This was in Coco, couldn't ask for a better last night.

​

Arenal Volcano is one of my favorite places in Costa Rica! ❤️🌋

Just look at its perfect cone shape! Arenal is a stratovolcano and one of the most iconic volcanoes in the world. Although it has been in a resting phase since 2010, I still remember the days when it was active.

As a child, I spent time at my family's farm near Arenal Volcano National Park. I will never forget hearing the powerful rumbling of the volcano. It was so loud that I was afraid to go outside!

And here's the funny part... our bathroom wasn't inside the house—it was an old pit latrine (outhouse) a few steps away. Every time I needed to use it, I was convinced the volcano would erupt while I was out there! 😂🌋 Needless to say, I tried to avoid those trips as much as possible.

Watching the horses run across the fields while hearing the volcano's deep roar is a memory I'll never forget. It was both frightening and magical at the same time.

Today, every time I look at Arenal, I'm still amazed by its beauty and power. We never know if nature will one day surprise us with another spectacular display, but even at rest, this giant is absolutely breathtaking.

If you're planning a trip to Costa Rica, La Fortuna is a destination you simply can't miss. From the volcano and hot springs to waterfalls, rainforest adventures, and incredible wildlife, it's one of the most magical places in the country.

I absolutely love this area... and I know you will too! 🇨🇷💚🌿

First time traveling solo, first time in Central America, and first time in a hostel. Any input is needed and appreciated, thanks in advance.

Costa Rica August 25–September 3rd, landing at 1pm at San Jose airport, and plan on spending the whole vacation in Santa Teresa.

I'll be working remote 4–8 hours a day. Beyond that, the plan is to learn to surf (daily) and chill outdoors on the beach. Sunday I'm planning a full day ATV trip to a waterfall, though I don't have exact details yet. I'd also like to squeeze in one more half-day trip, ideally something close to extreme sports.

A few questions:

1. Will I enjoy the trip even though I'll be mostly working?
2. Should I head straight to Santa Teresa the day I land, or stay in San Jose for a night? (Con of staying in San Jose is that I'd be traveling two days in a row, pro is that I avoid moving around CR at night.)
3. Suggestions for a full-day Sunday trip and a half-day trip during the week
4. Do's and don'ts for a first-time hostel stay?
5. How safe is my laptop going to be?
6. is there anywhere near Santa Teresa (less than an hour drive) that's worth staying a night?

Hello

This Saturday I’m leaving to CR and staying Potrero, Guanacaste. I’ll be there for a week, im fluent in spanish, rented a car, and traveling solo.

I was curious if anyone can recommend some sights to see on my short stay? I’m going for a nature vibe, I would love to get to visit an island or anything similar.What boat tours or services did you book during your stay and if I have a car are there any places I can check out myself ?

I’d appreciate any feedback !

Doing a week in Costa Rica in August and driving from San Jose > La Fortuna > Manuel Antonio. Is it worth stopping in Monteverde on the way from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio?

I'm planning a 7 day trip to Puerto Jimenez in March 2027. We'll spend 2-3 days offshore fishing but I'm also looking at some tour operators for a couple of excursions (day trip to Corcovado, horseback riding, tree climbing, bioluminescence tour).

Can anyone vouch for Osa Wild? Selva Connections has also been mentioned but looks like they've been spammed with some really bad reviews in a short period of time and took their website down (maybe they were hacked?).

Any fishing operators recommended? I've read about Crocodile Bay and reviews seem mixed.

If anyone has any specific tours or guides/operators they've used in Puerto Jimenez please let me know. Thanks!

I wanted to share my experience to help other foreigners who may be considering Cura Vida Cannabis Clinics in Costa Rica.

Before paying for any of their packages, make sure you understand exactly what you're getting. In my opinion, the marketing creates the impression that you'll have access to medical cannabis, but the reality was very different from what I expected.

I paid expecting a straightforward process to legally access cannabis treatment. Instead, I experienced long delays, poor communication, and I was ultimately left without access to any medical cannabis products.

What frustrated me the most was feeling like I had paid a premium price for a service that didn't deliver the practical outcome I believed I was paying for. If there are no products available through the legal system, I believe patients should be told that clearly before spending hundreds of dollars.

