May 24, 2023 | View Online | Sign Up
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As your plane descends upon Costa Rica’s soaring volcanic landscape, it’ll be impossible to shake the tinge of adventure.
Pura Vida echoes on the lips of its inhabitants. From the staggering mountain ranges enveloping San Jose through the vast rainforest to the country’s bewildering coast, there’s a feeling this is how Mother Nature intended things to be.
Few are immune to Costa Rica’s magnetism. Between wave-chasers and runaway retirees, the entire gamut of tourism is on display. Thankfully, its eco-friendly stance helps keep things sustainable.
Welcome to Costa Rica.
Pura Vida.
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| DESTINATION GUIDES
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Your Guide to the Best of Costa Rica
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🏄🏻 What to do
Costa Rica is a land of adventure, and the core of any visit should embrace that. But with so many choices, planning might be overwhelming. To help you along, we’ve found many of the best things to do in Costa. From jungle ziplines to mesmerizing catamaran tours. We even personally tried
a bunch of them on our company retreat this past February, so you can know they’re good.
🛌🏻Â Where to stay
Looking for some amazing digs to recover from the day's exertions? Check out these unbelievable hotels dotted around the country. Costa Rica has soared in popularity and the travel industry has responded with some unbelievable properties. Check 'em out.
🧳Â What to pack
With Costa Rica being the land of surf, sand, rainforests, and volcanoes, it requires a few more special essentials than your regular beach vacation. Take a peek at our Costa Rica packing guide.
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| MONEY MOVES
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$81 to Costa Rica
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If you’re scraping the bottom of your bank account looking for ways to afford a Costa Rica trip, we have a better solution: Travel Hack your way there.
Thankfully, getting to CR is one of the easiest redemptions we can show you. Here’s just one of the ways it’s possible. (And it’ll only cost you $81.)
Open this card and reach the $4,000 spending threshold within three months
Watch in awe as 60,000 (maybe 80,000) points drop into your account
Transfer 26,000 points to your British Airways Avios account
Book a round-trip flight American Airlines flight from your city to Liberia for 26,000 points and $81 in fees.
How easy was that?
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| SAY GOODBYE TO GROSS AIRPORT WATER
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Your ultimate travel sidekick for safer, better-tasting water
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Are you tired of unsafe tap water while traveling? Sick of relying on single-use plastic bottles for convenience? Say hello to your new travel BFF: the LifeStraw Go Series water filter bottle!
With its advanced two-stage filtration, LifeStraw Go Series protects against nasties like bacteria, parasites, microplastics, and more. So whether you’re exploring the small surf towns of Costa Rica or out adventuring in the Arenal Volcano National Park, there's no need to worry about access to safe drinking water. You can even fill up from airport bathrooms or convenience store taps.
And here's the best part: with every purchase, a child in need receives safe drinking water for a year.Â
Where will your LifeStraw Go Series take you? Shop now and get ready for your next adventure with an additional 20% off the
purchase of any LifeStraw Go Series product with code DFC at LifeStraw.com. Happy hydrating!
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| KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
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You won’t need to exchange any cash (but bring a lot)
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While Costa Rica does have its own currency, the US Dollar is widely accepted across the country–particularly in tourist areas. Some places may give you change back in Costa Rican Colon, though. Again, card is accepted in many tourist spots, but definitely have some cash on hand for those that don’t.
The only thing to be aware of is the exchange rate. While the real rate will fluctuate, some businesses might keep a flat rate, which could have you losing out.
The other monetary thing to consider is the price of things in Costa Rica. Being surrounded by super affordable countries, many assume Costa Rica will be similar. But, after years of growing tourism and an influx of American ex-pats, prices can be comparable to the states.
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Don’t underestimate how tough getting around is
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You might look at a map of Costa Rica and assume its compact geography would be easy to navigate. Unfortunately, developing infrastructure around the country makes getting from one area to another difficult.
If you intend to include some kind of road trip in your itinerary, it’s critical to consider the increased travel time. Not understanding that can waste days of your trip.
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It gets dark early
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Thanks to its near-equatorial location, Costa Rican sunsets and sunrises don’t fluctuate by more than fifteen minutes. While that’s great for consistency, the relatively early sunset time of 6 PM can be awkward for planning your day.
If you have a long travel day, try and take into account when you lose light. These aren’t roads you want to be navigating in the dark. It’s also a good thing to remember when on any excursion. Leave too late in the afternoon, and you’ll probably hamper the experience.
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| FUN FACTS
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What the hell is Pura Vida?
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You might find yourself a little confused with your initial Costa Rican interactions. In response to a greeting, it’s customary for locals to reply “Pura Vida.” They’ll use it in place of “I’m doing great,” “Thank you,” “Hello,” and “Goodbye.”Â
Literally translated, it means “Pure Life” or “Simple Life,” which might seem a strange thing to say on such a regular basis. But the term has been an integral part of the Costa Rican vernacular for over fifty years. The origin of the phrase is thought to be from a Mexican movie with the same name. The central character remains positive in the face of growing adversity, repeating “Pura Vida” to himself to remember that whatever happens, it could always be worse.
The attitude resonated with Costa Ricans, and the phrase intertwined with their culture. Now, the laid-back, carefree attitude is firmly engrained in the country's psyche. Make sure you embrace it on your visit. |
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| WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING IN COSTA RICA
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*This link is sponsored
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