#Costa Rica — Toorizta Articles

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Turquoise river pool flows through a narrow rock canyon shaded by lush green trees

Papagayo Gulf Day Trips: Which One to Book, and the Days the Parks Are Shut

Staying on the Papagayo Gulf? Las Pailas shuts Mondays, the waterfall trail gates at noon, and the Bat Islands sit inside a national park. Ask us.

Street scene with shop signs like Casa Blanca and BCR bank, a blue building, pedestrians, and a cyclist

Where to Stay Near Limon: the City, Playa Bonita, or the Road South

Most Caribbean trips do not need a night in Limon city. When a boat, a ship or a late flight says otherwise, here is which base to pick. Ask us.

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

Where to Stay in Limón: the City, the Coast, or Tortuguero

Limón is a province, not a base. Booking "Limón" can land you a boat ride from the beach you meant. How to pick the city, Cahuita or Tortuguero. Ask u

Catamaran anchored near a sandy beach in Papagayo Gulf, with forested hills behind and turquoise water

Booking a Boat Day in the Papagayo Gulf: Why the Hour Beats the Boat

In the Gulf of Papagayo the hour you board matters more than the boat. Which Guanacaste boat day to book, why mornings win, and what to ask us first.

Palm trees lean over a calm, clear shoreline with shallow turquoise water at Cahuita National Park

Where to Stay in Limón: Playa Bonita, the City Grid, or the 45 Minutes to Cahuita

Limon is a hinge, not a base. MEPE's timetable puts Cahuita 45 minutes south and the last bus at 8pm. When to sleep in Limon, and where. Ask us.

Guests relax in a resort pool lined with palm trees and a stone wall, with wooden deck and umbrellas nearby

Where to Stay in Santa Teresa: Playa Carmen, the Town Road, or Playa Hermosa

Santa Teresa is one road with four pockets. Which to book for walk-to-dinner ease, quieter sleep and no rental vehicle, plus the Cabo Blanco catch.

Aerial view of a curved sandy beach with turquoise waves, rocky shoreline, and palm trees along a forested coastline

Montezuma or Santa Teresa: Where Should Your Group Sleep?

Montezuma is walkable and quiet. Santa Teresa is surf, dinner and one long road. How a group of friends picks one Nicoya base, and what it costs. Ask

A blue jeep on a rural road seen through a vehicle window, with palm-dotted hills in the distance

Should Your Rental Car Ride the Ferry to Montezuma?

Montezuma is walkable and the bus reaches Cabo Blanco. Here is what a rental car on the Paquera ferry really buys you, and the operator's real times.

Rocky shoreline overlooking a beach town lined with palm trees and a jungle-covered hillside in Montezuma, Costa Rica

Where to Stay in Montezuma: the Town, the Hill, or the Cabuya Side

Montezuma's base decision is the hill, not the hotel list. How town, hillside and the Cabuya side differ, plus the two days Cabo Blanco is shut. Ask u

A Princess Cruises ship anchored near forested islands in a calm bay at dusk

Your Ship Docks in Limon for a Day: How Far Can You Actually Get?

Docking at Limon on a cruise? Cahuita fits a port day, Tortuguero does not. MEPE's return bus times and SINAC park hours decide your day. Ask us.

Aerial view of Rincón de la Vieja volcano crater with a turquoise lake and rising steam

Rincón de la Vieja from Liberia: Mud Pots or Waterfalls, and the Two Deadlines That Decide

Las Pailas closes Mondays and the waterfall trail shuts its gate at noon. How to pick your Rincón de la Vieja day from Liberia, with SINAC fees.