what to know about traveling to costa rica
Vibrant macaws. Fragrant orchids. Adorable monkeys – look, did that monkey just steal my food?? Costa Rica is a tropical, eco-friendly paradise, filled with colorful wildlife and lush forest canopies just waiting to be explored on ziplines and hanging bridges. Visiting Costa rica makes y'all want to get a "pura vida" tattoo and a lifetime supply of salsa lizano, and information technology's a hard place to leave.
Which is why I've been dorsum four times! My first ii trips to Costa Rica were with my family. I was 8, and Republic of costa rica was the most magical place I could imagine. I remember galloping on horseback along the embankment, kayaking through rapids on a river, chewing sticks of fresh sugarcane, befriending a baby squirrel monkey, and plucking a sweet starfruit from a tree. Our family unit trip was filled with wild animals and adventure, which cemented much of what would subsequently become my preferred travel mode. (Major props to my parents for picking such a bada** vacation spot.)
To this day, when I shut my eyes at nighttime and endeavour to autumn comatose, I imagine that I am in Republic of costa rica, listening to the patter of pelting and swinging gently on a hammock. To help cement the illusion, I have filled my entire house with tropical plants, despite living in arid California.
Costa rica has pulled me back a few more times since those first visits over two decades ago. Jeremy and I spent a few weeks backpacking Republic of costa rica on our year-long honeymoon, and nosotros returned again this year to celebrate our v-year anniversary.
Through all of my trips, I've learned a few things about Costa rica. Like that you demand REALLY good bug repellant (I swear by this combined with this). Or that starfruit really is the best fruit ever. Heed: not everything I've learned is helpful, OK?
From gallo pinto to hot ziplining scientists to monkeys flinging poop, here are 35 things nobody tells you near visiting Costa Rica!
Costa rica At-a-Glance 🐒
Here'due south a bite-sized snapshot of everything y'all need to know to program your trip!
- When to Go: The ideal fourth dimension is June & July, aka "light-green flavor," when prices are low and the rain takes a interruption.
- Where to Stay: Hostel Plinio near Manuel Antonio NP is an astonishing, budget-friendly hostel. Aguila de Osa Rainforest Lodge near Corcovado NP is an incredible, sustainble eco-lodge in the rainforest overlooking the ocean – basically, paradise!
- How to Get Effectually: Public transportation is fantabulous in Costa Rica. Buses, shuttles and ferries will get you everywhere you need to get! We recommend using Bookaway to reserve transportation online before your trip.
- Peak 3 Highlights: Ziplining & hanging bridges through the cloud woods awning in Monteverde, snorkelling in Corcovado National Park, white water rafting in La Fortuna.
- Before You Become: Read our two-week Costa rica itinerary, our guide to things nobody tells you lot nigh Costa Rica, and our detailed packing guide.
Psst: Planning a trip to Republic of costa rica? Check out some of our other posts!
- Two Weeks in Costa Rica: The Ultimate Costa Rica 2 Calendar week Itinerary
- Costa rica Packing List: 42 Essentials to Pack for Republic of costa rica
- How to Exist a More Responsible Tourist: a Traveler'due south Guide to Ethical Tourism
Need some assist packing? We've created a Free Printable Packing Listing with everything you need to program your trip to Republic of costa rica. We'll also send our favorite travel tips straight to your inbox! Just sign upward below.
Things Nobody Tells You …
… Well-nigh the Food in Costa Rica
- "Soda" means something different than you'd think.
And no, it has nothing to do with the beverage. In Costa Rica, a Soda is a locally owned restaurant or buffet serving typical tico food, usually at very reasonable prices.
Head here to taste traditional Costa Rican fare: literally, just walk into any soda filled with locals enjoying their dejeuner. It will probably be delicious
- Aforementioned with "casado."
Casado means married in Spanish, but you'll be seeing that word everywhere – even if you're not on your honeymoon!
In Costa rica, a casado refers to a typical plated luncheon consisting of rice, beans, plantain, salad, tortilla, and a meat. Supposedly it's called that considering that'south how married men swallow at dwelling thanks to their hardworking wives, to which I say, must exist dainty.
- You will take gallo pinto every forenoon for breakfast.
Gallo Pinto, Costa Rica's most delicious and ubiquitous dish, is served pretty much everywhere. At its core, gallo pinto is rice and beans – but it's so much more than that. It'southward like, the all-time rice and beans ever. In my life, all other rice and beans are held to the standard of gallo pinto.
