Plan your trip to Costa Rica without the overwhelm.
Don’t know where to start? Start here.
Are you trying to plan a trip to Costa Rica but are getting overwhelmed in the process?
Do you normally plan trips for yourself, but somehow with Costa Rica you’re having difficulty making decisions?
Are you scared of making decisions that will take you to touristy places and not getting what you expected out of the trip?
Where do I go? Where should I stay? What can’t I miss? There simply seems to be so much to do!
If you want an authentic off-the-beaten path Costa Rica vacation and simply don’t know where to start, or you’ve already invested hours researching the best Costa Rica itinerary, you’re definitely not alone!
Why is it harder planning a Costa Rica trip?
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TOO MANY DESTINATIONS TO CHOOSE FROM
Yes, we are a very small country, roughly the size of West Virginia or Denmark. However, different from other Central American countries, most of Costa Rica is “visitable” and the landscape varies a lot: rainforest, dry forest, cloudforest, white sand beach, black sand beach, surf beach, active volcanoes, inactive volcanoes, waterfalls, indigenous towns, national parks, Caribbean Coast, Pacific Coast, etc etc etc. This gives you a very wide range of options to choose from and, we get it, you will most likely not have enough time to do it all.
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COSTA RICAN TOPOGRAPHY
Being a small country might make you think that it’s easy to discover it all in a few short days…but in real life it’s much harder than you think, and there’s a simple answer to that: we like to call it “welcome to the jungle!”. Our topography varies a lot and this means that from getting to point A to point B it’s usually not a straight path but rather a very uphill, downhill, curvy, bumpy ride! Which is why being smart about your itinerary is super important to make sure you’re squeezing out the most out of your vacation time…and it’s really hard to do that if you’re not a local, we know (especially because we don’t really have addresses and also traffic jams can get intense in certain routes)!
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NOT EVERYTHING IS FOR EVERYONE
We see it over and over again: travelers in Costa Rica come to do the exact same route and then go on suggesting it to others. You know the one: Jacó, Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna, Monteverde and Tamarindo. However, there’s a whole ‘nother country out there waiting to be explored, but A) many don’t know about it, and B) there’s not much reliable information out there. Sticking to the traditional first-timer’s Costa Rica itinerary is a safe bet given that so many travelers have done it, but there’s also the risk that maybe those destinations might not be the ideal ones for you and your travel preferences.
Take a look at what’s inside your guide on how to plan your authentic Costa Rican itinerary
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It’s cheap because it’s in Latin America
It’s unsafe because it’s in Latin America
It’s only nature, it has no culture
I must pack water and food because I might get a stomach ache from dirty water and unsafe food
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How much does a trip to Costa Rica actually cost?
For budget travelers
For mid-range travelers
For high-budget tickets
Currency used and do they accept USD
What are the taxes, and are tips included?
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Main language spoken (and, will they speak English?)
Other languages
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Why weather apps don’t work in Costa Rica
The two types of seasons
Dry season vs wet season
Let’s talk micro-climates
What about the Caribbean?
When is the best season to travel to Costa Rica
Peak Season
Green Season
Main holidays & natural tourism
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Required vaccines to enter CR
What about Malaria?
What about the bacteria in the hot springs?
Do I need traveler health insurance to enter Costa Rica?
Is it easy to find a doctor and/or get medications?
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Benefits of group travel
Benefits of private travel
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Renting a car
Hiring a driver
Public transportation
Internal flights
The local’s way to know the real driving distance between destinations
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Can I just choose one place as a hub and move from there?
The first-timer’s typical itinerary
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International airports
The two coasts in Costa Rica
Pros of the Pacific Coast
Pros of the Caribbean Coast
All the destinations in the Pacific Coast
All the destinations in the Caribbean Coast
Two types of forest: Rainforest and cloud forest
Where to immerse yourself in in the Rainforest
Where to find the Cloud Forest
For waterfall lovers
Let’s talk volcanoes
A note on Mangroves
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Adventure activities
Zip-lining
White-water rafting
Horseback riding
Surfing
Snorkeling & diving
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Turtle nesting season
Whale Watching
Sloths sloths sloths!
