The Highlights<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI was particularly excited about Costa Rica because I was going to meet up with a friend, Nadja, who I\u2019d met in Peru. We spent a couple of days together in Tamarindo, a coastal tourist hotspot on the west (Pacific) coast. It\u2019s one of those places I\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We didn\u2019t 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!) <\/p>\n\n\n\n\nHanging out with Nadja on Playa Langosta before the clouds and rain drove us indoors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nMost people go to Costa Rica for its biodiversity, the flora and fauna. I have to confess that I\u2019m not an animal lover so I don\u2019t 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\u00a0the mess of iguanas sunbathing on the beach, and the charm of hummingbirds in the forest.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was a veritable cornucopia of animals, and the cacophony of animal noises was a pleasing backdrop to my trip.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Middling <\/strong> (I was less impressed by\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t get me wrong, there were pretty beaches, lovely mountains and verdant green forests a plenty but it all felt just a bit \u2018bleh\u2019. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(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!).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nSunsets on Tamarindo Beach <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nI 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\u2019t 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.\u00a0(By the way, did you know the first recreational zipline course was built in Monteverde, Costa Rica in 1995?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nExploring the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, and its hanging bridge <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There didn\u2019t seem to be as many cultural attractions or opportunities to learn about the country\u2019s history or culture (to be fair I didn\u2019t spend any time in major cities). I left Costa Rica feeling like I didn\u2019t 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, \u2018Pura Vida\u2019 (pure life). Described as a way of life for the Ticos (Costa Ricans), it is a \u2018reminder to enjoy life, no matter your circumstances\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
More pretty beaches..<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe Lowlights <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nCosta Rica is shockingly expensive (compared to other Latin American countries).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2026hotels 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).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nTake Home <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhile I enjoyed my time in Costa Rica, I have no plans to visit the country again any time soon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, if you want to be wowed by your surroundings, experience the thrill of cultural difference, and challenge yourself (all on a budget),\u00a0I\u2019d skip it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nAre there any destinations you\u2019ve been to that you feel are overrated? If you\u2019ve been to Costa Rica, do you agree or disagree with my comments?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nVisited May 2022<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This is going to be controversial, but I didn\u2019t 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2049,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"WB4WB4WP_MODE":"","WB4WP_PAGE_SCRIPTS":"","WB4WP_PAGE_STYLES":"","WB4WP_PAGE_FONTS":"","WB4WP_PAGE_HEADER":"","WB4WP_PAGE_FOOTER":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,55],"tags":[36,56,37],"class_list":["post-2051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-costa-rica","category-travel","tag-adventure","tag-central-america","tag-travel"],"yoast_head":"\n
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