Plus, it has a fun name: gallo pinto means "spotted rooster," and so named because the black beans against the white rice expect kinda similar a spotted rooster. Cute, right?
- Y'all volition never get sick of eating gallo pinto.
Whenever we visit Costa Rica, I'm perfectly happy eating gallo pinto for breakfast, dejeuner and dinner, every unmarried day. Gallo pinto with eggs. Gallo pinto with chicken. Gallo pinto with ice foam. (OK – maybe that terminal one isn't exactly traditional, simply I was hungry.) It never gets old!
- Yous will detect the hugger-mugger of gallo pinto, and you volition bring a bottle of it home with you lot.
The secret to a delicious gallo pinto isn't the chopped veggies and blackness beans mixed perfectly with the rice, it's the secret sauce that gives it all of its flavour: salsa lizano.
What is salsa lizano? Information technology's basically a tangy, salty, slightly sweetness additive – think Worsterchershire's style meliorate cousin. It's fabricated with sugar, table salt, carrots, chili peppers, cucumbers, cauliflower, dry out mustard, celery spice, turmeric, and molasses, and it's the national sauce of Costa Rica and too of my heart.
Luckily, this delicious sauce isn't hard to find: it'due south got a permanent home in pretty much every soda, eatery, grocery store, or souvenir shop. Which is good news, because you're going to demand to bring some home with y'all (or spend years trying to get in, and then that you can make proper gallo pinto, just to somewhen surrender and club a bottle online, which is much more than expensive than if you would've just picked some up with you and brought it habitation in the first identify. Do we speak from experience? Maybe.)
- At that place is first-class gallo pinto in the San Jose drome, of all places.
Every time we fly through San Jose nosotros cease at Restaurante Malinche. In that location's a location right outside of community in one case you exit the drome, and one inside afterwards security. It'due south like shooting fish in a barrel to write it off equally a typical airport cafe, merely don't, because it has really proficient gallo pinto.
Conveniently, the mail-security location is also where some shuttle buses selection upwardly travelers, and so you might become lucky and have an excuse to enjoy gallo pinto while yous expect!
… Almost Visiting Costa rica
- Don't be agape of visiting during Costa rica's rainy season.
Costa Rica's rainy season generally lasts from May to Nov. But it isn't a monsoon, with non-finish heavy showers. It'due south just a wetter-than-usual time of the year! That means everything is incredibly green and lush, waterfalls are flowing, and you can wait a rainshower each solar day during your visit (then pack accordingly).
Personally, I honey a good rain – and an excuse to spend a few hours relaxing on a hammock and listening to information technology! Plus, "rainy season" tends to scare away tourists, which means lower prices and less crowds – win/win.
- Program a trip during "Little Summer" to enjoy perfect weather during the off-season.
In mid to late July, Republic of costa rica experiences a atmospheric condition miracle in the middle of their moisture season bringing mostly dry, sunny weather! It's known equally "Little Summer," and information technology's the perfect fourth dimension to visit considering information technology's still the tourist off-season.
We happened to plan our last trip in the middle of Little Summertime completely on accident, just nosotros highly recommend doing information technology on purpose
- Don't throw your toilet paper in the toilet.
Like many other countries in Central and South America, Costa rica'due south plumbing system does non respond well to toilet paper. So, y'all'll need to throw your toilet newspaper away in the trash can (if there is no trash can, and no signs instructing you lot to employ it, you tin can probably presume it's condom to throw it in the toilet.)
If you're not used to this, you might at first be a little grossed out, but don't worry: restrooms in most places are cleaned oftentimes. A polite thing to do is to wrap any extra- gross toilet paper bits (y'all know what I mean) in more toilet paper, so nobody has to see …well, you lot know.
- It's never a bad idea to bring forth some backup TP.
On occasion, you'll come up across a bathroom without TP in the stall. It's normally out front, on your mode into the stalls. Simply I've literally never noticed this before I'one thousand reaching for it. So, I've gotten in the addiction of keeping a little flake of toilet paper with me at all times. I keep a flake folded upward and tucked away in a pocket of my passport holder or money chugalug, and go along information technology stocked up whenever I tin can.
- Ziplining was invented in Costa rica.
