This is going to be controversial, but I didn’t rate my trip to Costa Rica.

In speaking to other travellers and friends about the country, I have noticed that people seem to belong to one of two camps  – those who absolutely loved visiting this country, and those (like me) who found it just a bit ‘meh’. 

Before I give you the lowdown, I have a couple of caveats. I only visited a couple of places in Costa Rica and it would be appropriate for me to be challenged about making sweeping generalisations when I’d seen perhaps a tenth of the country (if that). The other caveat is that Costa Rica was the forty -fifth or forty -sixth country I’d visited and as I’ve written before (The Downsides of Travel), one of the risks when you are well-travelled is that you can become jaded and somewhat less in awe of your experiences.

The  Highlights

I was particularly excited about Costa Rica because I was going to meet up with a friend, Nadja, who I’d met in Peru. We spent a couple of days together in Tamarindo, a coastal tourist hotspot on the west (Pacific) coast. It’s one of those places I’d normally avoid (where tourists outnumber the locals) but after 8 weeks of travelling, I was glad to have some creature comforts, including going to restaurants and cafes in which the decor, menus and quality of food would not be out of place in an American/European city.

And this is the reason I think most tourists like the country (The main country of origin for tourists to Costa Rica is the USA). It is not too dissimilar to home (particularly at resorts or tourists hotspots) therefore there is less of a culture shock; you are not required to stretch yourself too much, to enjoy your trip there. 

We didn’t have the best weather over those couple of days but it gave us the opportunity to hang out in cafes and bars, eat and chat, and then dance the night away in the clubs (The nightlife was brilliant!) 

Most people go to Costa Rica for its biodiversity, the flora and fauna. I have to confess that I’m not an animal lover so I don’t often go out of my way to see them. However in Costa Rica animals are practically at your doorstep. From the cast of crabs I would watch crossing the road day and night, to the troop of monkeys casually using power lines as their runway; the flock of parrots (or macaws) we stumbled across in a car park, to the mess of iguanas sunbathing on the beach, and the charm of hummingbirds in the forest. 

There was a veritable cornucopia of animals, and the cacophony of animal noises was a pleasing backdrop to my trip.  

The Middling  (I was less impressed by…)

The landscape.

Don’t get me wrong, there were pretty beaches, lovely mountains and verdant green forests a plenty but it all felt just a bit ‘bleh’. I had just come from South America (which I absolutely adored) and I couldn’t help comparing the two. There is something so in-your-face about the beauty and majesty of the South American landscapes, they take your breath away. Costa Rica in comparison felt quite flat and small, compressed. It lacked awe.

(Update: looking through the pictures I took in Costa Rica, I am reminded of long stretches of sandy beaches and some epic sunsets I witnessed, so I will give them that!). 

I spent a lovely few days in Monteverde including a day wandering the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. It was nice, and lush and green but it couldn’t hold a candle to the Cocora Valley (and Cloud Forest) in Colombia. Zip-lining in Monteverde was fun (the Tarzan swing at Extremo Park, with a dramatic drop, swinging at 490 feet above the ground was totally exhilarating) however it could not beat the breathtaking views of ziplines in Ecuador. (By the way, did you know the first recreational zipline course was built in Monteverde, Costa Rica in 1995?)

The people. 

There didn’t seem to be as many cultural attractions or opportunities to learn about the country’s history or culture (to be fair I didn’t spend any time in major cities). I left Costa Rica feeling like I didn’t really have a sense of the people…although I was introduced to ‘la hora tico!’ (Tico time). Similar to ‘African time’, it denotes the tendency of Costa Ricans to be late. What I did like was the sentiment behind their favourite saying, ‘Pura Vida’ (pure life). Described as a way of life for the Ticos (Costa Ricans), it is a ‘reminder to enjoy life, no matter your circumstances’. 

The Lowlights 

Costa Rica is shockingly expensive (compared to other Latin American countries).

I spent more in my 10 days in Costa Rica than I had done in the preceding three weeks bouncing around Ecuador and Colombia (excluding accommodation). Everything was more expensive…hotels were pricey but had fewer amenities, tourist attractions were as expensive as in the UK/US, or more! Most backpackers I met had either budgeted specifically for the Costa Rican leg of their trip or opted to do activities in other countries (for e.g going to surfing/diving school in Honduras). 

I was dismayed by the poor infrastructure in Costa Rica, despite its high levels of tourism. I was especially peeved by the cost of transport. Pro-tip: rent a car if you ever visit this country. It will save you time, energy and make your trip that much more comfortable. My first and only trip on a local bus, a 7-hour journey from the capital San Jose to Tamarindo, was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my 8-month travel odyssey. I opted to use tourist shuttles for the rest of my trip – no-frill minivans whose tickets cost five times as much as coaches did in South America. I missed the affordable, huge, air conditioned coaches with comfy recliner seats and screens (!) that I had taken for granted in South America. 

Take Home 

While I enjoyed my time in Costa Rica, I have no plans to visit the country again any time soon. 

Visit Costa Rica if you love animals (particularly if you are a bird lover), hanging out on the beach/outdoor adventures, want to visit a place that is not too different from home and are willing to pay top dollar for the experience. 

However, if you want to be wowed by your surroundings, experience the thrill of cultural difference, and challenge yourself (all on a budget), I’d skip it. 

Come back next week (and the rest of the month) and let me introduce you to other Central American countries that I think are much more interesting destinations.

Are there any destinations you’ve been to that you feel are overrated? If you’ve been to Costa Rica, do you agree or disagree with my comments?

Visited May 2022