Costa Rica, compared to other neighboring countries in Central America like Panama, Nicaragua, etc., is not cheap. You can still find many deals around, but for a country that attracts a lot of tourists and foreign money, it was due to be expensive sooner or later.
[The traffic in San Jose is insane. The country uses the "Road space rationing system" that is common in Latin America countries to reduce air pollution and the increasing traffic during peak hours. Can you imagine having a car, but there are certain days you are not allowed to drive? For example, all license plates beginning with an even number can only drive on certain days or something like that]
I have heard people talk about how inexpensive it was about seven
years ago; That is all changing, and I just happened to visit two places in the
country that are packed with many tourists; San Jose and Jaco. Some of the food prices
are almost double the prices in the United States. I recommend buying your
alcohol at the airport and not in the city.
Even with the country being one of the most expensive to live in
Central America, it still attracts many people who are retiring from the USA,
Canada, or Europe because of its decent, cheap medical care and a relatively
higher standard of living than some of its neighbors. Of all the countries in
Central America, Costa Rica is regarded as one of the most stable.
In my opinion, this country is very colorful with laid back and
friendly locals. San Jose has some nice buildings, but Costa Rica is still a
third world country. There is a lot of poverty in the country and it is easy to
forget this when you are only visiting. Outside the malls, bars, and high-end
condos in the city, there are older buildings with thin roofs in many parts too.
If you are simple, laid back, love good food, awesome nightlife, good beaches, and
nice people, then you will love this country. It also has its fair share of
crimes and scammers like every other country.
Jaco
Jaco
November or December is a good time to be in Costa Rica because
the skies are clear around this time and will stay clear until April. Sunrise in
Jaco starts around 5:20 AM, and you can expect sunset around 5:30 PM. It still rains around this time of the year but mainly in the morning.
Jaco is a beautiful coastal town located within two hours of San
Jose. The locals here are some of the friendliest in the country. Jaco is
packed with tourists and locals just out to have fun. It doesn't matter if you
are by yourself, with kids, or with family, you will always find
plenty of things to do during the day or at night.
 |
| It was nice waking up every morning in the jungle |
This was my first time in Costa Rica and the first time traveling
with my cousins. It was the first time three out of the four of us had been to
Costa Rica, so we were relying on one of my cousins that had previously been to
this part of the country and recommended it. Jaco is about an hour and twenty
minutes from Costa Rica's Juan Santamaria International Airport. We chose Jaco
for our trip partly because my cousin had been there, and he liked it, and also
because it is the closest major beachside town from San Jose.
 |
| You will see so many big crocodiles on your way to Jaco |
One of the first tours you can take before getting to Jaco is the
Tarcoles riverboat crocodile tour. It is on your way to Jaco, and although I
did not take the tour, I heard good things about it. You can still see the
crocodiles from the bridge; it is a great place to take some awesome pictures.
On a clear, sunny day, you will find huge crocodiles basking along the banks.
 |
| The view from the bridge. |
Some of the things to do during the day in Jaco include horseback
riding, deep-sea fishing, kayaking, day parties, boat rides, rafting, canopy
zip line, water rappelling, ATV tours, etc.
There are also numerous tours that
you can book while you’re there. You can rent a private DJ for the day or half
the day with your very own private bartender if you are celebrating anything. You
can also hire a private cook. If you can think of it, there is a good chance
you will find it in Jaco. If you just want to chill and relax, you can do this
with a cold drink while watching surfers and enjoying the sun.
 |
| You can |
Jaco has gorgeous beaches, including Playa Jaco, Playa Hermosa,
and Playa Herradura. If you feel like hiking, you are in the right place as
just north you will find the Carara National Park with a small network of
trails for hiking and birding. It is considered one of the best birding spots
in the country with over 400 different species identified.
Although all the beaches in Jaco are worth visiting, and they are
all equally as good, tourists seem to spend most of their time in Playa Jaco.
