5 Days in Costa Rica

This was my second time out of the country and this year, my brothers, our closest friends, and I chose Costa Rica for our annual big birthday trip. It turned out to be the perfect choice! Costa Rica's rich culture, stunning environment, and incredible food truly make it feel like a different world. Instead of opting for an all-inclusive resort (which we almost did), we decided on a secluded, gated Airbnb. Despite many warnings against driving in Costa Rica, we rented a car. Initially, I was nervous, but it turned out to be the best decision we made.

Tips

• Take a LOT of 5 dollar bills and 1 dollar bills, you'll run out so quickly

• Try ALL the different types of food, whether you think you'll like it or not

• Buy/try snacks from the local little convenience stores. I still have dreams of one of the chocolate bars I bought over there that I will never be able to find over here

• Make sure you add the international phone coverage to your cell before landing, otherwise you will not have signal

• Make sure you call your credit/debit card company to let them know you are traveling, incase they see any foreign transactions. This will prevent them from taking precautionary measures and locking your card

• Take good walking shoes! I made the mistake or taking nothing but sandals and some of them broke from all of the walking

• Be ready to have your currency conversion calculator on hand and ready

• It's good to have some sort of itinerary but also be open to anything new and fun you see. A lot of the things we ended up doing were very "impromptu" because we would see something we all liked and wanted to try as we were driving so we would stop.

Stay away from:

• Try to avoid using your credit or debit card, I learned later that there are pretty hefty foreign fees placed on your card. Mine was as big as $18 foreign fee for one $5 transaction.

• Going anywhere by yourself, always stay in a buddy system.

• Going out late at night, if you can.

• Do not tell anyone, whether you meet them at a bar and they seem friendly, where you are staying.

• Don't drink water unless its BOTTLED. Okay this may have been common sense but it was my second time out of the country and I AM SO USED to drinking from the fridge's filtered water dispenser and out of habit, I did this at the Airbnb and I literally got a parasite from this. My tummy was miserable the whole Costa Rica trip.

• Also try to avoid accidentally drinking sea water for the same reason above.
  

Where we stayed:

• We stayed in a 4 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom gated/secluded villa on a mountain top overlooking the ocean.

• Here is the link for where we stayed and it is absolutely gorgeous. The owners are also so helpful in not only giving you recommendations and links but responding so quickly and providing you with what you need for a memorable stay!10/10 recommend!

Where we rented cars from:

• We rented cards from Enterprise at the Airport which was super convenient because upon landing, we were taken in a quick 5 minute shuttle ride to the Enterprise location to pick up the vehicles.

• For 2 cars, we paid about $950 total but we loaded the bill up with all of the protection plans and extra coverage

• If you rent vehicles, highly recommend getting one that is 4 wheel drive and also get all of the protection plans on it just incase. Make sure you also do the prepaid gas option because it is very rare to see/find a gas station in Costa Rica.

• Also, these cars are AMAZING on gas. We never needed to fill up and we had tons of miles left.

What we did:

• Adventure tours park!! This adventure park offered horseback riding through the jungle/beach and also offered ATV 4-wheeler riding! There was options to add on zipling and other fun things, but we didn't opt in for those. It was $146 a person, including taxes, for the ATV and horses.

• Sunset Sailboat Dinner - This one was gorgeous and the right amount of time! I will say that it took about an hour of sailing to get where we wanted to go. For those of you who are weary of being sea sick, take precaution. I got a bit sick because the boat never stopped and it's an open bar. Once you get to Playa Flamingo, they offer scuba diving! So fun. The dinner they give you is pretty tasty too. And they stop the boat right when the sun is setting so everyone can enjoy it.

• Jetskiing - Since we rented cars, we drove around A LOT and we stopped because along the beach side, we saw someone with jetskiis. We rode the jetskiis and it was about 30/45 minutes long but you follow the guide! Highly recommend.

• Explored beaches - Another reason I will forever vouch for renting cars is because of all the exploring you can do. We drove from beach to beach to beach. Gorgeous beaches out here that look like they are straight from a magazine.

• Fruit markets - Along the roads, you will see fruit markets and local produce markets run by the locals, stop by if you can. Try it out. We bought and drank straight out of coconuts and ate homemade local ice cream. Gives you a better overall experience for your trip.

• Fancy dinners - One thing I loved was how alllll of the restaurants are outdoors. And there are no TV's or distractions on the walls. Nothing but nature around you and the conversations with those you are traveling with. Have fun, splurge because you are on vacation and go to those fancy rooftop or mountain top dinners. We did and it was amazing to see the culture and experience and food. Our favorite little fancy dinner place and one that we actually would rate a 20/10 was called "Sentido Norte".

• More restaurants - For more of a fancy dinner and to dress up, I recommend going to Nasu Restaurant or Hemingways. For brunch or something quick but still extremely tasty, I recommend Nalu and Surfside Bowls (this will be Acai bowl style and smoothies).

• Tamarindo - Tamarindo was about a 40 minute drive from us but well worth it for night life. Tamarindo is more on the tourist side so you are less likely to see more of the local spots i've been mentioning above but the bars and night life is so fun out here and safe! Majority of the bars will also give free drinks to girls on the weekends. A huge plus.

If I had to sum up my trip to Costa Rica in one word, it would be "eye-opening." It made me realize how distracted and busy our lives are in the U.S., and how we're often missing out on what truly matters. In Costa Rica, I learned the value of connecting with nature, appreciating life with gratitude, and nurturing real connections with loved ones through meaningful conversations rather than distractions. The Costa Rican way of life is truly inspiring, and we have much to learn from them. As always, if you need help planning your trip or have any questions, feel free to reach out!

Xoxo,

Tess