Hither's a fun fact for nerds like us: zip-lining was actually invented as a enquiry tool to aid scientists study the tops of forest canopies. I was skeptical of the thought of teams of scientists careening at height speed beyond the treetops, frantically trying to record measurements as they pass past, but facts are facts.
The inventor of scientific ziplining – who was a immature, attractive guy, a fact which I observe but slightly relevant but still notable – went on to write a fascinating book about his experiences and learnings, and was the primary consultant for the 1992 pic "Medicine Man," featuring Sean Connery flying through the canopy on ziplines collecting plant specimens to cure cancer. YASS, hot audacious scientists, yass!
- Republic of costa rica arguably has the best nada lining in the earth.
(And aye, we're prepared to argue about information technology.)
Long afterward its origins in the realm of hot-scientist research, ziplining was turned into an adventurous activeness for tourists. The very offset commercial zipline was in the deject forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica.
… But soon, there was major drama. The guy who "invented" ziplining (just definitely simply ripped it off of Hot Scientist) filed a patent for his "creation," and and then proceeded to sue everyone else who dared to operate similar awning tours in Costa Rica.
And but in instance suing wasn't enough, he besides marched right into the forest with a pair of clippers to cutting downwards anybody else'south zipline ties, accompanied by the very woman from the International Holding Rights Registry who had granted his patent. The DRAMA!
Of grade, he was fighting a losing battle – ziplining caught on faster than he could cut down wires, and today, at that place are plenty of awesome ziplining tours throughout Costa Rica (and the rest of the earth, for that thing).
On our well-nigh contempo trip, Jeremy flew on a one-mile long Superman bout across the cloud woods canopy in Monteverde. I don't know if he managed to collect any specimens to cure cancer, simply he did have a fantastic time.
- There's a good chance you'll exist taking a boat to get somewhere at some point.
Lots of places in Costa Rica are only accessible by gunkhole, and then in that location's a good chance you'll discover yourself taking a river taxi or shuttle boat at some indicate. There's likewise a good hazard your boat ride will be accompanied past crocodiles (if in a river) or dolphins (if on the ocean).
Don't be surprised if at that place are some tricky waves to navigate or a wet landing, either (in fact, expect information technology). But don't worry: those massive waves that look like they're going to trip over your boat are probably no large deal to your experienced boat captain. Pura vida, amirite?
Travel Tip: I recommend packing dramamine and a pair of sturdy water-friendly sandals or water shoes.
- If you tend to become ear infections, possibly exist extra careful around rivers in Costa Rica.
This is peradventure just a genetic curse, simply both my dad and I were afflicted with horrible ear infections after getting Costa Rican river-water in our ears.
For my dad, information technology was on my commencement trip to Costa Rica. I was 8 years quondam, and all I remember is that nosotros went kayaking and he took it way too seriously. I don't remember he if flipped the kayak or I just imagined he did, but either mode, he ended up with a nasty ear infection that he claims took years to fully go away.
For me, it happened on a white-water rafting trip during our twelvemonth-long honeymoon. I didn't even get in the water, but water got on me, and within 24 hours, I was writhing in excruciating pain. It took a week and some heavy steroids to clear up – I've never had an ear infection similar that in my life. And I've had ear bug my whole life, although they've only gotten worse since then.
Nowadays, I stick to the ocean in Costa Rica. And if I'm going anywhere near river water, I jam a couple of swimming earplugs into my ears and hope for the best.
- The healthcare in Costa Rica is fantastic.
One small upside to getting the worst ear infection of my life during my tertiary trip to Costa rica was that I had the pleasance of existence treated past several local doctors. (I mean, I was in horrible hurting the entire fourth dimension, but hey, they were great!)
Thank you to my World Nomads insurance policy, I was connected to a pocket-size md's role in a rural expanse, as well equally a big hospital in humming San Jose, where I had the unfortunate experience of getting a painful shot in my butt (which sucked, but at least it cleared my ear infection right up.)
Everything was super fast, efficient, and clean, and billing was a snap. And although the whole affair was surprisingly inexpensive – thanks to Costa Rica'southward Universal Healthcare arrangement – I was able to get my claim processed with Globe Nomads with no upshot (along with the extra 3 nights I had to spend writhing around in hurting before the doctors cleared me to fly safely).
