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Many results are in French, the community’s main language. English translations are added over time.

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Costa Rica ou Panama pour écotourisme et fille seule?
by Kinou2007 · 2006-08-03 · 6 replies
salut je ne sias pas lequel de ces 2 pays est le plus chouette au niveau ecotourisme ( nature et peuple), et lequel est le plus securisant pour une fille?

merci de votre reponse
Dates de la saison des pluies au Costa Rica
by Smart · 2006-02-20 · 2 replies
Bonjour,

J'aimerais connaitre à quel moment débute la saison des pluies et à quel

moment elle se termine . Le costa rica est-il un endroit sécuritaire pour se

promener dans leur village, j'aimerais y aller mais avec mon sac à dos et

dans de petite auberge .

merci smart !!!
Hôtel Punta Leona au Costa Rica
by Lynebo · 2006-02-20 · 1 reply
Je quitte le 13 mars pour le costa rica j'irai à punta leona, J'aimerais savoir si quelqu'un est déjà aller, comment est l'hôtel, la plage et est-ce que c'est loin de Manuel Antonio et le coût? Est-ce que je peux y aller en bus ou il y a des forfaits avec l'hôtel? Y a t-il des chaises sur la plage? Est-ce que la température est très humide?😊 Merci😏
Vol de Paris au Costa Rica
by Gilbert04 · 2005-12-18 · 7 replies
bonjours je pars en vacance pour le costa rica dans le golf de papagayo compagnie air france de paris via houston et aéroport libéria 30 mm de l'hotel qui as fait ce vol et y a t'il des problème de transit a houston je n'ai pas pris l'aéroport de san josé car il est a 4 heures de mon hotel merci pour les renseignements
Camper au Costa Rica
by Tropézien · 2005-11-22 · 5 replies
bonjours a tous !!!!😎

alors, je pars pour le costa rica dans 15 jours et j'aimerais avoir toute sorte d'information a propos du camping, je lis toute sorte de chose tres confut et bizzare comme ; il est interdit de camping dans certains parc national, beaucoup de vol tres frequant, quil faus ranger ca tante a tous les jours et ect.... moi je compte faire la cote pacifique manuel antonio, samara ect... es ce que cest possible de camper sécuritaire ?? comment les site de camping sont t'il organiser a propos de toilette, douche public ect...??? dans les parc comme manuel antonio es possible de camper au bord de la plage ??? es ce quil est possible de faire sont lavage sur cet site ??? certain hotel comme a cuba par exemple peuve garder vos affaire pendans quelque jours pour quelque $$$ en securité ou meme vous louer un coffre explenple es possible au CR ?? et vous comment avais vous vécus vos experience, conseil pratique et tous autre information qui pouront mettre pratique !!!😉 MERCI D'AVANCE A TOUS POUR VOTRE AIDE ET VOS MESSAGE!!
Vol Lyon ou Paris pour San josé au Costa Rica
by Gilbert04 · 2005-11-14 · 11 replies
je prépare mes vacances 2006 recherche vols de lyon ou paris pour San josé au Costa Rica quels compagnies sérieuses merci
Panama et Costa Rica en Juin (Help)
by Reece4183 · 2005-04-12 · 16 replies
🙂 Bonjour à tous

je cherche de l'aide pour organiser notre prochain séjour au Panama et Costa rica et je m'adresse aussi bien aux visiteurs qu'à ceux qui vivent ou ont passé pas mal de temps dans ces deux pays. Notre séjour ayant pour objectif d'étudier une prochaine expatriation.

Ma première question est: est il idiot de prévoir un séjour en Juin (A cause des pluies torentielles un peu partout ou peut on avoir aussi pas mal de longues éclaircies?

Ensuite quel est le meilleur moyen de trouver un billet d'avion Paris CR Panama Paris?

Enfin ja'aurais ensuite pas mal de questions sur la vie la bas et remercie ceux de vous qui pourraient nous aider pour des sujets pratiques: Coût de vie, rapport avec les habitants, sécurité, médecine, logement, dépalcements... (J'ai déja lu pas mal de choses (Bouquins et Internet) mais rien de vaut des expériences persos.

merci

Reece😏
besoin d'aide pour le Costa Rica
by Juliotte · 2005-03-10 · 5 replies
Je suis nouvelle sur le forum... Je compte me rendre au Costa Rica très très bientôt mais j'ai toujours besoin de plus dinfos à cause de cette multitude de parcs!Où éviter les groupes d'américains? Quels parcs se ressemblent?(si c'est le cas) Peut-on voir des tortues en Mars/Avril? En fait, comme une idiote, je n'ai pas acheté le Lonely planet en France pensant le trouver au Québec en Français, mais non...Donc je compte sur vous voyageurs pour m'aider à construire un semblant de parcours.😎
Montréal au Costa rica en 4x4
by Tristania · 2004-11-08 · 14 replies
salut! je pars au costa rica en 4x4 avec mon copain en debut janvier pour une durée de 3 à 4 mois et nous aurions besoins de conseil, car l'idée d'y aller en 4x4 nous est venu très récement, et certaines personnes nous disent que c'est une mauvaise idée autant que d'autres nous disent que c'est une excellente idée.

