Things to Know Before Visiting Costa Rica (2026)

15 things every traveler should know before visiting Costa Rica. Money, phones, safety, apps, insurance, and local tips from guides who live here.

Quick Answer: Costa Rica runs on colones but accepts US dollars almost everywhere tourists go. Tap water is safe in most areas. No vaccines are required for entry. You do not need a visa for stays under 90 days (US and Canadian citizens). Travel insurance is not mandatory but strongly recommended, especially for adventure activities. Download Waze before you land because Google Maps will steer you wrong on Costa Rican roads.

You booked the flights. The hotel confirmations are rolling in. Now comes the part most travel blogs skip: the practical stuff that actually makes or breaks your first few days in Costa Rica.

This is not a full packing list (we have a complete packing guide for that). This covers everything else: the money questions, the phone situation, the cultural rhythms, and the handful of things Marta and I wish every traveler knew before stepping off the plane in San Jose.

Packing: The Short Version

Costa Rica is not a one-climate destination. You will move between humid beach towns, cool cloud forests, and rainy jungle valleys, sometimes in the same day. The key is packing light, packing layers, and leaving anything you would wear to a nice dinner back home.

The essentials that solve most problems: quick-dry clothing (cotton stays wet for hours in tropical humidity), a packable rain jacket (rain hits every afternoon in green season and frequently in the mountains year-round), closed-toe hiking shoes with grip (trails are muddy, rocky, and occasionally steep), reef-safe sunscreen (required at many beaches near marine parks), and a dry bag for your phone on any water-based tour.

Leave the jeans, hair dryers, and heavy luggage behind. You will not need them, and lighter bags make shuttle transfers and domestic flights significantly easier.

For the full destination-by-destination breakdown with a printable checklist, read our complete Costa Rica packing guide.

Money, Cards, and Tipping

Costa Rica uses the colon (plural: colones). The exchange rate fluctuates but generally hovers around 500 to 530 colones per US dollar. You will see prices listed in both currencies at most tourist-facing businesses, restaurants, and tour operators.

Credit and debit cards work at hotels, larger restaurants, tour companies, and supermarkets. Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted. American Express is hit or miss. Smaller sodas (local restaurants), roadside fruit stands, farmers markets, and rural areas are cash only.

Dallas’s tip: Pull colones from an ATM at the airport when you land. BAC and Banco Nacional ATMs are the most reliable. Avoid currency exchange booths as the rates are worse. Withdraw enough to cover your first two days of small purchases, tips, and roadside stops.

Tipping is appreciated but not obligatory. Restaurants add a 10% service charge (servicio) to the bill automatically. You can leave an extra 5 to 10% for exceptional service but it is not expected. For tour guides, $5 to $10 per person is standard. Shuttle and transfer drivers appreciate $2 to $5.

Phone, SIM, and Connectivity

Your US or Canadian phone plan may include Costa Rica roaming, but check before you fly. T-Mobile and Google Fi tend to work well. AT&T and Verizon charge steep daily roaming fees.

The cheapest option is a local Kolbi (ICE) SIM card or an eSIM. Kolbi SIM cards are sold at the airport and at small shops across the country. A prepaid plan with 5 to 10 GB of data runs around $5 to $10 and lasts a month. If your phone supports eSIM, you can purchase and activate one before you even leave home through providers like Airalo or Holafly.

WiFi is solid at most hotels and restaurants in tourist areas. Arenal, Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, and Santa Teresa all have reliable connections. Remote areas like the Osa Peninsula and parts of the Caribbean coast can be spotty.

Marta’s tip: Download offline maps in Waze or Google Maps before you arrive. Cell signal drops in the mountains between destinations, and you do not want to lose navigation mid-drive on a gravel road to Monteverde.

Health and Travel Insurance

No vaccines are required to enter Costa Rica from the US or Canada. The CDC recommends being up to date on routine vaccines (Hepatitis A, Typhoid) but these are recommendations, not entry requirements.

Travel insurance is not legally required but we recommend it for every traveler. Costa Rica is an adventure destination. Zip-lining, white water rafting, horseback riding, surfing: these activities carry risk. A good travel insurance policy covers emergency medical evacuation, trip cancellation, and lost luggage. Companies like World Nomads, SafetyWing, and Allianz all offer plans that cover adventure sports.