So, lesson learned: don't go in the water, just if yous DO happen to share my family'due south genetic predisposition to awful ear infections from Republic of costa rica, at to the lowest degree you know you'll exist well taken care of! (Oh, and brand certain you pick upwardly a World Nomads insurance policy, too. Information technology was a HUGE help!)
- There is astonishing woodworking in Costa Rica.
Walk through any souvenir shop in Costa Rica, or an outdoor patio at a restaurant, or even just a random farm, and you will quickly plow into a part-time Ron Swanson, drooling over a particularly juicy slab of live-edge forest or an intricate chevron blueprint. You'll find yourself admiring the hand-carved creature displays, proverb things like "wow, look at that dowel joinery," and looking sadly at furniture while you cram as many cut boards and coasters into your comport-on luggage as y'all tin can.
… Or maybe it's just considering Jeremy picked up woodworking as a pandemic hobby and reads Nick Offerman's woodworking book every bit a bedtime story.
But in any instance, Costa Rican woodworking is admittedly cute and will give you a new appreciation for woodcraft. They really know their way around copse at that place – I hateful, at that place are even restaurants literally in trees, like this 1.
But be sure to go out some room in your suitcase for wooden souvenirs!
- There is a very different culture betwixt Costa Rica's Caribbean and Pacific coasts.
It's difficult to visit both of Costa Rica's coasts on one trip – getting in between the two isn't terribly easy. And each coast has its own selection of attractions for visitors, slightly different weather, and so on. There are plenty of helpful comparing guides to help visitors determine which coast to visit on their trip (similar this i). But ane thing that is frequently disregarded or not mentioned is the difference in culture.
Republic of costa rica's Caribbean area coast is largely divers by Jamaican descendants, who came to Costa rica in the late 1800'southward to subcontract bananas and build railroads. Over the decades, Afro–Costa Ricans – which includes ane of the largest communities of Jamaicans outside of Jamaica – have retained their culture and mixed it in with Costa Rican culture.
The effect is a unique blend of culture, food, music, and even language. Visiting the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, you'll probable hear reggae or Calypso music playing in cafes and locals speaking Mekatelyu/patois or Creole. You'll gustation Caribbean Tico food made with Carribbean flavors like coconut, ginger, curry, allspice, cinnamon, and chili peppers.
… About Communicating in Costa Rica
- There are a lot of unique Costa Rican slang terms and phrases.
We're pretty OK at bones Castilian. I like to explain my personal level of Spanish aptitude as "Taxi Spanish," meaning I can accept a pretty decent conversation with taxi drivers. Jeremy's Castilian aptitude level is "Restaurant Castilian," merely he'southward making adept headway on "Hostel Spanish."
Just that all flies out the window when it comes to Tico Spanish. There are so many Spanish slang terms and phrases that are completely unique to Costa rica (like "tico" itself, which incidentally means Costa Rican). Bomba ways gas station, and birria, which is both a Mexican dish and a Spanglish attempt to say beer, actually does mean beer.
Want to acquire some Tico slang? Chiva! Hither's a list. And some other one. There'due south also 1 at the bottom of this page.
- Pura Vida is more than a saying in Costa Rica: information technology's a lifestyle!
Pura Vida, or "pure life/simple life," represents the Tico life: happy, low-stress, worry-complimentary, and filled with gratitude. You know, only living in paradise with sloths for neighbors, basically.
As anxiety-decumbent travelers, nosotros're not usually the type to wander around carefree. We're more likely to exist found in a land of constant panic, dripping with sweat and chugging water 20 minutes backside whatever group we're with.
But Costa Rica has a unique result on u.s.a.: it'south as if Pura Vida seeped into united states of america through the gallons of lizano we're consuming at breakfast every morning time. Oh my god, is THAT the secret ingredient?!
- …Only Pura Vida is besides a saying.
Pura Vida is the right response to literally every question in Republic of costa rica, particularly if you lot don't speak Spanish. You can use it for hello, goodbye, thank you, or simply to say you lot're having a peachy time (or you're having a terrible time but desire to be polite). To quote a vocal well-nigh a different and entirely unrelated phrase, "it means no worries, for the remainder of your days."
Pura Vida is also appropriate in a wide range of scenarios. Like, you lot know that feeling you get when you lot're hanging out on the beach and feelin' really expert? This is a practiced time to exubarantly shout Pura Vida! Or when you're about to dive off a cliff to swing out a mile into the tree canopy below? Definitely a skillful time for an exclamation of Pura Vida (even better if you shout and jump at the same time). Or when a howler monkey flings poop at y'all? Yep: Pura Vida!
