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5 Things to know before travelling to Costa Rica

Are you inspired by the beautiful nature of the little paradise of Costa Rica? If you are thinking about travelling to Costa Rica or already have a trip planned out, then these 5 things are important for you to know. In this blog, I will tell you about the 5 most important things you should know before travelling to Costa Rica.

 1. Documents to enter the country

passport

If you have a passport from the European Union or Switzerland, from Canada or the USA, you get a 90-day tourist visa stamped in your passport when you enter the country. So except for a passport that is valid 6 months after your return flight, you don’t need anything else. If you are under 18 years old and travelling alone, you need specific permissions signed by both parents, which you get in the embassies of each country. If you have a connection flight in another country like the USA, you might need a transit visa.

If you need prescription medicine, you need a medical certificate in English or Spanish. I recommend you to take all the medicine that you use on a regular base with you, so you don’t have to worry about finding the same one that might have another name here or higher prices. Better save time and stress and enjoy the beautiful nature!

You don’t need special vaccinations to enter the country, except if you come from a country where yellow fever is common. Costa Rica is not affected by yellow fever. 

2. Paying in Costa Rica

Costa Rica currency

The official currency in Costa Rica is the Colón (CRC). You can usually also pay in US-Dollars, but some places charge you more when you pay in Dollars. 

Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, but with some cards, you can only withdraw money but not pay. With my maestro card, for example, I have that case, and I can also only use the ATMs of Banco Nacional. To be sure, let your bank know that you are travelling to Costa Rica. Some banks call you when they see money being withdrawn in another country, and when you are not at home to answer that phone call, they might block your cards. Another important aspect you should know is that, when you pay with a credit card, you must show your ID.

If you want to exchange money, I recommend you to do it in a hotel instead of the airport, because the exchange rates are better there.

I recommend you to have some cash with you, but not too much since it is cheaper to pay with a card instead of withdrawing money, where you have to pay a higher commission.

Here you can read more about the means of payment in Costa Rica.

3. Safety

Playa Bahia las Piratas Caroline Brandt

Costa Rica is a safe country; it counts as the safest country in Central America. Anyway, you should not underestimate the danger. The main crime against tourists is theft, so you should, like in every country of the world, always watch your belongings, don’t wear expensive jewellery or take too much cash with you, and leave important documents in a safe at the hotel. If you want to visit a bar or a restaurant at night, I recommended you to take an official taxi (they are red with a yellow triangle on each side) or Uber. 

Theft can also happen in a relaxing area at the beach. Beware the monkeys and raccoons. I already had to learn that they also find my sandwich delicious. But don’t feed wild animals (on purpose)!

The beaches are perfect for relaxing or surfing. If you want to go swimming ask a local for rip currents and you should always be able to touch the ground with your feet. If you do get caught in a rip current, let it take you inside the ocean and don’t swim against it. When it stops, you can swim to the right or the left along the coastline and then back to the beach. 

Here you can read more about safety in Costa Rica!

4. Health

Coconuts

If you get sick, you can find first help in pharmacies. You can usually find one in the entrance area of bigger supermarkets or any city. If you need to go to the hospital you need to cover the costs first and take the ticket, which you have to hand to your travel insurance company, so they can pay you that money back. 

The main public hospitals are in the capital San José, for example, the Hospital Nacional de Niños (Children´s Hospital), the Hospital México, Hospital Calderón Guardia and Emergencias Hospital San Juan de Dios. The main private hospitals are Hospital Cima and La Católica, which are located in San José as well. 

As I have mentioned before, there is no obligatory vaccination to enter the country, but I do recommend you to get hepatitis A and hepatitis B, typhus and rabies shots. 

In Costa Rica, some mosquitoes are infected by Zika, Dengue or Chikungunya. There are no vaccinations for that, so you should use a good mosquito repellent. Most hotels have also mosquito screens in the windows. 

As Costa Rica is a tropical country, there is hot and humid weather in most regions all year long. Always have enough water with you. Tap water is drinkable, except in rural areas. Also, use sunblock with high protection and a hat. 

5. Long distances

Costa Rica road Caroline Brandt

Even though Costa Rica is such a small country, driving distances are longer that they appear to be, because you have to cross a mountain or even after tropical storm roads may be blocked because of landslides or fallen trees. Calculate enough time to get to your next destination and think about whether you want to drive by yourself or use the services of a shuttle service, or, if you don’t want to spend too much time on the street, you can consider a local flight. SANSA connects all main tourist destinations. 

An international license to rent a car in Costa Rica is not required.