Costa Rica has solid public and private healthcare. Private hospitals like CIMA in San Jose and Clinica Biblica offer excellent care. Pharmacies (farmacias) are everywhere and many medications that require prescriptions in the US are available over the counter in Costa Rica, including common antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.

Tap water is safe to drink in San Jose, Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, and most urban and tourist areas. In remote Caribbean and Osa Peninsula zones, stick to bottled or filtered water.

What to Wear and What to Leave Home

Costa Rica is casual. Extremely casual. Leave the heels, blazers, and anything you would wear to a nice dinner in Miami. Even upscale restaurants operate on a “clean and comfortable” dress code.

The country spans multiple microclimates, so layering matters more than style. Beach towns like Manuel Antonio and Santa Teresa are hot and humid: think shorts, tank tops, and sandals. Monteverde sits at 4,600 feet and gets cool in the evenings: pack a light jacket or hoodie. Arenal is warm but rainy: a packable rain jacket is non-negotiable.

For a detailed breakdown by climate zone and destination, check our full Costa Rica packing guide.

Dallas’s tip: Closed-toe shoes for hiking, reef-safe sunscreen for any beach day, and a dry bag for your phone on boat tours and rafting trips. Those three things solve 90% of the “I wish I had packed that” moments.

Getting Around Costa Rica

Costa Rica is small on the map but travel times are longer than you expect. San Jose to Arenal is about 3 hours. Arenal to Monteverde is 3 to 4 hours depending on road conditions. Manuel Antonio to Santa Teresa involves a combination of driving and a ferry or a long coastal route.

Your main options are private shuttles, shared shuttles, rental cars, and domestic flights. Each has a sweet spot.

Option

Best For

Watch Out

Private Shuttle

Families, couples, door-to-door ease

Book at least 48 hours ahead

Shared Shuttle

Solo travelers, budget-conscious

Fixed schedules, longer travel times

Rental Car

Flexible itineraries, 4+ destinations

Insurance costs, unpaved roads, no night driving

Domestic Flight

Long routes (SJO to Drake Bay, Tortuguero)

Small planes, strict luggage limits

For a complete route-by-route breakdown with real travel times, read our Costa Rica transportation guide.

Marta’s tip: If you are visiting three destinations or fewer, private shuttles are almost always easier and cheaper than renting a car once you factor in insurance, fuel, and the stress of navigating unpaved mountain roads. We coordinate shuttles between every major destination.

Safety Tips That Actually Matter

Costa Rica is one of the safest countries in Central America. It has no military, a stable democracy, and a well-developed tourism infrastructure. That said, standard travel precautions apply everywhere.

Do not leave valuables visible in a parked car. Use hotel safes for passports, cash, and electronics you are not carrying. Avoid walking alone on unlit beaches at night. Keep a photocopy of your passport on your phone (a photo of the info page works).

Petty theft (bag snatching, car break-ins) is the most common issue, almost exclusively in San Jose and at popular beach parking lots. Violent crime affecting tourists is extremely rare.

For a deeper dive, read our complete Costa Rica safety guide.

Apps Every Traveler Should Download

These seven apps will make your trip noticeably smoother. Download them before you leave home.

App

What It Does

Waze

Navigation. More accurate than Google Maps for Costa Rica roads.

WhatsApp

How locals and businesses communicate. Essential for tour confirmations and support.

XE Currency

Real-time colon to dollar conversion. Works offline.

Google Translate

Camera translate for menus and signs. Download Spanish offline pack.

Uber

Works in San Jose and the Central Valley. Cheaper than official taxis.

Maps.me

Offline maps with hiking trails and points of interest marked.

Merlin Bird ID

Costa Rica has 900+ bird species. Point your phone, get an ID.

Book Tours and Shuttles in Advance

Costa Rica is not a “show up and figure it out” destination, at least not during high season (December through April). Popular tours sell out, especially in smaller destinations like Monteverde where operator capacity is limited.

Things you should book in advance: Manuel Antonio National Park guided tours (park limits daily entries), Pacuare River rafting trips, catamaran sunset cruises in Manuel Antonio, hanging bridges and night walks in Monteverde, and all private shuttle transfers.

