We know that traveling to Costa Rica is not always easy. That is why with this selection of tips we want to help you make both the organization and the planning of the itinerary as easy, comfortable and successful as possible so that your trip is unforgettable. Known for being one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world, Costa Rica is one of those destinations that shines by itself thanks to natural environments of such exuberance that they are even difficult to define; beaches that could well be the cover of any travel catalog and animal life that, together, is the perfect complement to everything mentioned above.
Based on the planning and our experience during the trip to Costa Rica, we wanted to leave you with what we believe are the 3 essential tips for traveling to Costa Rica. Let’s start!
What is the best time to travel to Costa Rica?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions when starting to prepare any trip to Costa Rica on your own, and it is that this is a country in which the climatological aspect can greatly condition some routes and visits. That is why before planning your trip it is highly recommended to know which months are the most suitable or at least, which is what you will probably find depending on when you travel:
Dry season (December to April)
This could be said to be the best time to travel to Costa Rica. In general, in most of the tourist attractions you can enjoy sunny skies, little rain and pleasant temperatures.
Rainy season (May to November)
this is the time when it usually rains more in much of the country and even, to reach some areas such as Corcovado, it is not recommended to do it by car (4×4). Remember that the weather is always unpredictable and that regardless of the time in which you are going to travel, the rains are usually present all year round, since this is a fairly unstable country at a climatological level. Likewise, we also want to emphasize that the rains are usually intermittent and that they do not usually hinder or greatly condition visits.
The Ticos are so used to the rain that on more than one occasion, despite the fact that it is raining or even falling in a downpour, they will tell you that that is only four drops.
Entry requirements
If you have Spanish nationality and are going to travel to Costa Rica as a tourist for less than 90 days, you do not need to process any type of visa. You should only carry the passport with enough space for the entry and exit stamps. Remember that the DNI is not valid and that the Costa Rican authorities may ask you for the return flight to allow you to enter the country. In addition to this, it is always important to check that the entry stamp has been stamped in your passport when you pass the controls since if they have not, you could have problems at the time of departure. If you are going to rent a car, remember that it is not necessary to carry an International Driving License. With the Spanish card you will have enough both to rent the car and supporting document in case you need it for a maximum period of 3 months. Also remember that it is always very important to consult official sources before traveling to any destination to have all the updated information. We recommend you check the pages of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the page of the Embassy to confirm and check the requirements for entering Costa Rica.
Security when traveling to Costa Rica
There are not a few travelers who have doubts about security in Costa Rica. Our experience led us to confirm everything we had read and had been told: Costa Rica is a safe country (a lot) although logically, it is important to travel with common sense and not tempt fate with unnecessary details such as leaving suitcases in sight in Car. By this we mean that as a tourist it is highly unlikely that you will have any security problems, but it is important to take certain precautions, especially with valuables in the car. We wore a large foulard that covered the suitcases and that, together with the opaque windows, did not allow visibility inside the trunk.
A special case is San José, the capital, which does have some areas where it is better not to walk or spend more time than necessary. These areas would be, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, streets 14 and 6, Av. Central and 7. This is extended to the night in the capital, where it is more advisable to always move through central areas.