It is clean and very beautiful. I was told it is not safe for swimming most of
the year because it has a very strong tide.
If you want to surf or watch surfers, then you should be at Playa
Hermosa. It is known to be one of the best places in Costa Rica for surfing.
Surfing is one activity I have always enjoyed since I tried it in Australia, so
I knew this would be one of the first things I would want to do. ( Too bad, we
got very busy that I ended up not surfing as planned). Surfing is a big deal in this town; you don’t even have to be a
professional surfer to surf here. There are many places that offer lessons if
you have never surfed and many surf shops all over the town where you can rent
surfboards and gears.
Playa Hermosa has bigger waves, so it is advisable to start in Playa Jaco if you have never surfed as the waves there are generally smaller than the ones in Playa Hermosa.
If you just want to chill, Playa Herradura is the perfect place to
chill and relax. It is a little bit outside of most things in Jaco and you will
need an Uber to get there, but again, this is why it is one of the quieter
beaches and an ideal place if you want somewhere to chill.
Well known to the locals, but unknown to tourists are Playa Mantas
and Playa Blanca. The locals love Playa Blanca because the water is very clear,
and it has lots of trees for shade.
Food and
Drinks
 |
| Hmmmm, Yummy - beans, rice, and chicken is what most people love here |
 |
| Who doesn't love Ceviche? Hmm, yummy |
It would be unfair to write or talk about Jaco without mentioning
the food as Jaco has almost anything you might want. If you are staying longer
and will be doing your own cooking, then you can visit the farmers market and
get fresh produce.
 |
| We got some fresh fish and grilled it |
 |
| One of the many beers from Costa Rica |
 |
| Having Pilsen |
Nightlife
in Jaco
The nightlife in Jaco is why many tourists visit this area. Jaco
is known for its party atmosphere and an active nightlife. The nightclubs and
clubs come to life from 8 PM and stay open and busy long after the rest of the
town has shut down and gone to sleep.
[In Jaco, there are many clubs that play hip hop, RnB, or reggae but in San Jose, most of the clubs play mainly Latin music]
San Jose
 |
| Private area - Downtown San Jose |
 |
| Downtown San Jose - The view from my room |
San Jose is an old city, although when compared to other Central American cities it is not as old. You can still see its age in certain parts of the city.
When flying into the city on a clear day, you may catch a glimpse of active volcanoes as you land;
San Jose has a handful of good museums, galleries, and parks that will keep you busy for a few days. Many tourists spend most of their time during the day visiting these museums. Some of the city’s historic buildings include a 19th-century cathedral and the National Theatre modeled after the Paris Opera. Downtown San José has a unique collection of plazas like Democracy, Culture, and Social Guarantees plazas.
 |
 |
 |
| Casinos and Sports bars are some of the things locals and tourists enjoy doing |
 |
| Watching a game at a bar in San Jose |
 |
| Costa Rica is filled with many waterfalls |
Avenida Escazu
 |
| View from my balcony of the center of Avenida |
 |
| Outside of the Avenida strip - Taken from my room |
How to get around in Costa Rica - Rent a car, take the bus or taxi, or uber
 |
| In Costa Rica, make sure the taxi is registered |
[The driver will always ask you to sit in the front so they do not get pulled over by the local police]
Uber is also very cheap. For example, my taxi ride from the airport to my hotel was 35.00 USD and that same ride was about 12.00 USD with uber. With taxis, make sure the meter is at zero before you start the journey. Some taxi drivers are ok giving you a flat rate especially if there is no traffic and you can negotiate with them too. If you are staying at a hotel, ask the hotel to call one for you, so you do not get a pirate taxi. Although uber is the cheapest way to go around, buses, on the other hand, are cheaper if you have a long trip or if you know your way around and what stops to get off at. The only issue with using uber in Costa Rica as a foreigner is that you have to either have a local SIM or communicate via wifi at your hotel before.
[San Jose also has uber eats which is good on those days that you just want to relax or stay in all day and night]