This post is 1 of 2 about my trip to Costa Rica.
Backpacking and exploring Costa Rica was so much fun. In this post I’ll break down all the goods and bads to help you plan your trip to Costa Rica. ¡Pura vida!
The People
Ticos, native Costa Ricans, are really nice. That’s all. Actually, the locals say “¡Pura vida!” a lot, which roughly means “pure life” or “life is good” but can also mean “No sweat/It’s all good/No worries” or “That’s cool” or “That’s what’s up.”
The Food
Passion Fruit Chicken from Morphos in Santa Elena, Monteverde, Costa Rica
There wasn’t a lot outrageous cuisine, and naturally I kept comparing Costa Rican food with Mexican and Tex-Mex. I didn’t realize how much liked spicy food. With that said, I still loved exploring the tropical-inspired dishes.
Also, if you’re ever in Santa Elena, check out Restaurante Morphos. It’s beautiful and the food is good. Also, the waiters are cute.
Money/Currency
It would be great to have a few bills on you but not too much. The money is easily exchangeable. It’s not necessary to exchange your money given most places/vendors will take your credit/debit card (alert bank of travel first).
If you do want to exchange your money to colones, look for a Banco Nacional, as they have a cheaper rate of exchange than the airport.
If you know Spanish, be sure to brush up on your numbers. On one occasion, a hostel keeper actually pulled the colones out of our hands for us (we checked to make sure she got what was asked). Like I said Ticos are nice, but be careful.
English vs Spanish
If you have time, brush up on your basic Spanish. It is not entirely necessary since the majority of Ticos know good-enough English. I am fluent in Spanish but don’t use the language nor practice nor hear it on a daily basis. I did okay but glad I was with someone who knew the language inside-out. He was able to get us great deals and haggle a bit. Any Costa Rican that heard us speak Spanish was fascinated and wanted to speak more. I totally put the kibosh on that right away: Yo hablo español un poquito. And they got me. With that said, they get tons of people who know English only.
If you know Spanish, fantastic. If you don’t, that’s okay. Give yourself time to figure out bus schedules, tour times, etc. They don’t have an organized system like a lot of countries, so you have to ask around.
Transportation
Bus schedules — Some buses happen every hour, some happen every 3 hours, so give yourself time to sort it out. Don’t rush and make a snap decision or you’ll end up in the middle of Puntarenas. ;] What we did the majority of the time was ask the front desk at the hostels we were staying.
Taxis — They’re all around in the city. Not crazy expensive but you could definitely save some change by hoofing it or bussing it. Also, they drive crazier than New York cabs. It’s fun!
Note: Stop signs in Costa Rica are like Texas speed limits — mere suggestions. ;]
Hostels
We used hostelworld.com to search for hostels in the cities we would be staying. Using hostelworld.com’s rating system helped us determine the better hostels. We would call them via Skype (make sure to buy credit) to make the reservations. Websites aren’t always updated with the latest availability. Many times we would see that the private room wasn’t available, but we’d call and they have plenty availability. Don’t book online (also it’s cheaper). I really wanted to use airbnb.com, but hostelworld had all the cheap places. Most of them range from about $7 – $14 / night. Here’s a list of hostels we both enjoyed and tolerated with my own personal rating (not hostelworld’s):
Check out a backpacker’s view of the hostels.
Bekuo Hostel, San Jose — Rating: 3.5/5
The first hostel I’ve ever stayed in and it was what I expected and more. I expected to be in a room full of strangers and there to be a little funkyness, but I didn’t expect there to be breakfast in the morning and decent wifi. The shower was not a 3-star hotel shower, but it was usable… despite the big-winged gnats swarming around it. The bed I stayed in had a mattress dipped in and you could actually feel the support board poke up. But for some reason it fit my body just right! It was a really chill experience for my first time at a hostel, and I’d actually stay there again.
Arenal Hostel Resort, La Fortuna — Rating: 4.5/5
Pretty nice. Outdoor kitchen, beautifully attended, the beds were nice, the showers were nice, laundry facility, and the staff was super nice. You’d be crazy not to stay here when you visit La Fortuna.
Monteverde Backpackers — Rating: 3/5
We stayed in the bunk room. Esteban, at the front desk, was super nice, helpful, gorgeous, and accommodating. The bathroom was a little on the :\ side (take shower shoes!). Also, it was a little rough trying to sleep. You can hear *everything* going on upstairs, and I mean everything. *sex face*
I didn’t get a lot of photos of this hostel, but I did get some video footage, which I am editing. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Jaco Inn, Jaco — Rating: 3/5
Sexy dark wood and painted nudes make this a nice get away for couples. Be sure to get the private room for a good view of the rooftop iguanas. Open kitchen, nice patio, the staff was really nice. The shower was between schmeh and good (the water was cold). The wifi didn’t work at all, but they do have a community computer. Overall, it was a nice stay.
National Park Backpackers, Manuel Antonio — Rating: 3.5/5
American-owned. Despite seeing the photos online, it wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be, but it was still pretty good, despite the office staff was kind of gruff. They need to work on the private rooms a little more — a coat of paint will take away that sanitarium feel. Also, not more than 5 minutes of arrival, the barkeep/DJ came to liven things up. He was obviously gay and it was awesome. It felt like home. They also play movies and music videos into the night (not all night 
). Bring your own towel or pay.
Gaudy’s Backpacker Hostel, San Jose — Rating: 4.5/5
A great end to my Costa Rican hostel experience. Decent shower, great staff, great common areas (there’s even a hammock!), best wifi experience at a hostel, shuttle to the airport was fantastic. Great great great. Snag the private room.
Things to Be Cautious of But Not Freak Out About
Robbery — This is a given anywhere you go. Keep your wallets in your front pocket. Don’t keep all your valuables in one place (a la a purse or backpack) when going out. I never had a problem, but that doesn’t mean you won’t.
Yellow fever (minor case in the province of Limon) — I was super prepared for the mosquitoes, but alas they got me anyway. We noticed that they like to strike near joints (the elbow, the wrist). I don’t know why this is. I never had any problems with constipation (TMI?), even after I left Costa Rica. In fact, I was uncharacteristically regularly. With that said, the food is good. I took hand sprays with DEET, which worked good when I bothered to put them on. I also wore long sleeves and jeans most of the time.
Potable water — I was deeply concerned about this, but it wasn’t necessary. Using your best judgment helps, but alas, the majority of the places in Costa Rica have “good enough” water. There’s also plenty of vendors that sell water in bottles, so you can either bring your own like I did (don’t forget to check in that bag) or buy them when you get into the country, which I also did. I read somewhere that in the rural areas, the water is not potable. Be careful and keep your mouth closed in the shower.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask. There was so much to jampack in one entry, so I may have forgotten things. ¡Pura vida!
Check out my photos from my Costa Rica trip.
I visited my second-favorite place on earth, Bryant Park, for New Year’s Eve and got to watch the NYE ball drop. I solo-rode the subway for the first time with help from my new friend KSep and visited Brooklyn for the first time, too. There, I met up with talented designer and fellow Dr Pepper lush, Daniel, who welcomed me with some copious amounts of DP and Pies and Thighs (yuuuuum!). And! he showed me this really beautiful, breathtaking view of New York from his flat’s rooftop. I could’ve stayed there for a long time, but it was beyond freezing (well for me, a Texan). He graciously sent me a few shots. Thank you, Daniel!
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