It tin mean annihilation from "any, I'm however having a great fourth dimension" to "I'm honestly having a terrible fourth dimension, but I'm in Republic of costa rica and so all things considered, I guess I'm notwithstanding doing pretty OK!"
For usa, it serves as a reminder to limited gratitude and appreciation for life's uncomplicated joys and for the simple deed of living. Pura Vida.
- Yous don't need to speak Spanish in Costa rica, but it will certainly help.
There are lots of places where not speaking the language will make your travels very hard, but in Republic of costa rica, you'll be OK even if y'all don't speak much Spanish. Although Spanish speaking volition definitely make your trip easier, English is very common – especially amidst guides and at hotels.
Just make sure you know a few words, like "delight" and "thank you."
Or, when in doubt, but say pura vida.
… About Conservation & Politics in Costa Rica
- Costa rica is a leader in conservation, eco-tourism, and ethical wildlife tourism.
As responsible travelers, it'due south incredibly of import to us that the money we spend as tourists, and the businesses we support as travel writers, align with our values. (You can learn more most what that means, and how to be a more responsible tourist, in our ethical tourism guide).
Republic of costa rica is one of the few places in the world (along with the Galapagos Islands) where we know with confidence that every single tour nosotros book volition follow ethical and responsible tourism guidelines.
No tour guides volition try to feed wild animals to make them come up closer. Nobody in our grouping volition be allowed to become also close to an beast just to take a selfie. No wild animals, even in sanctuaries or Rescue Centers, will be bred for profit. And the money nosotros spend on our tour, and as visitors to Costa rica, volition play a part in reforestation and environmental conservation.
Why? Considering it'southward the police force. Lots of laws, actually, like the Biodiversity Law and the Wildlife Conservation Law. Lots of things are illegal in Costa rica that are merely "guidelines" elsewhere, such as touching or agonizing plant and brute life, keeping wildlife as pets,
Costa rica's commitment to conservation and the surround isn't just a marketing hook: they walk the talk, and they pull other global leaders along, as well. They're aiming for full decarbonization by 2050. They've established a fossil fuels revenue enhancement and a water usage tax. And today, they're pushing for a global commitment to biodiversity policies. Costa Ricans play a major role in international environmental politics
- Costa Rica learned its lessons about wildlife conservation the hard way.
Between the 1940s and 1980s, many of Costa Rica'south beautiful and biodiverse forests were destroyed and replaced with cattle farms and crops. In just over 4 decades, rampant deforestation stripped away nearly 80% of Republic of costa rica'due south beautiful forests. The country chop-chop degraded from lush and green to a sad, barren landscape.
And while the increase in farming led to economical development, it was curt-lived: in the late 70's, the cost of coffee dropped and the price of oil rose. All of a sudden, coffee farming every bit a primary source of income for Republic of costa rica didn't brand sense anymore.
But the story doesn't end there: the country took action and completely changed course, apace pivoting away from agriculture. In the early on xc'southward, deforestation was fabricated illegal. The forests grew back with astonishing speed (considering nature is amazing), and Costa rica invested its efforts into other sources of income.
Today, eco-tourism is one of the primary sources of revenue for Costa Rica!
- Costa rica does non take an army.
Costa Rica has had a pretty peaceful existence every bit a country. Although they were colonized past Spain along with the residuum of Central and S America, they were the poorest of the Spanish colonies, with no gold or minerals for greedy conquistadors to fight over. Nobody put up a fight when they overthrew Spanish rule and established a republic
And with lilliputian to provoke conflict, the state has existed peacefully, fighting no wars in its 180-twelvemonth history.
The army was abolished in 1948 following a short merely violent Civil War, and the land has had peace always since. And similar, how incredibly awesome is that?!!
- Republic of costa rica has 12 different political parties, but they all generally hold when it comes to environmental conservation.
Since 1948, the land has had peace. That political stability has allowed long-term visions for the land to keep, rather than change with each new administration.
Which is wild when you consider how many political parties in that location are in Costa Rica (similar, a lot). How exercise they get anything washed? Uncomplicated: they all agree on a few important things, like conservation and eco-tourism.
