not now, when I am already halfway through my trip.
I totally agree with most of them (I just don’t have any experience with google maps here because I don’t use it). Looking up bus schedules saved us a lot of time already, especially when going to Tortuguero where the bus is synched with the boats and there are only three in a day.
Also, I couldn’t agree more with the sunscreen! The sun here is very strong and nothing is more annoying than ending up completely burnt.
Thanks for the advise!
Sammi says
Hi Ilona, you’re very welcome and we hope you enjoy the rest of your time in CR!
Kimberly Wells says
My daughter and I just returned after our very favorite vacation ever – to Costa Rica. Thanks to your information, we were very well prepared. I would only add:
It’s helpful to have small bills (in my case dollars were accepted) for tipping.
Also, since I drove from La Fortuna to Monteverde, your suggestion for four-wheel drive was essential. I can’t remember if you suggested also to rent automatic transmission as opposed to manual. For that drive, with stops at the top of steep hills, I was glad to have automatic.
Thanks again. Your advice was all spot-on!
Kimberly W.
Sammi says
Hi Kimberly, I’m glad you had a great time in Costa Rica! We do mention the small bills in our handling money post and yes, definitely recommended to have a high car for Monteverde! We only recommend manual to those who are well experienced manual drivers because those hills are no joke! Thank you for reading Mytanfeet!
Colleen Corbett says
Hi there!
I have a question. We are only in San Jose for 1 night when we first arrive and don’t land under 7pm but were hoping to check out a local bar. We heard El Pueblo was a stable for San Jose but you say don’t go out after 10 pm. Do you have any suggestions where we can experience the culture and get a beer but still be safe?
Sammi says
San Jose in general is not a very nice city unfortunately and it’s not recommended to go out after 10 pm if you’re not familiar with the area but if you’re staying in a hotel in downtown San Jose, you can find lots of bars around Central Avenue and downtown. Always take a taxi or Uber, don’t walk at night in San Jose if you’re not familiar.
Stacey says
Thanks for all your info on traveling Costa Rica. Just returned yesterday from our first trip to CR. Here are two more mistakes to avoid.
First we exchanged money at the airport when we landed, thinking we would need some immediately. We did not get a very good exchange rate-the rates were better at the hotel and banks. As we had a hard time grasping the eqivalency to US dollars this took us some time to get used to and most places we went took US dollars or credit cards. Would have been better for us to exchange a small amount at hotel and then more at bank as needed.
Second, on our last morning we stopped at a shop to pick up a couple of souvenirs. Might have stayed a full 15 minutes inside. We parked on the street in front of the store where others were parked-no yellow lines. When we came out we had a ticket! We didn’t know you had to have a pass to park on the street (wish Adobe would have informed about that. When we mentioned that upon returning car, they just said there are signs. So if you don’t read Spanish be aware!) The shop workers were nice enough to tell us how to handle it and we paid it at the rental return. Just want to inform others to go ahead and pay for the public parking lot and don’t park on the street-it’s cheaper! (I do think a lot attendant tried to warn us but as we don’t speak Spanish we thought he was just pressuring us. I think now he was telling us not to park there!)
Hope our mistakes help others avoid the same things.
Sammi says
Hi Stacey! Yes I always recommend people to exchange at banks – but since USD are so readily accepted here, it’s not necessary. For the parking, that is so unfortunate. Only in the cities really are there designated parking places on the street that require a ticket and it is usually a sign with a big E and cross or No estacionar. Always good to research a bit of Spanish (or any language of the country you’re visiting) especially if you’re driving, we always try to be good travelers to write down important phrases and words of the language. I actually wrote a big post about street signs here: https://mytanfeet.com/about-cr/driving-in-costa-rica-take-slow/ as it’s always good to read up on it before visiting as not to get caught off guard.
Norma says
We were in Liberia headed to our resort from the airport and got pulled over by a policeman – we were warned but never thought it would happen to me – I drove while my husband guided me with the GPS and I speak Spanish – so he obviously wanted MORDIDA – brought him down to $60 from $400 – they can spot the rental cars and the tourists – I was later told by a waiter at hotel that if I would’ve videoed him and he saw me videoing him he probably would’ve let me go with a warning … oh well, I’ll know next time Be careful and follow all the speed signs!!!
Sammi says
The government is cracking down on police officers who are accepting bribes so you can actually report that officer to the government for accepting a bribe and he’ll get in biiggg trouble. It used to be a huge problem but seems like it still is. This is actually a reason why Waze is so popular here because you can mark police officers since tickets are SO expensive here!
Heather says
I lived in CR in ‘93-94 and remember my father saying that the tickets were ridiculously low and no one obeyed the rules so the gov’t increased the fines but too much. It was then that the bribes got out of control. We had to deal with it in every Central American country and it was the worst in Mexico but it’s nice to hear that they are trying to crack down on it.