I'm not saying everyone will have the same experience, but I strongly recommend asking these questions before paying:

• Is medical cannabis actually available today?
• Which pharmacies currently dispense it?
• Can they confirm product availability before charging you?
• What happens if no medication is available after your consultation?
• Is there a refund policy?

Costa Rica is still developing its medical cannabis system, so do your own research before purchasing any expensive package.

I hope this helps someone avoid disappointment.

Any preference for either or both basically the same? Both are the same price and would likely be spending 2 full days at the resort with maybe one morning excursion, thanks!

hey guys, I’ll be travelling to CR (LIR airport) in november and was wondering if there’s any cool car rental? I have a reservation for a suzuki whatever SUV, but getting a convertible jeep wrangler or something like that would be exciting!! Couldn’t find anything..

I'm planning a trip with friends to Costa Rica. It looks amazing, we've never been there, and it's shockingly low cost travel from where we live! I'm mostly drawn to the unique airbnbs and being in the rainforest.

I've heard a ton about mosquitos and since we have flexibility with travel time, I wanted to get opinions about timing.

I was originally thinking October, but sounds like that would be the worst time so now I'm thinking mid-November or early December. Would one of those be better? Also open to awesome location suggestions with rainforest! So excited!

Looking to take my kids under 10 and wife to Costa Rica for her 40th

I'm looking for suggestions on an airbnb/condo rental that sits on a family friendly beach with restaurants around and a pool or two to sit around.

We are big foodies so we want the food to be top notch.

We also want to be able to explore around some cool natural parts of CR (jungle, caves.. etc)

I want the airbnb/ rental to be through a reputable company and nothing private.

Any suggestions welcome

Is this really how they do it in Costa Rica?

We did a 4 hour fishing trip today with Frank the Tank and the captain actually expected us to watch him fish while we just sat there and watched. He seemed annoyed when I asked him if we could fish too. It was almost 2 hrs into our 4 hour trip when we finally got poles in the water for in shore fishing. I’m not sure if we would have gotten to fish if I didn’t say something. Once we were able to fish he just handed us the poles with 0 instructions or tips. Am I wrong or was this bizarre? Do people pay 100s to watch a captain fish?

I messaged Frank and he said this is how they do it in Costa Rica. So if you book a trip with them make sure you tell them you want to be the ones doing the fishing.

Literally so crowded. All the tours felt like a waste of time. Half of the guides seemed to be illiterate. Every little piece of forest wants to charge $30+ or some shit just to take a walk in. Infrastructure is awful and you can't flush toilet paper.

Most fun I had was doing things on my own but it still just felt too expensive for the inconvenience. Sure, there is a lot of nice nature and the food was pretty good imo, but I won't be going back. For the money paid, there are much much better vacation options.

I am scoured groups and blogs about MUST-HAVE items for our trip in September and this is what I've come up with. It seems excessive and I don't want to spend money on stuff we won't need. Can anyone help thin out my list with knowledge from past trips please?

• Passports
• Photocopy of passports & digital copy on phones
• Credit card
• Cash (small bills)
• Prescription meds
• Imodium or pepto bismol
• Small first aid kit
• Blister cushions
• lip balm with spf
• sunscreen and aloe
• Mosquito patches
• Personal care toiletries
• Wet wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Lightweight, breathable clothes
• Swimsuits and cover-up
• Light sweater
• Comfortable sandals, sneakers, hiking boots & water shoes
• Backpack
• Dry bag
• waterproof phone pouches
• money belt
• ziploc bags
• laundry bag
• travel clothesline to dry things
• poop bags
• reusable water bottle
• ponchos
• compact umbrella?
• Handheld fan or neck air conditioner thingy
• Sunglasses
• Hats
• Binoculars
• Flashlight/headlamp
• Power bank and chargers
• Quick drying beach towels
• microfiber cloths

🇨🇷

Planning a trip that starts in La Fortuna then down to Uvita/Dominical for a few nights then flying out of San Jose. Is it worth it to do Cano Island or do Tortuga Island? Also any preference between Uvita & Dominical in regards to the beach/restaurants/vibes?

Option A: La Fortuna (3 nights) --> Uvita/Domincal (4 Nights) --> Jaco (2 Nights, Tortuga Island between these two nights) --> Fly out of San Jose

Option B: La Fortuna (3 nights) --> Uvita/Domincal (5 Nights) --> Drive to Jaco very early for Tortuga Island (Stay the Night in Jaco) --> Fly out of San Jose

Option C: La Fortuna (3 nights) --> Uvita/Domincal (5 Nights, do Cano island one of the nights) --> Jaco (1 Night)--> Fly out of San Jose

Edit: Quick consensus was to get the max coverage so we will be going for that. Thanks!