And that, my friends, is how y'all become a global leader in sustainable tourism. Elementary, right?
- Costa Rica has a phenomenal National Parks organization.
We're huge fans of our USA National Parks, but Costa rica'south National Parks system really gives us a run for our coin. From the tidy boardwalks at Manuel Antonio to the lowlands of Tortuguero and the rugged coastline in Corcovado, the national parks in Costa rica are epic.
In addition to the jaw-dropping scenery, each park is well organized, with clean bathrooms, maintained trails, clear maps, and adept guides to safely lead visitors in and out of the parks (and make sure they respect the local wild fauna).
And, to our delight, there is also a clear emphasis on accessibility: many of the parks and reserves we visited had wheelchair-accessible paths or offered tours past golf cart for differently-abled visitors.
… Near Wildlife in Costa rica
- There is ever a sloth nearby.
Costa Rica is a magical wonderland filled with sloths, and as a huge sloth fan, I am never non on #slothwatch. As I write this from Monteverde, Republic of costa rica, at that place are probably like, 18 sloths in the forests surrounding me, just chillin with their fiddling claws eating leaves and stuff. They are everywhere.
But information technology'southward hard to spot them! They tend to look like bundles of leaves, perfectly blended in with the trees. Adorable leaf bundles with ambrosial piddling snouts hanging upside downward bein' the cutest little tree muffins ever! I beloved sloths so much, y'all.
If I'1000 not with a guide, looking in the aforementioned direction as a group of people with better eyesight than me, or actively looking for sloth butts in trees with my travel binoculars, I commonly tin't see one unless it literally crosses the road in front end of me or, in one memorable instance in Manuel Antonio, does a niggling shimmy motion on an electrical pole straight across from the window of my hostel room. (Yes, I spent the next 5 hours watching it very slowly move its way from the electrical pole back into a tree, where it promptly vanished from sight. It was astonishing.)
- Well-nigh of Costa rica's wild fauna is nocturnal.
It'southward pretty much incommunicable to leave Costa Rica without seeing a TON of wildlife.
It's non rare to see a blueish morpho butterfly dancing flitting by a toucan while a monkey tries to steal your breakfast because y'all're distracted past watching the butterfly and toucan.
Every bit you lay past the pool, you'll lookout man macaws wing overhead yelling their majestic very recognizable WHAAAAAAT while Jesus Christ lizards scamper over the pool water a coati ambles by your chair. That's just an average day in Costa rica!
So it might be difficult to believe that 60% of Costa Rica's wildlife is actually nocturnal. But information technology's truthful: if y'all're only looking for wildlife in the daytime, yous're missing out!
We highly recommend taking a nighttime bout to see the rainforest come alive – they're offered at about of Costa Rica's rainforest destinations. You'll meet and then many more of Costa Rica's resident tree frogs, lizards, snakes, insects, and spiders (so. many. spiders).
Then over again, if you lot'd rather not know how many spiders are quietly snoozing all around y'all waiting the sun to get down, possibly simply stick to daytime wildlife spotting.
- At that place are four kinds of monkeys in Costa rica, and they're all totally different.
Capucin monkeys, aka white-face mokeys, are brown with a tan/white head and shoulders, but like a foamy cappuccino (hence the name). They're SO freakin' cute, simply they're also wiley, and splendid jumpers.
Years agone – before strict nutrient rules were put into place at Manuel Antonio – nosotros watched a monkey jump onto an unsuspecting tourist, snatch their lunch from a backpack, and escape into the copse before the guy fifty-fifty noticed.
Spider monkeys are huge, with long limbs and a very long tail (similar a spider). They use their long tail similar a 5th limb, and they can move through the forest canopies faster than any of the other monkeys.
Squirrel monkeys, aka mono titi, are the cutest monkeys on the planet and I love them. They are teeny tiny, with a blackness snout and a white face on top of a yellow body. They are sadly endangered, merely y'all might exist able to see them on the Osa Peninsula.
On my very commencement visit to Costa Rica, one climbed on me and sat on my head. I was 8 years old and it was the greatest moment of my entire life (it might still be).
Howler monkeys sound similar Rex Kong himself is careening through the jungle on a mission to kill. They are LOUD! But despite sounding absolutely terrifying, they're all bawl and no seize with teeth: howler monkeys are super lazy, and are much more likely to fling poop at you from the copse than physically attack. (That said, if a group of howlers is higher up you screaming, move away speedily, because poo and pee come side by side.)