Annie says
Hi!
We’ll be in Costa Rica in early April. We’ll spend the first night in Alajuela and leave the next morning for La Fortuna. We stop on the way to Poas Volcano, but we’ll have our luggage in the jeep. My question is: is the parking of Poas Volcano safe? I am worried when I read the articles about stealing in the rental car … What can we do in this case?
Thank you very much and congratulations for all your articles. They are very useful!
Annie
Sammi says
The parking in Poas Volcano is more secure because it’s a very touristic park so there are always a lot of tour buses and shuttles. I recommend taking all your valuables with you and if I remember correctly, there is a parking guard but still make sure to try not to leave anything visible.
Stephen says
What’s the deal with using a drone in Costa Rica? Is it legal, should I bother bringing it?
Sammi says
You technically need a permit and have to get a license, but there really isn’t a way to enforce it. You can use it, just don’t fly it near airports or in town, and you technically can’t take it into national parks.
Sammi says
Hi, Uber only operates in San Jose. You can read our Uber guide here: Uber Costa Rica
Tim says
Is uber operating in Costa Rica? If yes, uber or taxi?
Phuong Mai says
Thank you for sending me this reminder before I leave to my trip this Sat Sammi.
Thank you, love your blog.
Sammi says
Hi Phuong, thanks for reading our blog and hope you have a great time in Costa Rica!
Gloria says
Do not leave your shoes unattended on the beach, even if you see no one is there but you. The thieves will come out of the mangroves and steal your shoes.
Sammi says
I feel like this is coming from personal experience… if so that is really unfortunate! But yes, never leave belongings unattended at the beach!
Sammi says
Hi! This post will be really helpful to plan the rest of your trip: Best places in Costa Rica for first timers
I highly highly recommend making your plans asap because many hotels in beaches and touristic towns are booked full for Christmas and New YEars since this is our peak season and Costa Ricans go on vacation during this time too.
As for renting a car, this post will help a lot as well: Costa Rica car rental tips and this one: getting around Costa Rica which compares all the types of transportation.
Hill girl says
Amazing! You already saved me. We are Going for the holidays.
December 16-22 we are good. We will be in Manuel Antonio at Tulemar.
But December 22 -31 we are still putting together plans. Yikes!
At some point we thought Arenal volcano area and Monteverdi cloud forest might be fun.
And we hope we might have time to visit another beach before flying out of San Jose December 31.
Do you have suggestions? We would really love recommendations for the last 10 days of our trip. We don’t understand the roads or getting around like you probably do.
Renting cars vs bus vs car services.
Oh! And we are traveling with 3 little girls. The kids are ages 9, 7, & 4. We love rural areas normally for example in Hawaii we go to Kauai instead of the more popular islands. Any help is so appreciated.
Bea and Bertus says
Thanks for the usefull information. We are going to go to Samara in March..
Greetings ftom Berlin, Germany
Sammi says
Hi guys! Thank you for reading! I hope you have a great time in Costa Rica!
Sammi says
Hi Tracey, you can read all about COsta Rica’s weather here: Costa Rica weather and how much is the cost of traveling here: Cost of traveling in Costa Rica.
Tracey says
Going last week in April to may 6. WHAT type of weather is it going to be. Also is it expensive.
KC says
Your articles are always informative and interesting. Thanks for all the effort and useful information.
Sammi says
Thank you for reading! 🙂
David A says
Google bought Waze in 2013 and now utilizes their data on traffic. It is not as extensive with alternatives and reporting as Waze but the maps are better. Each app has different strengths although I’m not a pro in Waze. If you are in GAM (San Jose metropolitan Area) during rush hour or experiencing heavy traffic anywhere for sure use Waze, if not I think the maps are better in Google. The times have been accurate for me but may depend on the route you are taking. I think it also determines if you are driving relatively fast or slow as you drive or maybe from past history. A good idea is to have both and try to know the road conditions although you can get a good idea how good the road is by the suggestions and time estimates.
Sammi says
True, Google does use Waze data but from our experience, WAZE is always better for us in CR. It’s taken us to routes and roads not even Yeison has been to especially in San Jose and has helped us dodge accidents and traffic. Driving times are always dependent on the conditions of the day and if you get stuck behind a truck which can take forever if you can’t pass. I used Google Maps from Coco to Jaco and it led me to a horrifying steep unpaved road which supposedly was a short cut which it definitely was not! You are luckier, times have never been accurate for me with Google Maps but with WAZE yes!
mike says
these are great tips for any traveler in central America.
Sammi says
Thanks and they are definitely great tips for any C. America country!