Spend the last night in San José to be closer to the airport. Even if you are one of the adventurous travellers, a race against time to catch your flight is not that fun.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.if you wish to rent a car, book a local flight or book a shuttle bus, we will be happy to help you with your reservations.

Other important facts

  •  The Ticos are very open-minded people and are always happy to help. The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish, but especially in tourist areas the most of them understand English.
  •  The country protects its nature and wildlife more than anything. 25% of the country is protected by National Park and sustainability is an important topic. Please don’t leave or take anything from nature. In this blog, you can read more about travelling sustainably in Costa Rica.
  •  In Costa Rica, there are two seasons, the rainy season and the dry season. Both have their beautiful sides. In this blog, you can read about the best time to travel to Costa Rica.

I hope these facts were helpful. If you have any doubt or need help to plan or book your trip to Costa Rica, feel free to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!

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  • Janaina & Dieter, Brazil

    The trip was wonderful! Your help was invaluable and without your choices it would not have been so good! I am very very satisfied and very happy with the choices you made!

    Thank you very much for everything!

    Janaina & Dieter, Brazil
  • Kathrin, Ines, Matthias & Ingo, Germany

    Hello dear Aline, many thanks to you for the great compilation and organization of the trip. We were able to spend eventful, interesting and wonderful days in Costa Rica and will keep them in good memory. A thank you also goes to the ARA Tours team, which was available 24/7 for problems and questions, which were solved and answered quickly and reliably. The punctuality of the transfers offered should also be emphasized. In summary, it was a wonderful holiday.

    Kind regards

    Kathrin, Ines, Matthias & Ingo, Germany
  • Carina & Thomas, Germany

    Hello dear Aline,
    Now we have arrived back at San Jose Airport after a great trip. Everything worked out great and the tour was just perfectly planned and organized. Thank you very much. We take a lot of positive memories with us.
    Best regards.

    Carina & Thomas, Germany
  • Yvonne, Switzerland

    The Costa Rica trip together with my family is already behind us - it was wonderful!!! Everything went smoothly from A to Z, we had a wonderful time, no incidents and wonderful experiences.
    We all enjoyed it very much; the nature is enormous, but also the warm-hearted people, the cleanliness, the food - we are very enthusiastic!
    At this point I would like to thank you very much for your support in the preparation, for all the bookings, clarifications and enquiries!!!
    We visited the waterfall in La Fortuna and had a great view of the Arenal. In Monteverde we did a Hanging Bridges and Zipline tour and in Nosara a surf course. In Finca Rosa Bianca we did the coffee tour, it was all great, fun and interesting 😊. All in all, we saw lots of animals, always ate well, enjoyed the beaches....even in rainy weather 😊. Often we were even glad that it was overcast, otherwise it would have been almost toouuu hot for us.
    So THANK YOU again so much for everything!!!!

    Yvonne, Switzerland
  • Christina, Switzerland

    Many thanks for the extensive support (before, during and after the trip) and the professional handling of our concerns. With your support we had a smooth and unforgettable vacation in Costa Rica! Our favorite hotels: Hotel Plaza Yara and the Poas Volcano Lodge - a dream!
    All the best
    Christina

    Christina, Switzerland
  • Jeanne, Bernd & Bill, USA

    Yay! I´m glad we are back on track. Thank you again for helping us with all these changes.
    I´m glad we choose ARA-you are amazing! Thanks for all your help! It made it a very memorable visit!

    Jeanne, Bernd & Bill, USA
  • Janka, The Netherlands

    Hi Eli & ARA Team,
    We have spoken to the guest and they are super enthusiastic about their Costa Rica roundtrip! Everything was well organized, nice hotels, nice mix of activities & beach and they have big compliments for you guys!!
    Many thanks for all the good work!! The guest highly appreciate it!!
    They had lunch nearby in Ara Ambigua Lodge, and they loved this place. Friendly staff and good food!
    Do you work with this accommodation? If so, we would love hear 😊
    Once again, heads off for this amazing trip!
    With warm regards

    Janka, The Netherlands
  • Thomas, Deborah, Eva & Paula, Switzerland

    Dear Priska
    Happily I write some words to you in English, so you can easily forward them also to Ara Tours, please. Thank you all, we spent a magic time in Costa Rica! Baumeler's and Ara Tours organisation and logistics were perfect, everything worked out even better than we expected. The tours were brilliant, we really enjoyed everything very very much!
    All the accomodation was absolutely wonderful... the setting, the quality, the food, with happy helpful friendly staff everywhere. It was a wonderful way to experience this beautiful country the way we did, on a private tour with personal guide and drivers. We saw and learnt sooo much - it would have been impossible to do so on our own.
    Especially we praise our brilliant guide Fernando Perez, we benefited so much from his truly wide knowledge and deep love for his Country which he passed on in lovely encouraging way. We even became friends and we will meet in Switzerland coming September! Also our driver Carlos Sandi was great, not only as a driver but also as a compagnion, animal spotter and photographer. Thank you!
    So.... now we just enjoy our last day...
    Sunny greetings, pura vida