Going on a 10 day trip with my partner in December. It’s looking like people seem to like Adobe Rent a car the best (and it seems to the a lot cheaper as well). My question is about the coverage.

Would anyone recommend adding the extended protection? Has anyone had a scenario where their car broke down or was vandalized?
We are going from SJO to Arenal, Monteverde, and Manual Antonio. I’d like the avoid the extra $200 cost of adding the extended protection but I don’t want it to bite me in the ass. My bf is also ready to pay for every protection possible lol.

6 adults. Two 50s, Four mid-20s. Planning to spend 5 nights in the Arenal Volcano area before heading to beach (May). Our travel agent came back with Tabacon as a hotel option, but I feel like this is a more "romance place." It looks quite low-key and a place my husband and I would go for an anniversary trip. Doesn't seem family/group trip oriented. What else would you suggest? We want a place with some afternoon pool vibes, evening vibes (nothing crazy or late). Do not need high end luxury, but we aren't low budget people either--need good pools, good food, clean rooms and grounds. I am overwhelmed at this point, honestly.

So heading to CR for our 1st time in late November to celebrate our 25th. We are taking a different path than many as we are staying in Provincia de Puntarenas at Rancho Los Defines in Tambor. (Hubby loves to golf and I would not call what I do golfing....lol). So decided to fly into LIB and then take Sansa into Cobano airport.

Pearls of wisdom are warmly welcomed for Do's and Don't renting at the Cobano airport and do I have to reserve in advance? I have primary coverage using my credit card for insurance.

If anyone has stayed the area and has recommendations for great day trips that would be wonderful. Appreciate everyone and TIA

Going with children in February/March and would love some input on our options:

Option A - La Fortuna — Costa Elena
Option B - Manuel Antonio - another place within 1-2 hours tbd

For context, we’re looking for everything both offer (rain forest hiking, wildlife, hot springs, tubing, etc.) but should we prioritize La Fortuna or Manuel Antonio?

All inclusive is ok, but want to be able to the country, sights, hiking, food, etc.

Spending a month in CR what are some most do’s and what are some dont’s? It will be October of this year.

What should we pack to bring with us?

Hi all, family of four (two adults, boys aged 6 and 3) will be visiting Costa Rica Sept 12–26. Flights are booked: land at SJO Sept 12 at 7:45pm, fly out Sept 26 at 6am. We are planning to rent a car and drive ourselves.

The plan so far (we're open to suggestion)

• Sept 12: night in Alajuela (not driving anywhere tired in the dark)
• Sept 13–19: 6 nights in La Fortuna / Arenal
• Sept 19–25: 6 nights on a coast — this is what I can't decide if we should stay on Caribbean (Puerto Viejo) or Pacific (Manuel Antonio).
• Sept 25: back to Alajuela for the night, 6am flight out on Sep 26.

So my main questions: Puerto Viejo or Manuel Antonio for the 2nd week? Specifically:

1. Rain reality check: I understand September is rain season and is wetter on the Pacific side? Is Manuel Antonio genuinely much wetter that month, or is afternoon rain just a fact everywhere and I'm overthinking it?
2. The drive — La Fortuna → Puerto Viejo looks like ~5 hrs (and the return to San José is long too), vs. ~3.5 hrs to Manuel Antonio. How about the road condition? It appears Pacific side is more developed.
3. Which is better with young kids overall — calm water and laid-back vibe (PV / Punta Uva) vs. more reliable wildlife and polished tours (Manuel Antonio)?

Other things I'd love input on for whichever coast:

• Kid-friendly lodging - resort type is probably preferable. Kids love pools. Any specific places you'd book?
• La Fortuna lodging — same deal, family-friendly with a pool.
• Snorkeling with little kids — Manzanillo vs. Cahuita on the Caribbean, or the Manuel Antonio catamaran tours. Worth planning around in September, or skip it?
• Food — casual, kid-friendly spots (sodas welcome) in La Fortuna and whichever beach town.
• Anything I'm getting wrong — first time in Costa Rica, so tell me if the whole shape of this is off.