Costa Rica Adventure Vacations

Accommodation

You'll stay in a variety of places depending on the destination and activities, from a lodge boosting swimming pools, hot springs and panoramic views, a hotel offering tranquil views of beaches, one of the oldest haciendas in Central America, Hacienda Guachipelin, founded in 1880, and a lodge situated beside the beautiful Pacuare River

Transport

Your transport will be a mixture of bus, boat, bike, kayak, raft, horse-back and your very own two feet on our trips in Costa Rica. All your transport is included from the start of your trip and we'll drop you at the airport at the end. The details are all listed in the trip specific itineraries.

Meals

All your meals are included as described in the itinerary, we have found people enjoy checking out what is on offer by themselves sometimes, so you can go and see what's out there! We've chosen places to eat that can cater for our hearty appetites, work well with our small groups (they know we are coming) and provide us with an authentic destination specific culinary experience. There are always options for you, so you can either be brave or choose something more familiar. You can be assured that on all our trips we will make sure you are very well fed.

Guides

Our trips are all led by experienced guides who are very proud to work with us and often lead our trips for many years, for which we are very lucky and very grateful as it means we're able to consistently offer a fantastic level of service. They work closely with local specialist guides to provide you with a seamless, fun, exciting and memorable trip. They will happily share with you as much or as little as you want to know about the history, culture, social aspects and lifestyle of the country you are visiting.

Spanish is the main language of Costa Rica, with Quechua being the main indigenous language. English is spoken in some hotels, airports and tourist areas but not everywhere. A little understanding would be helpful, especially on arrival and for ordering food in restaurants, though it's certainly not required. Our guides are all fluent Spanish speakers so if you don't have time to learn a little Spanish before arrival you don't have to worry... they will take care of everything.

The currency of Costa Rica is the Colón (CRC/₡) however US dollars are accepted just about everywhere, so you won’t have to convert your cash into Costa Rican colons.

Your trip fare includes all transportation, guiding, meals and activities (except any optional activities). Most people like to bring a little extra to cover a round of drinks at the pub, take home some souvenirs, book a tour and eat out on their free day, and tip our guides if they've had a great time. A small amount of cash is also useful when you first arrive to cover costs until you join your group.

You can withdraw either US Dollars or Colons from ATMs inside San Jose Airport, as both are accepted. When paying for goods and services in dollars, you’ll more than likely get your change in colons. Bills larger than $20 may not be taken by some businesses. With larger amounts of cash, we suggest going directly to the bank for the best exchange rates.

Usually the easiest thing to do is use your credit or debit card to withdraw money directly from your home account, in local currency.

We recommend keeping enough cash on you to handle everyday expenses like meals, however not to carry so much you’ll worry about losing it or becoming a victim of theft.

Once you've booked your trip, you'll have access to a recommended packing list in your portal on exactly what to bring along. The recommended packing list is carefully thought out to provide you with everything you need to be warm and happy, or cool and relaxed, whatever the weather! So it is best to bring everything we recommend along, if you don't bring everything you need, we can't guarantee your comfort.

You will need proper hiking boots - trail shoes are not good enough. We'll be taking you to some awesome places where you'll be hiking over a variety of terrain, therefore your boots should have full ankle support and a stiff sole with a high profile tread. It's also important whichever footwear you decide to bring that it's well broken-in and waterproofed before you come down. If you have good ankles that will be able to cope pretty well with varied terrain, then good hiking shoes should be fine, but if not then hiking boots will give you better support.

Costa Rica is made up of many different climate zones, which also creates a lot of microclimates within the country. This tropical country is very close to the Equator, with a dry (high) and rainy (green) season, and plentiful sunshine! The temperature difference between January as opposed to July does not vary greatly, with the average annual temperature sitting between 70° and 81°F (12° and 27°C), with February to April recording the highest temperatures. However the amount of rainfall in Costa Rica does fluctuate fairly drastically with the heaviest rainfall from May to November.

Dry Season (December - April)
During these months, the weather in many parts of the country is very warm getting little to no rain, and with temperatures ranging from the mid 80’s to the high 90’s (F) depending on which part of Costa Rica you are in. However, in some provinces, seasonally cool winds offer some respite from the heat, particularly in January and February. Temperatures tend to reach their highest in March and April at the peak of the dry season.

Rainy Season (May - November)
Its affectionately called “The Green Season” and is the time of year when all vegetation starts to grow again and the country blooms into life and becomes incredibly lush. The overall climate is much wetter, and thunderstorms, heavy rains, and tropical depressions are far from unusual, especially in the afternoon, though it’s unarguably the time of year when Costa Rica is at its most beautiful, with temperatures rarely drop below the mid-60s (18°C).

We are accustomed to catering to the following special diets:

• vegan (no meat or animal products)
• vegetarian (no meat products)
• pescatarian (vegetarian, and eat fish)
• no red meat (eat chicken & fish)
• no pork (eat chicken & fish)
• gluten intolerant (no wheat, rye, barley or oats)
• lactose intolerant (no dairy products)

You will get the opportunity to specify your particular requirements when you fill in our pre-trip questionnaire. If you have any other dietary requirements please let us know well in advance, via email or in your Account.

Costa Rica food is tasty, rather than spicy with base ingredients of plantains, rice, fresh fruits, beans, vegetables and corn (rather than wheat), making it easy to cater for a gluten-free diet. Beef and pork are the most common meats, but chicken is also standard, and the fish is excellent, especially on the coasts. Costa Rica isn’t known for being overly vegan-friendly, however there are vegan food options available.

Tap water in Costa Rica is generally clean and safe to drink. However in some areas, mainly on the Caribbean side and in non-touristy pockets around the country, it's best to stick to bottled water and this is widely available to purchase.
We encourage you to bring a durable water bottle to refill instead of purchasing bottled water.

Costa Rica operates on a 120V supply voltage and 60Hz with the Plug Type A or B.

Wi-fi is available at most of the accommodations you'll be staying at, log-in instructions will be provided. If you have data roaming switched on, you'll be able to use the internet on your smartphone about 70% of the time during your trip, but beware of the fees! 

Costa Rica is in the Central Standard Time (CT). It is -6 hours behind of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

San Jose is located at 1,172m (9,350 feet) and the highest elevation reached on our trips there is 1,000m (3,300 feet).

Costa Rica is considered one of the safest countries in Central America, however we recommend taking the same precautions you would anywhere else - just to be on the safe side! As long as you stay away from isolated areas, don't wave your valuables around, and don't travel alone at night you will be able to avoid the most common dangerous situations. Pickpockets occasionally operate in areas where visitors are found so we suggest you leave any valuables you don’t need with you in the hotel safe (e.g. passports and credit cards).
A copy of your passport and any valuables you do need with you should be kept in a passport wallet under your clothes and a small amount of money in your pocket/purse. It’s also a good idea to take a taxi after dark rather than walking. We recommend only using established tour operators and officially registered taxis, and only change money at banks or official exchanges.