    Thomas, Deborah, Eva & Paula, Switzerland
  • Yvonne & Andrea, Switzerland

    Hello all
    Unfortunately, our wonderful trip is already over and everyday life has caught up with us again. We would like to thank you very much for everything. The trip was planned exactly according to our wishes and we have seen so many beautiful places.
    Thank you Stefanie!
    We have felt completely comfortable and top cared for by you. Via Whats App we got immediate answers to our questions, with the car everything worked out great. In all locations we were treated very warmly and nicely. It was just so indescribably beautiful, we will dream of the beautiful experiences for a long time. In any case, we will warmly recommend you and hope for a next time. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
    Best regards.

    Yvonne & Andrea, Switzerland
  • Anita, Switzerland

    We have arrived safely in Switzerland and have already returned to work.
    It was a wonderful trip you put together for us.
    Your excellent service, as well as the 24 hour support service from ARA Tours, was truly outstanding.
    I have already recommended you several times and would book with you again and again. Thank you very much and keep me informed if there are any interesting offers.
    Best wishes.

    Anita, Switzerland
  • Lukas & Isabelle, Switzerland

    Hello Pedro, our time in CR is coming to an end and we wanted to say "thank you very much for organizing a phenomenal week". Everything has been well organized and we have seen many beauties of nature. Thanks!

    Lukas & Isabelle, Switzerland
  • Reinout & Yvonne, The Netherlands

    Thanks Jenny for the clear answer. We will make an appointment via the link you gave us.
    Today we visited National Parc Cabo Blanco. What an amazing park, so quiet for tourists, so full of animals, really lovely and therefore together with Monte Verde, Cahuita and Corcovado the park today, Cabo Blanco, scores high in our ranking of most beautiful parks of CR.These parks give us reason, together with the Pura Vida in CR, to come back soon. We'll keep in contact.

    Reinout & Yvonne, The Netherlands
  • Dominik, Germany

    Good day Jennifer
    As we have already told Simone, the stay at Lapa Rios is extremely enriching, thanks to the well planned planting and the untouched environment we see a lot of animals. Contrary to the plans before the stay, we do not want to visit more animals in captivity at the end. We will have a look at the few hours before we leave.
    We thank you and your team very much for the excellent advice and the permanent support! We can only recommend Ara Tours.
    Best regards.

    Dominik, Germany
  • Daniel, Jana & Theo, Germany

    A big thank to you, you saved our vacation!
    Communication already worked very well in Germany. The help from you, especially through Aline, should be mentioned here. This was fantastic from the first WhatsApp message to the last. We already know Costa Rica, so we knew what we wanted and what not. Ara Tours was an important point of contact for us. We are very grateful to Aline precisely because our actual travel agent cancelled our trip 36 hours before departure. She immediately organized everything for us. Whether the hotel in beautiful Punta Leona, the tours to the national parks, even the shuttle service with the great driver Guillerno Ortega has to be mentioned here. We are very grateful to you, dear Aline, but also to the entire Ara Tours team. You too made our almost 3-week trip to Costa Rica unforgettable again. We would love to come back and of course we will book through Ara Tours again.

    Daniel, Jana & Theo, Germany
  • Alexander & family, Switzerland

    Thank you, everything really worked out great. Super organization and at any time quick info / help / support from you!
    We liked it very much. The conclusion in Quepos was crowning. We liked the beach in the National Park Manuel Antonio very much. We would have liked to stay longer, but we take home many wonderful, unforgettable impressions. PURA VIDA!
    Many thanks to you Aline! We will gladly recommend you to others.

    Alexander & family, Switzerland
  • Neumann Family, Germany

    - The route was super planned, first on the beach time to arrive and then only from Monteverde with excursions inland etc. and at the end again beach - perfect!
    - Support from Ara Tours was VERY good!!! Through Whatsapp reachability the service was great, very quick answers / very flexible, good suggestions etc. Also with the doctor Ara Tours helped with translations by phone - that was really very, very good!
    - The home stay day was an absolute highlight - very authentic - so we got to know the locals REAL, the family was super friendly and very open and have talked about everything. Not at all touristy perceived.

