Costa Rica travel blog
Stories, tips and inspiration for your Costa Rica trip
Costa Rica: Instagram vs reality
The Costa Rica on Instagram looks perfect. Reality is more complicated, more interesting, and sometimes more frustrating. Here's what the feeds skip.
An honest look at Costa Rica's tourist traps
We document the tourist traps that catch visitors to Costa Rica year after year — fake guides, overpriced tours, misleading marketing. Know what to expect.
Why we still recommend shoulder season
April and May are Costa Rica's sweet spot: dry season end, green season start. Fewer crowds, lower prices, lush landscapes. Why we keep recommending it.
Spring break crowds and alternatives
Mid-March in Costa Rica means spring break crowds at Manuel Antonio and Tamarindo. We share what to do instead — and why the alternatives are often better.
Costa Rica 2026 pricing update
Updated prices for Costa Rica travel in 2026: hotels, car rental, park fees, tours, food. Real numbers from recent trips, not estimates. Plan your budget here.
Liberia airport expansion news: new routes for 2026
Liberia's LIR airport is expanding with new international routes in 2026. Which airlines are coming, what changes, and what it means for Guanacaste travel.
January 2026 trip report: south Pacific circuit
Our January 2026 south Pacific circuit: Uvita, Drake Bay, Corcovado, and Puerto Jiménez. The honest report on what worked and what didn't.
Christmas in Costa Rica: our tradition
Costa Rican Christmas means tamales, Las Posadas processions, and extended family reunions. We've spent three Christmases here and it keeps getting better.
Uvita whale festival recap 2025
We attended the Festival de las Ballenas y Delfines in Uvita, September 2025. Here's what happened, what surprised us, and how to plan your visit.
AI tools for trip planning: still need humans
We tested ChatGPT against our own Costa Rica planning process. Here's what AI gets right, what it gets dangerously wrong, and why humans still matter.
Costa Rica vs Panama: which to pick
Choosing between Costa Rica and Panama? We compare wildlife, infrastructure, costs, and vibe to help you decide which country suits your trip better.
Paquera ferry improvements in 2024: what actually changed
Naviera Tambor added a new vessel to the Puntarenas–Paquera run in 2024. Here's what changed for vehicle bookings, timing, and what to expect on the crossing.
Corcovado restrictions update
Corcovado's mandatory certified guide rule and visitor quotas are now firmly enforced. What the new rules mean for your visit, and how to plan around them.
Arenal eruption anniversary revisit 2024
We returned to Arenal in April 2024, fourteen years after the last eruption. What the forest has reclaimed, what has changed, and what the guides say now.
New park fees in 2024: what SINAC changed and why
SINAC raised national park entrance fees in 2024. We break down the new prices, the reasoning, the impact for travelers, and whether it's actually worth it.
Is Costa Rica still affordable in 2023?
We compare what Costa Rica cost in 2018 versus 2023 across hotels, food, transport, and tours. The numbers are honest and the conclusions may surprise you.
Surf spots getting crowded in 2023
Tamarindo and Santa Teresa are more crowded than ever in 2023. We look at what happened, which waves are still worth it, and where the quiet is now.
Should you buy property in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica's real estate market boomed from 2020–2023. We look at who it works for, who it doesn't, and the legal traps that catch foreign buyers.
Immigration and permanent residency update 2022
Updated income requirements and processing costs for Costa Rica's pensionado and rentista residency programs as of 2022, with honest notes on the timeline.
Why the colón fell against the dollar
The colón dropped sharply against the dollar in 2022. We explain what happened, what it means for your budget, and how to handle money smartly in Costa Rica.
Digital nomad visa and life in Costa Rica
Costa Rica's rentista visa and digital nomad program explained — income requirements, application steps, and an honest look at what remote work life costs.
Reopening borders: what changed in 2021
Costa Rica reopened to international tourism in late 2020, but 2021 brought new rules from the ICT. Here's what visitors encountered when travel resumed.
Carbon neutrality and Costa Rica's climate leadership
Costa Rica runs on nearly 100% renewable electricity and aims for net-zero by 2050. We look at what's real, what's ambitious, and what it means for travelers.
Eco-tourism in Costa Rica post-2020: who survived and who didn't
Post-COVID, eco-certified operators in Costa Rica faced a brutal reckoning. Some CST businesses thrived. Many didn't. Here's what actually changed.
How to support local tourism after COVID
Tico-owned lodges to favor, agency tours to skip, and how your spending decisions actually shape Costa Rica's recovery — and future.
Costa Rica during the pandemic
Closed borders, stranded travelers, and what Costa Ricans did when tourism stopped. A record of what 2020 actually looked like from inside the country.
How Osa Peninsula changed our trip planning
Why we now insist on three full days at Corcovado — and why we push back hard when clients want to fit it into one.
The quetzal I finally saw
Three days of patience at San Gerardo de Dota, a $200 lodge bill, one male Resplendent Quetzal in breeding plumage. Was it worth it? Completely.
Why Pura Vida is more than a saying
Pura Vida is Costa Rica's defining phrase — but when Ticos say it, what do they actually mean? A close look at how the expression really works.
Our first trip to Costa Rica
The trip that started everything — first impressions, the mistakes we made on day one, and why we were booking a return flight before we left.