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What’s the typical Costa Rican food?
What if I’m vegetarian/vegan?
What if I’m celiac or have a special diet?
Can I find non-dairy alternatives?
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Little did we know just how much more there would be to discover!
I will be recommending CoolRides to everyone that I know who is planning to visit Costa Rica. The authentic, personalized touch really made for a unique and memorable experience, and to me that's what travel is all about. Having Pia explain everything in great detail and answer our many questions was truly invaluable - I'm so glad we had the chance to work with her on our first trip to Costa Rica!
We had actually never hired itinerary planning services before this trip, so we didn’t know what to expect or how the process even works. Pia came highly recommended by a Costa Rican friend of mine who strongly suggested avoiding the more typical tourist destinations in favor of a more authentic “off-the-beaten path” approach.
Joel Cassady, drummer from Walk Off The Earth
How to plan an authentic Costa Rica trip without putting in the hard work (because we’ve done that for you):
Get unstuck and say ‘adiós’ to the overwhelm of trying to plan a trip to Costa Rica.
Interactive content for all learning abilities:
Whether you learn through video, audio or reading, our material covers every ability so you can choose the one that suits best for your learning abilities. Listen as you go, or make yourself some nice freshly brewed coffee and take some down time while learning how to easily plan your upcoming Costa Rican adventure.Designed to leave with a plan in hand:
From our experience, some planning courses out there leave you more overwhelmed than where you started. Our content includes a guided step by step to help you narrow down your choices based on your preferences, travel companions and time availability.Honest and authentic suggestions:
Most travel agents give you tips for traveling in Costa Rica that are interest-based (aka: they receive a commission) so they might recommend the best option for them ($), but not necessarily for you. We’re not a travel agency nor do we commission, so we make sure to give you honest and authentic advice based on our real and local experience throughout our years of traveling in Costa Rica (our homeland).
I learned about the overwhelm associated with planning a trip to Costa Rica, when I was planning a trip to Morocco.
Curious? I figured you might be.
Let me tell you the story:
YOUR COOLGUIDE
My name is Pía, and I founded CoolRides because I want you to avoid falling in a tourist trap and find a Costa Rica that nourishes you inside-out through local, authentic (and mostly sustainable) off-the-beaten-path experiences.
I have traveled my country curating experiences, restaurants, lodgings…and even tourist guides! so that you can have the real opinion of both a local and a traveler such as myself, with no monetary interest to advertise a specific party (I’m not a travel agency nor do I take commissions). My opinions and audiovisual content (I take a lot of photos and videos) are made by myself, mostly with my phone, so that you can get an authentic grasp on what to expect and for whom every experience and destination I think is best suited for. Nothing is overproduced nor edited to make it look better than what it actually is.
The best part is that for those experiences that I really, really like, I ask the owners to provide a discount for our CoolGuide travelers (whom I like to call CoolRiders) to create a win-win for you as a traveler, and to incentivize you to help a business owner who’s doing something great, grow! Naturally, I like to highlight those that are (mostly) local, promoting sustainable practices and/or are small business owners.
Get anytime access to our growing collection of videos, downloadables, itineraries, roadmaps, events and exclusive content to seamlessly plan your upcoming trip to Costa Rica, without stress or overwhelm!
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Are you trying to plan a trip to Costa Rica but are getting completely lost in the process?
I recommend that before you start into the nitty gritty of planning your itinerary to Costa Rica, you consider five utmost important things. I’ve compiled these suggestions into a free series called: 5 essentials you need to consider before planning your Costa Rican trip. How to smartly design your Costa Rican itinerary.
In this (very) short video series, we will talk about essential topics such as:
Is the traditional first timer’s itinerary in Costa Rica also ideal for you? Or could you be making smarter decisions?
The absolute best time to visit Costa Rica. But, will it rain? ☔
Have you estimated the right amount of money for your Costa Rican trip? The key to making all the rest of your decisions.
How to wisely choose activities that you know you’ll love in Costa Rica. Landscapes, adventures, wildlife, culture, food. Which to choose and why?
Tell me who you travel with to Costa Rica, and I’ll tell you who you’ll become. I’ve got my little magic wand waiting to sort you out!