- If yous take a selfie with an animal, y'all could exist breaking the law.
Animal selfies have long been a contentious field of study for ethical wild animals travelers, because often an animal selfie is made possible by feeding or touching an animal or getting as well close to it. That's. not OK, and information technology's not ethical.
But Costa Rica takes things a stride further: animal selfies are not immune at all in their national parks. The government has even created a #stopanimalselfies campaign full of upstanding animal selfie tips. Use the hashtag to share your (ethical) wildlife photos!
… About the Flora & Animate being in Costa Rica
- Don't affect the trees.
And listen, I'm not only saying that because "don't bear upon" is a core tenet of ethical wildlife tourism.
Here's the thing about touching trees in Costa rica, fifty-fifty accidentally: you're going to regret information technology. Betwixt the spiders, lizards, and snakes who make their home in the foliage, and the spines and thorns on the bark, the trees in Republic of costa rica fight back. Much like Ents. Was Tolkien inspired by Costa Rica??
Although this warning was shared with us past multiple guides, like many things in life, I had to learn my lesson the hard mode: I touched one of these trees for about 2 seconds while hiking (not on purpose -I tripped and my hand just flew out, seeking anything to grab on it). The tree, which is covered in inch-long spines, direct up punctured my paw.
I spent the residuum of the hike watching where I was going, nursing my bleeding palm, and wishing I'd brought trekking poles. Travel Tip: bring trekking poles!
Side Notation: Aside from having insanely abrupt expiry spikes, the pochote tree too has i of the most delightful smelling flowers I've ever sniffed! Simply … sniff carefully.
- Costa rica has both cloud forests and rainforests.
Rainforests are humid, tropical forests with a dense canopy which receive a ton of rainfall. Cloud forests are humid, tropical forests with a dumbo canopy which receive a ton of rainfall. Wait, hang on – so what's the difference??
The departure between a cloud forest and a rain forest is tiptop. Rain forests are located at a low top, like ocean level. This is why in all of my embankment pictures from Costa rica, in that location is a looming rainforest literally steps away from the ocean. If yous visit Manuel Antonio, Tortuguero, or Corcovado National Parks, you're visiting a rain forest.
Meanwhile, cloud forests are located in higher elevations, such as in the mountains. Considering of the higher elevation, the temperature is much cooler. Combined with the humidity, yous'll usually find deject forests covered in a dense mist or fog (which made the states feel right at domicile coming from the the foggy Bay Area.) If you're visiting La Fortuna or Monteverde, you'll be visiting deject forests.
Both rainforests and cloud forests are abode to myriad critters and fascinating eco-systems. But personally, I think I prefer cloud forests. In that location'south something nigh the pleasant temperature, the hanging mist, and the giant, looming strangler figs (so named considering the tree grows around other copse and slowly starves them to expiry, leaving a hollow center) that reminds me of the redwood forests back at dwelling house in California! Except, like, with monkeys.
- There are hundreds of types of avocados growing here. Including cinnamon!
Was anyone else's mind blown when they found out that cinnamon comes from the bawl of a blazon of avocado tree? Just me?!
Anyway, there are hundreds of varieties of avocado trees native to Republic of costa rica – and the kind that humans eat is only one of them. They come in all sizes and colors, and they make a yummy, nutrient-rich food source for birds and monkeys!
- Houseplant lovers: litereally every tropical plant grows here.
I'm pretty sure Jeremy got sick of me shrieking every time I saw an enormous monstera or giant alocasia, merely I couldn't assistance it: Costa rica makes me want to plough my embarrassingly large pocket-sized institute collection into a full-blown indoor jungle.
Except I know my calathea will never be as happy in my California bathroom as they are in the wet, tropical forests of Costa rica. *cries in plant mom*
- The hugger-mugger of the magic of Costa Rican forests is epiphytes.
So, hither's the thing: forests in Costa Rica aren't just like, filled with copse. They're not *simply* dense, tropical forests with a thick awning and shade-loving vegetation roofing the ground and providing a home to thousands of happy critters.
Because growing on every single tree trunk, co-operative, and limb, are epiphytes.
