Situated in Central America, the small nation of Costa Rica is an essential destination for the environmentally-conscious outdoor lovers. A pioneer when it comes to harnessing the abundance of natural resources that the land has to offer, this small but extremely biodiverse nation hosts a variety of climates, landscapes, and leisure opportunities suitable for all budgets and categories of travelers, from solo to kid-friendly.
To the intrepid adventure-seeking folks craving thrilling experiences bundled with oceanside relaxation, we are speaking to you: pack your bags and go; Costa Rica awaits you!
Before the fun can begin, we all know that some planning and researching is required. Fear not! We have created a concise tip-off list based on our travels to Costa Rica to set the stage for what’s to come. We hope that, by familiarizing yourself with the (un)expected unknow before you hit the road, you will be making the most out of your Costa Rica journey.
Let’s move on to the list now…
“We are cruising down a dirt road facing a beautiful sunset, as I look in the rearview mirror and the mountains loom in the distance. Volcanoes, hot springs, and subtropical jungles of the central Cordillera juxtapose to the white beaches of the dry slopes of the Guanacaste peninsula, where the Pura Vida way of life is still fervently and religiously observed. An amazing get-away with a few surprising characteristics.”
Watch out for crocodiles.
When the tide is low, the crocodiles come out. They thoroughly enjoy soaking up the sunshine by small rivers, creeks, or water-filled drainage ditches leading to the beach.
We had to cross a ditch cutting through the forest and up and down the bluffs to get to the beach from our boutique hotel in Samara. This wasn’t the conventional way to get to the ocean from our place; in fact, there was a longer but safer dirt road leading to the beach bars and restaurant. We are always on the lookout for surprising adventures, and so opted to take the shortcut rather than the beaten path. We had up close and personal encounters with various species of exotic spiders, some of which were just about the size of an adult human’s hand, howler monkeys, and coatimundis, but luckily no crocodiles. Nevertheless, the inn-keeper advised us not to take the shortcut through the woods on the low-tide days, so we were very aware of the sea level for the duration of our stay.
Sun poisoning.
Have you ever even heard of this highly unpleasant skin phenomenon? I hadn’t, until it happened at the most inopportune time. Costa Rica is closer to the Equator than where we lived at that time (Minnesota), and as a result the sun rays are much stronger and deleterious to people not used to long periods of exposure. Don’t let the cloud cover deceive you – UV rays penetrate through the layer and can do some serious damage.
My burns were so severe that my face swelled beyond recognition. Essentially, my features didn’t resemble my regular physiognomy, which was painful and troublesome to say the least: Painful because my face began to blister, and later peel entire layers of burnt dead skin; troublesome because we were returning to the USA the morning I woke up with the reaction.
Desperate to reduce the swelling, we stopped by a small apothecary on our way to the airport to pick up a remedy. I walked in and, as soon as the healer saw my face, she took led me to her garden, cut a large aloe vera leaf from the plant, sliced it in half down the length with a machete, and handed it to me. She instructed to squeeze out the gelatinous substance from the interior of the leaf and apply it to my burns. It was very helpful and soothing, but it took weeks for the skin to restore to its regular form.
Alas, by the time we landed in the USA, I looked nothing like the picture on my passport, and therefore the TSA agents at the port of entry in Texas couldn’t easily identify me and match my appearance to the photos of my documents. After some hesitation, they ultimately determined that it was “safe” to let me into the country.
The Wildlife.
If you live in an urban or sub-urban Western setting, you will probably caught by surprise when faced with the variety of animals you will interact with at some point in your journey.
Howler monkeys: Those were noticeably odd. Waking up in a beach town to the obnoxiously loud screeches and calls of the monkeys didn’t fit with our conception of reality. It took us a while to adjust to it. We had expected to hear them during the initial part of our stay in the tropical forest in the highlands, and we hadn’t, but not while sojourning at the beach.
Spiders: Huge and colorful, tiny and poisonous, spiders come in all shapes and forms. In the cloud forest, we saw some of the brightest and largest arachnids we’ve ever had the pleasure to lie eyes on. Patiently waiting for a prey to hit the intricate web, they are not a rear sight to see. It is good practice to use a potent bug spray check your skin and clothing every once in a while I found that we had to check ourselves from unexpected hosts stuck to our clothing while hiking through the jungle.
Geckos: These friendly reptiles are everywhere – inside and out. They’re nothing to worry about but it can still be a bit of a shock to see their transparent bodies sticking to the ceiling above the bed to those unaccustomed.
Road Signs.
We have already touch on this topic in a previous article, but we cannot understate the importance of being well equipped if planning to do a self-driving tour. This is particularly relevant advice for Costa Rica.
We didn’t know with certainty that venturing out on gravel jungle roads with a rental car was going to be a success. I bought a roadmap, of little use actually since many rural roads were uncharted, studied it, and went off in the spirit of adventure, and quite frankly with a bit of a reckless attitude. We were prepared to embrace misadventures and make the best out of the unpredictable journey, and this optimistic attitude was what got us through the trip. Many times we ended up losing our way as the street signs at that time consisted of one sign on the road exiting the town indicating the next town it lead to and one more upon arrival telling you where you are.
To Sum it up…
Often times we get very accustomed to the routines and surroundings of the place we are from, thus growing a subconscious naiveté that leads us to make assumptions about the way people navigate their daily lives in other parts of the world. Dismantling our preconceptions and experiencing the unexpected unknowns first-hand are part of the intrigue in traveling.
Depending on your level of comfortability, you may opt to learn about what you might come across before these situations arise; read up on your destination before you take off, and once you arrive tap into the precious knowledge of the local communities,with respect and an open mind.