    Neumann Family, Germany
  • Marine & Bruno, France

    Hello
    We would like to thank you personally for this beautiful trip that you organised for us and for the follow-up that you did throughout the stay. A big thank you also to Jennifer d'Ara tours! Thank you again and have a great week!

    Marine & Bruno, France
  • Walter, Switzerland

    We really appreciated your (almost) daily updates from Costa Rica on Covid and related issues. That was a highlight compared to other incoming agents worldwide! We thank you for your effort and wish you that you manage the coming time well and stay healthy.

    Walter, Switzerland
  • Ronald, Germany

    Our great compliments for keeping us informed every day on the developments. We wish you all the best and keep yourself and families in good health and mood during this unprecedented period!

    Ronald, Germany
  • Kathrin, Germany

    You are really super! It is impressive how you manage the crisis with your super flow of information and the great reversal. Hats off!

    Kathrin, Germany
  • Michael, Germany

    Hello, we were on a round trip in Costa Rica from 27.11., which was booked through BigXtra and organised by them. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you very much. The tour was simply amazing! The support by Carlos was just great. We have done many trips before, but this one was an unforgettable experience thanks to Carlos. Carlos speaks very good German and was able to sensitively introduce us to Costa Rica, its incomparable nature and its great, friendly inhabitants. Pura Vida became for us a term for the attitude towards life in Costa Rica. Please say hello to Carlos from us and once again a huge thank you to him in the name of the whole group of 8. We wish him only the best for his future.

    Michael, Germany
  • Evelyne, Switzerland

    Wie just did a 4 week trip in Costa Rica which was organised from ARA tours and we really liked it - well done Ara Tours! We also had a guide - his name is Enrique. His German is really good and he knows a lot about Costa Rica and he showed us a lot of animals. We had a wonderful time with hime - thank you so much Enrique!

    Evelyne, Switzerland
  • Tanja, Germany

    perfect tour perfect tour guide pablo, everything very well organised 👍👍👍👍🇨🇷🇨🇨🇷 were thrilled

    Tanja, Germany
  • Ines, Germany

    Many thanks and great praise to our tour guide Mauricio and our bus driver Adrian! We felt very comfortable during the 2 weeks in Costa Rica. The wide-ranging knowledge of Mauricio and the super driving skills of Adrian were particularly admirable. Thanks to the eagle eyes of both of them, we had the opportunity to observe a variety of animals in Costa Rica. Thank you for everything!

    Ines, Germany
  • Sabine, Germany

    I can only recommend ARA Tours. Thanks again to Nicole for the great planning of the tour and the support. Our tour guide Peter Käser was simply incredible (a walking encyclopaedia) and always had an answer to all my questions about the flora and fauna and the history of CR. Our driver Julio carried my father on his hands, for which I am very grateful. CR is also worth a trip for wheelchair users at any time (with ARA Tours, of course).

    Sabine, Germany
  • Thieme Family, Germany

    We would like to thank you once again for organizing our trip [...] through the beautiful country of Costa Rica. Our special thanks go to our tour guide Enrique, who with his extensive knowledge of flora and fauna about his country brought it very close to us and made us want to come even a second time. We were very glad and happy to travel with him, as he was also very committed to our problems on site, in addition to his competent function as a tour guide.

    Thieme Family, Germany
  • Antonia-Maria & Boris, Austria

    Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sensational effort! I do not know such a competent tour guide as with you really from nowhere else... and we have already traveled a lot... 🙏🏻🍀

    Antonia-Maria & Boris, Austria
  • Katja, Germany

    I wanted to thank you again for the great Costa Rica trip. We flew back home very happy and with many great impressions. A compliment for the super organisation. Everything worked out perfectly (except for the handover of the rental car, which was force majeure...). So thank you again and I have already recommended you to friends:-)!

    Katja, Germany
  • Denise & Alain, Switzerland

    Thank you very much for your email and the tickets. We really appreciate how quickly and efficiently you deal with our requests each time!

    Denise & Alain, Switzerland
  • Philippe, Switzerland

    Hello Christine Thank you very much for this information. The support is super👍 many thanks Gruss

    Philippe, Switzerland
  • Marianne & Stefan Gräub, Switzerland

    Otherwise, the planned trip was a complete success. Everything went well and the visits you organised were all very interesting. The visits you organised were all very interesting and gave us a great insight into the respective topics. The fact that the Ticos are very friendly and always ready to help was fully confirmed.

    Marianne & Stefan Gräub, Switzerland

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