Nous avons un budget total d'approximativement 5000-6000$ (on est conscient que ce n'est pas beaucoup mais est-ce suffisant pour survivre?), nous esperons dormir le plus souvent possible dans la boîte du pick-up, manger très rarement au resto, etc.

Les gens qui nous disent que c'est une bonne idée disent que le Costa rica est très cool à visité en 4x4 car cela nous donnerait accès a des super beaux endroits pas très visité. Ceux qui nous le déconseille parle surtout de manque de sécurité et quon risque de toujours être "pogné" pour surveiller notre 4x4.

Y a t'il quelqu'un ici qui a fait ce trajet en auto ou en 4x4 et qui pourrait nous renseigner la dessus ainsi que sur les questions suivantes:

Si on ne niaise pas aux etats-unis et aux mexique et qu'on visite le nicaragua, le costa-rica et peut-etre panama, combien faudrait-il prevoir de gaz? (ou plus simple, c'est combien l'essence la bas?)

Quelqu'un a t-il des suggestions de place interessante ou on peut aller avec un 4x4 (plages innaccessible normalement, jungles, etc..) ou existe t'il un site la dessus? On est surtout en quête de paysage grandiose, plage déserte et randonnée en forêt

est-il facile de trouver des places gratuite ou pas cher (exemple: bord de plage) ou on peut garer notre 4x4 et dormir dans notre boîte sans avoir de trouble? (si la boîte est barrée)

Si on a des problemes mécanique avec le 4x4: avez vous des suggestions de garages pour moins se faire fourrer?

Est-il possible au costa rica de vendre des petits trucs artisanales (on fait de la sculpture sur bois)? a t'on besoin d'un permis?

Dernier détail: Un permis probatoire, est-ce valide en amérique centrale, au mexique et dans la plupart des états américains?

bon je crois que cest tout, j'espere que quelqu'un pourra nous aider!
Une femme seule, jeune au Costa Rica
by Adédoyin · 2004-10-08 · 34 replies
Bonjour 😉

Je dois sortir des USA vers le mois de Decembre (visa touriste). Je pensais donc me rendre dans un pays d Amerique du Sud pendant 2 semaines. On m a parle du Costa Rica, le billet d avion tourne autour de 500$, a ce qui parait c est magnifique.

Donc une simple question a l attention de tous ceux qui ont sejournes la-bas :

J ai 20 ans, j ai pas beaucoup de thunes, est ce que ca craint de partir toute seule ? (au niveau de la securite et des 'activites' )

Ok, merci beaucoup.🙂

Ciao
Hésitation entre le Brésil et le Costa Rica en août
by Fatimé · 2004-03-20 · 5 replies
Bonjour tout le monde!

Je fais appel à ceux qui connaissent ces deux pays pour décider...

Costa Rica, c'est super tentant pour : la diversité du pays parceque 3 semaines, c'est suffisant pour le pays.

Mais, le hic, c'est le climat à cette période... pensez vous que ça ne vaut definitivement pas le coup d'y aller en aout ?

D'où hésitation avec le Brésil mais le hic, il va faloir faire qu'une partie du brésil et sacrifier certains endroits tentants ;o(

Sinon, les billets d'avions tournent autour de 780 pour le costa rica et 750 env. pour le brésil mais en partant mi aout (et déborder sur le mois de septembre). Est ce que certains ont des bons plans billets d'avion ?

N'hésitez pas, je prends toutes les infos ;o)

Merci bcp d'avance
Visiter le parc national du Corcovado au Costa Rica?
by Angèle · 2003-12-22 · 8 replies
Bonjour, Est-ce quelqu'un aurait de l'information sur la meilleure facon de visiter le parc Corcovado, a part les lodges tres chers? Ou tout autre endroit du Costa Rica pas trop touristique?

Merci et Joyeux Noel!!
Mes impressions sur le Costa Rica 2001
by Globe · 2003-11-20 · 5 replies
Pour mon voyage Mexico - Panama - Mexico : 2 mois, petit budget, transport : bus, pirogue, train, voiture, moto, ........ avec mon sac à dos.... (a la fin de mon voyage, a ma remonté par la Pan Américan, je me suis fait volé mon sac à dos à 3h du matin au terminal bus "Tica" de San José au Costa Rica : il faut jamais quitté son sac de la main, maintenant sur mon sac j'ai un canedas de vélo et je l'attache même quand je suis à 50cm, comme lors du vol devant 50 personnes......)

le costa rica, c le pays que j'ai trouvé le plus cher !! mais il y a des choses à faire les canaux à la fontière di nicaragua entre Los Chiles et San Carlos (nicaragua) la montagne suisse de Los Chiles dans la région Alajuela le coin de Puerto Limon au départ du "Grand terminal del Caribé" il y a plein de bus : ex : pour Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui par la Panoramique 885 colons à 6h30 & 9h30 les volcans : bus pour le Volcan IRAZU = av2 - C1/3 départ le dimanche à 8 & 10h retour à 12h30 & 14h pour 1430 colons

Globe
Itinéraire 2 semaines au Costa Rica
by Nananinanana · 2003-03-12 · 8 replies
Bonjour,

Qui peut me suggèrer un itinéraire de 2 semaines (mer, plage, excursion tropical) au Costa Rica? Nous pensons louer un 4X4.