Things you can usually book last-minute: hot springs visits in Arenal, beach horseback riding, coffee farm tours, and most restaurant reservations.

Dallas’s tip: The sweet spot is booking your must-do tours 2 to 4 weeks before your trip and leaving 1 to 2 days in your itinerary unplanned. That gives you room to discover something unexpected. The best moments in Costa Rica are often the ones you did not schedule.

We handle tour booking, shuttle coordination, and hotel reservations as part of our trip planning service. Same price as booking direct, plus you get a single point of contact for everything.

Green Season vs Dry Season

Costa Rica has two seasons: dry (December through April) and green/rainy (May through November). Both are good. Neither is bad. The choice depends on what matters most to you.

Factor

Dry Season (Dec to Apr)

Green Season (May to Nov)

Weather

Sunny, hot, dry

Morning sun, afternoon showers

Crowds

Peak tourist season

Fewer crowds, more space

Prices

Higher (hotels, flights)

20 to 40% lower across the board

Scenery

Brown and dry in some areas

Lush, vibrant green everywhere

Wildlife

Easier to spot (less foliage)

More active, nesting season

Rain in green season does not mean all-day downpours. It means clear mornings and a few hours of rain in the afternoon. You still do every tour, every hike, every beach day. You just pack a rain jacket. For more detail, read our green season guide and best time to visit breakdown.

Cultural Tips and the Pura Vida Mindset

Pura Vida is not just a greeting or a slogan on a t-shirt. It is a way of moving through the world. Things run on “Tico time.” Buses may be late. Your restaurant order might take longer than you expect. The shuttle driver might stop so you can look at a toucan. This is not inefficiency. This is the rhythm of a country that ranks among the happiest on earth.

A few cultural notes that will help you fit in:

Greet people. A simple “Buenas” (short for buenos dias, buenas tardes) goes a long way. Costa Ricans are warm and will always return a greeting.

Do not touch or feed wildlife. This is a serious rule, not a suggestion. Feeding monkeys habituates them to humans and changes their behavior permanently. National parks enforce fines.

Sustainability matters here. Costa Rica generates over 98% of its electricity from renewable sources and has set a goal to become fully carbon neutral. Choose reef-safe sunscreen, carry a reusable water bottle, and respect the trails and wildlife. You are visiting one of the most biodiverse places on the planet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I know before going to Costa Rica for the first time?

The biggest things: US dollars are accepted widely but carry some colones for small purchases. Tap water is safe in most tourist areas. No visa is needed for stays under 90 days. Download Waze for navigation. Book popular tours 2 to 4 weeks ahead, especially in high season. And pack layers because you will move between beach, jungle, and mountain climates in a single trip.

Do I need a visa to visit Costa Rica?

US and Canadian citizens do not need a visa for stays of 90 days or less. You need a passport valid for at least one day beyond your entry date (though six months validity is recommended) and proof of an outbound flight or bus ticket.

Is it safe to drink tap water in Costa Rica?

Yes, in most of the country. San Jose, Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, and all major tourist areas have treated, safe tap water. In remote Caribbean coast areas, parts of the Osa Peninsula, and very rural zones, use bottled or filtered water to be safe.

Should I get travel insurance for Costa Rica?

Strongly recommended. Costa Rica is an adventure destination and many activities (rafting, zip-lining, surfing, horseback riding) carry inherent risk. A good policy covers emergency medical treatment, medical evacuation, trip cancellation, and lost luggage. Companies like World Nomads and SafetyWing offer plans that specifically cover adventure sports.

Can I use US dollars in Costa Rica?

Yes, at most hotels, tour operators, restaurants in tourist areas, and larger shops. You will receive change in colones. Smaller businesses, sodas (local restaurants), taxis, and rural areas operate in colones only. ATMs dispense colones and are widely available.

Need Help Planning Your Trip?

Tell us your travel dates, destinations, and what kind of experience you are looking for. We will build a custom itinerary with hotels, tours, and all your transfers coordinated. Same price as booking direct, with a local team on WhatsApp throughout your trip.

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Dallas & Marta
Pura Vida 🌿