QCOSTARICA by Sammi, Mytanfeet.com – 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.
They love sharing their experiences with us, we’ve heard some crazy stories, some good and some bad but mostly good. Most of their bad moments were attributed to a mistake they made traveling in Costa Rica, whether they didn’t research a destination properly, forgot to bring an essential item or ignored an important factor for their trip. Usually it worked out in the end, but not without any hiccups.
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
1. 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 so it is 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.
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.
2. 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.
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.
3. 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 time written, a few times our bus arrived 20 minutes early and we would’ve have missed it.
4. 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 actually does generally work but not during peak season. During Christmas, New Years and Semana Santa, 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, 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 because well, it is high season and they have to re-think their plan.
Want to rent a car in Costa Rica? Get 10% and more off with our discount plus a complimentary 2nd driver and cell phone.
5. 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. Or you make mistake 4 and the bus turns out to be more complicated than you thought.
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 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.
One way to solve this problem is to fly everywhere which saves a ton of time, but is pretty expensive.
6. Not telling your credit card company you’re traveling overseas
Definitely do not make this mistake! I went on a tour to Nicaragua with my parents and we were 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’ll 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 want to.
7. 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. Unless it can’t be helped, we never leave anything as much as a bag of groceries 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. Even if you put it in the trunk, thieves will know. It only takes a minute for them to get in and out, so don’t take any chances and do not make this mistake!
8. 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.
9. 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!
10. 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 like this one 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 before you plan your trip so you can 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!
Read more expat stories at Mytanfeet.com
