Articles — Toorizta

A van drives along a coastal road lined with palm trees at sunset in Costa Rica

In Uvita, the Bus Drops You on the Highway. Plan the Last Kilometer First.

Uvita's bus is a long-haul Tracopa service that drops you on Route 34, not in town. Which ride to pick, and how to reach the park gate. Ask us.

A covered tour boat cruises along a jungle river lined with dense green rainforest

Getting to Tortuguero: Your Rental Car Cannot Come With You

SINAC says Tortuguero is reachable only by small boat. Which dock to drive to, where your car waits, when to fly instead, and what to ask us first.

Secluded sandy beach with scattered rocks, lined by dense tropical forest and palm trees along the shore

Santa Teresa Without a Surfboard: Cabo Blanco Is Shut Mondays and Tuesdays

Cabo Blanco closes Mondays and Tuesdays, per SINAC. How to plan a non-surf day in Santa Teresa around the gate, the tide and the moon. Ask us.

Aerial view of Uvita's Whale's Tail sandbar meeting the ocean, framed by forested mountains

Getting to Uvita: There Is No Airport, and Not Every Bus Stops There

There is no airport at Uvita and not every southbound bus stops there. Which road, which Tracopa departure, and whether you need a car once you arrive

Sprawling valley town seen from a green hillside, with mountains and clouds in the distance near San Jose

One Day Out of San Jose: Which Day Trip to Book, and the Cloud Nobody Mentions

SINAC sells Poas entry only through its booking system and warns the crater may be cloud. Which day trip to book with one free day in San Jose. Ask us

Riverside houses on stilts with docked boats along a waterway in Tortuguero, surrounded by trees

In Tortuguero, Your Lodge Decides Who Runs Your Day

No roads reach Tortuguero, and the boats stop in the afternoon. How to choose between the village and a canal-side lodge for your family week. Ask us.

Aerial view of a cone-shaped volcano at sunset with a lake and green lowlands in the background

Where to Eat in La Fortuna: Sodas, Splurges and How the Bill Works

Seven places to eat in La Fortuna, from a treehouse soda to a volcano-view food hall, plus how Costa Rica's 10% service charge and card terminals work

Infinity pool overlooking a tree-covered ridge with ocean and coastline view near Uvita, Costa Rica

Where to Stay in Uvita: What the Ridge View Costs Your Morning

Uvita's view hotels sit up a steep ridge road. The park gate shuts at 4pm and the Whale's Tail needs low tide. Which base fits your week. Ask us.

Aerial view of a winding river cutting through dense rainforest near the coast in Tortuguero

Which Tortuguero Tour to Book First: the Two Canals Motorboats Cannot Enter

SINAC bars motorboats from Caño Chiquero and Mora, Tortuguero's two best canals. Which tour to book first, and when the night turtle walk runs. Ask us

Is San Salvador worth a day, or should you go straight to the coast?

San Salvador deserves one well planned day, not three. Here is the order that works, the fees worth checking, and when to skip the capital entirely.

El Salvador Travel Guide: Volcanoes, Surf and the Safety Question

Planning a first trip to El Salvador? Honest guidance on safety, when to go, the Ruta de las Flores, Santa Ana Volcano, surf towns and getting around.

Stilted riverside houses with tin roofs and small boats docked along a canal in Tortuguero

Getting to Tortuguero: There Is No Road, and the Last Boat Out Leaves Early

SINAC calls La Pavona the fastest route in. One operator's last shared boat out leaves at 2 p.m. How to pick your dock, your hour, your ride. Ask us.

Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica facade in San Jose, with ornate statues, columns and an ironwork entrance

One Day in San Jose: Book the Volcano Slot, Walk the Rest

Poas entry is online only and the park shuts at 4pm, so reserve that slot first. How to fill one San Jose day around it, and what to ask us first.

Visitors on an elevated green metal sky bridge above a forest canopy, with a person climbing a ladder tower

One Day in San Jose: Walk the Center, or Leave the Valley by 8 a.m.?

Gold Museum hours, Poas timed entry at 2 p.m., or eight hours on the Tortuguero canals. How to spend one day in San Jose, and what to book first.

Where to Stay in Tortuguero: the Village, a Canal Lodge, or a Package

Tortuguero has no road in, so your bed picks your boat. The village, a canal lodge, or a package from San Jose, plus the park fee nobody mentions.