What are epiphytes, you ask? They're basically aeriform plants that grow on other plants. Except unlike aggressive vines, they don't hurt the plants they grow on at all – they grow symbiotically, sharing resource with their host plants, not really needing much soil or water, and beautifying admittedly everything they abound on.
A few examples of epiphytes that are freakin' EVERYWHERE in Costa Rica, particularly in the deject forests, are orchids, bromiliads, ferns, mosses, and monsteras.
The older the tree, the more than it volition exist covered in epiphytes, and the more than information technology will await like a work of fine art.
It's hard to draw the beauty of an unabridged forest filled with bushy ferns, flowering bromeliads, drooping moss, and brightly colored orchids all growing on the trunks and limbs of enormous trees, then that the very forest floor seems to be climbing all the manner to the canopy.
You simply have to go to Costa Rica see information technology in person!
Ready to pack your bags and head to Costa Rica? Did yous larn something new about Costa rica from this post, or is there something you think should be on this list? Drop us a comment beneath!
Psst: Planning a trip to Costa Rica? Check out some of our other posts!
- 2 Weeks in Costa rica: The Ultimate Republic of costa rica 2 Week Itinerary
- Costa Rica Packing List: 42 Essentials to Pack for Costa Rica
- How to Be a More Responsible Tourist: a Traveler's Guide to Ethical Tourism
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Our Top Travel Tips & Resources
Here are our favorite travel tips & resource for saving money and planning travel logistics! For more tips, check out our travel tips resource page or our guide to planning a trip.
- Booking Flights: To score flight deals, search on Google Flights or Kayak. Money-saving tips: fly mid-week or on the weekend; fly bear-on only on a budget airline; and have red-eyes or early on morning flights.
- Accommodations: We normally stay in budget-friendly holiday rentals, bazaar hotels or private rooms in hostels. We use Booking.com to book hotels (we love their flexible cancellation policy) and Hostelworld to book hostels (low deposit, easy change/counterfoil, and excellent reviews). For vacation rentals, nosotros prefer to book using VRBO because they've got lower fees and improve support than Airbnb, and we're not fans of Airbnb'due south unethical track record. You lot can also book holiday rentals on Expedia and Hotels.com. Nosotros besides use TrustedHousesitters as both hosts (for our home and our fur-child) and travelers!
- Travel Insurance: Nosotros always, always, Ever buy travel insurance for international trips, and nosotros STRONGLY propose it - visit our Travel Insurance Guide to find out why. We recommend either World Nomads or SafetyWing for international travel insurance. SafetyWing is one of the few policies that covers Covid-xix, and they have excellent monthly policies that are perfect for Digital Nomads and long term travelers!
- Travel Credit Carte du jour: Nosotros volume all of our trips on our favorite travel credit carte. Not just practise we earn cash back that we can spend on more travel, only the bill of fare offers fantastic travel perks like travel insurance, trip delay and cancellation coverage, lost baggage reimbursement, and rental car coverage, which helps protect united states on our travels. Learn more than here.
- Vaccines & Meds: We utilize the travel guides on the CDC website to research recommended medications and vaccines for international trips. Nosotros always recommend getting every vaccine recommended by the CDC! You tin can get them at your master care md'due south role or a walk-in chemist's.
- Tours: We love booking guided tours, particularly nutrient tours and walking tours, to get a local's perspective and a history lesson while sight-seeing! We volume our tours using Viator and GetYourGuide.
- Transportation: We utilize Rome2Rio to figure out how to go from identify to place, and book local transportation online using Bookaway wherever we can. When nosotros book a rental motorcar, nosotros apply Kayak to compare rental companies and find the best deal.
- Baggage Storage: Whenever we're checking out early or taking advantage of a long layover, we apply LuggageHero to safely store our luggage while we're running around. Use the lawmaking PRACTICALW for 2 hours of complimentary luggage storage on us.
- VPN Service: A VPN keeps your digital information (like website login details, depository financial institution info, etc) condom, even when yous're continued to an unsecured network while traveling. Plus, it lets yous use Netflix & other streaming sites abroad! Nosotros employ NordVPN. Utilize the code WANDERLUSTPROMO when you sign up!
- What to Pack: Here are the travel essentials that nosotros bring on every trip. We also have packing lists for hot weather, cold weather, and many more. Take a await at all of our packing guides!
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Source: https://practicalwanderlust.com/things-nobody-tells-you-visiting-costa-rica/
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