Aerial view of a coastal village nestled between rainforest hills and a turquoise bay with coral reefs

Getting to Limón: the One Road In, and the Days It Closes

Route 32 is the only quick road from San Jose to Limon, and CONAVI shuts it for landslides. The bus times, the detour, the flight, and what to ask us.

A surf instructor high-fives a student standing on a surfboard in the waves at Santa Teresa

Your First Surf Lesson in Santa Teresa: Which Beach, and Which Hour

Playa Hermosa for your first wave, Playa Carmen when it is small, and the break beginners should leave alone. How to pick a Santa Teresa surf lesson.

Aerial view of a turquoise bay with a white sand beach, forested headland, and boats anchored offshore

Where to Stay on the Papagayo Gulf: the Peninsula, Culebra Bay, or a Beach Town

The all-inclusives travelers search for are not inside the Papagayo Peninsula gate. Which of the gulf's three bases fits your family week. Ask us.

Glowing blue bioluminescent waves wash over dark rocks and sand at night on the shore

In Santa Teresa, Book the Moonless Night First

Santa Teresa's glow tour only sails on moonless nights, and the boats leave from the Paquera dock, which you drive to yourself. What to book first.

Silhouette of a surfer carrying a surfboard along the beach as the sun sets over the ocean

Getting to Santa Teresa: Which Ferry Your Landing Hour Lets You Catch

Naviera Tambor sails Puntarenas to Paquera eight times a day, the last at 10pm. Which crossing your landing hour allows, and when to fly instead.

Aerial view of Sierpe village with boats docked along the river and rainforest stretching into the distance

Do You Need to Sleep in Sierpe? The 11:30 Boat Decides

Sierpe is a river dock with a town attached, and the Drake Bay boat leaves at 11:30am. When that means sleeping there, and when it does not. Ask us.

How to Get to Santa Teresa: Work Backwards From the 3 p.m. Ferry

Eight gulf crossings a day, and the 3 p.m. is the last with light to spare. How to pick your route to Santa Teresa from the hour you land. Ask us.

A van drives along a rural highway through lush green jungle in Costa Rica

Leaving SJO: Your Landing Hour Picks the Ride, Not the Price

Shared shuttles leave San Jose in the morning and some SJO rental desks close at 11 p.m. Here is how your landing hour picks your ride out of the airp

Palo Verde from Liberia: Book the River Boat, or Drive to the Park Gate?

Most Palo Verde boat safaris cruise the Tempisque beside the park. SINAC's gate is 30 km of gravel past Bagaces, open 8am to 4pm. How to pick your day

The Sierpe Mangroves: Worth a Morning, or Just the Ride to Drake Bay?

Costa Rica's largest mangrove sits at Sierpe, 26,779 hectares per SINAC. Whether to book the tour, which side to run it from, and which hour.

Aerial view of a small boat on a narrow river channel winding through dense green rainforest near Sierpe

Where to Stay in Sierpe: Do You Need the Night Before the Drake Bay Boat?

One public boat leaves Sierpe for Drake Bay at 11:30 a.m. Whether you need a night in the village depends on where you start that day. Ask us.

A jet airliner touches down on a runway with forested mountains in the background

Liberia or San Jose for Nosara? The Hour You Land Decides

Nosara's arrival question is not which airport is closer. Sansa flies San Jose to Nosara in 45 minutes. How to pick your route, and what to ask us.

Tour boat with a blue canopy carrying passengers along a river lined with dense trees and reeds

Palo Verde from Liberia: the Boat Safari and the Park Are Two Different Bookings

SINAC lists no boat service at Palo Verde. The Tempisque safari and the park trails are two different bookings from Liberia. Here is which to pick.

City lights spread across a valley at dusk with mountains and a crescent moon in a colorful sky, San Jose

Where to Stay in San Jose: Airport Side, Downtown or Escazu

Booking "San Jose" often puts you in Alajuela instead. Which side of the valley to sleep on, decided by your flight hour and tomorrow's route. Ask us.

A silver 4x4 SUV crosses a narrow wooden plank bridge through a dense green forest

Do You Need a Rental Car at Papagayo Gulf? Count Your Off-Resort Days

Landing at Liberia for a Papagayo resort? The choice is not car or transfer. Count the days you will leave the property, then pick your ride. Ask us.

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