Merci beaucoup!
On the Roads of Costa Rica
by Yadin · 2026-02-28 · 7 replies
Hello everyone, I’m happy to welcome you to this new travel journal. We’re heading to Costa Rica together—a Central American destination that dreams are made of for many French travelers and attracts crowds from France.



It was the country’s wild nature and safety that convinced us to go, since we’re traveling with our 7-year-old little one. We didn’t have much vacation time in February 2026 (only 12 days), so we optimized as much as possible.



Here’s the itinerary: Wednesday, February 11: Flight from Marseille to San Jose via Paris and Atlanta Thursday, February 12: Pick up the car, drive to Poas Volcano, visit La Paz Waterfall Gardens Friday, February 13: Poas Volcano and drive to Manuel Antonio Saturday, February 14: Manuel Antonio National Park Sunday, February 15: Nauyaca Waterfall and Playa Linda Monday, February 16: Drive to Monte Verde and Santa Elena Reserve Tuesday, February 17: El Tigre Waterfall Reserve and Treetopia Park Wednesday, February 18: Monte Verde Reserve with a guide and drive to La Fortuna Thursday, February 19: Sloth guided tour, Observatory Lodge Park Friday, February 20: Arenal Volcano National Park, Termalistas del Arenal hot springs, and night tour Saturday, February 21: Return to San Jose, flight to Paris via Atlanta Sunday, February 22: Arrival in Paris and flight to Marseille. That gives us a solid 9 days in the country.



Budget breakdown: Costa Rica is an expensive country, but no more so than France. However, almost all hikes and waterfalls are paid entry, which can really add up. For meals, sodas (6–10 €) are cheaper than restaurants (10–20 € per dish).



Flights: We chose Delta Airlines for the price: Marseille to San Jose was 740 € per person (modifiable, with checked baggage and seat selection included). Other direct flights from Europe were priced between 1200 € and 1600 € with more restrictive conditions. That’s 2220 € for the family.



Accommodations: Alajuela, first night: 139 € (1 night) at Rodeo Estancia Boutique Hotel, with personalized airport pickup, transfer to the hotel, and a briefing from Vert Costa Rica agency the next day. Poas: 66 € (1 night) at Cabañas Tierra Fértil (entire apartment). Manuel Antonio: 394 € (3 nights) at La Palapa Ecolodge (hotel in the jungle). Monte Verde: Chalet Aloha Monteverde Cloud Forest (2 bedrooms): 125 € (2 nights). La Fortuna: Arenal Dream Garden (1 bedroom): 217 € (3 nights). Total: 941 €.



Car rental: I went through Vert Costa Rica agency (Vincent is a French expat who set up the agency in Costa Rica and makes great YouTube videos with useful tips). I rented a 4x4 that was delivered to the hotel the day after arrival and returned at the airport before the flight. The total was 772 €, including full insurance (zero deductible), a child seat, and a phone with a Costa Rican SIM and WhatsApp. The rental company was Poas Rent a Car. The vehicle was well-maintained—no complaints. Gas: 100 € for the whole trip (3 fill-ups).



Activities: To get discounts, I bought the pass offered by Vincent, which paid for itself after just one activity. It cost me 30 € (promo since I rented the car through him). Prices are for 3 people. I’ve added stars to rate them: La Paz Waterfall Gardens ****: 112 € Poas Volcano National Park *: 33 € Manuel Antonio National Park ****: 35 € Nauyaca Waterfall ***: 25 € Santa Elena Reserve **: 45 € El Tigre Waterfall Reserve ****: 141 € (with meal) Treetopia (ziplining, suspension bridges) **: 250 € Guided tour of Monte Verde Reserve ***: 113 € Sloth guided tour (with breakfast) ***: 115 € Arenal Observatory Lodge (with meal) ****: 102 € Arenal Volcano National Park *: 34 € Termalistas del Arenal ****: 20 € Night tour ***: 116 € Total: 1171 €.



Meals: 600 € My favorite restaurants: Poas: Food court Mercaditas in Fraijanes Manuel Antonio (near La Palapa): La Langosta and also El Patio Near Nauyaca Waterfall: Ricar2 el Avión Between Manuel Antonio and Monte Verde: Soda D’Calle Santa Elena: HG’s Food Guadalupe (between Monte Verde and La Fortuna): Soda Río Piedras Arenal Observatory Lodge restaurant Arenal Oasis Ecolodge restaurant



Other expenses: 300 € (groceries for breakfast, drinks, ice cream, souvenirs, etc.) Total overall: 6065 € (about 2020 € per person).

Now, here’s the day-by-day account of this beautiful trip.

https://voyageforum.com/images/posts/small/1772295011-z8mILBEUXHU8Ajz.jpg
Are Puerto Viejo and Bri Bri tourist traps?
by Sourireagir · 2025-11-06 · 20 replies
Hi everyone, I’m so happy 🙂 to be traveling again after 5 years without a trip. I’m heading back to Costa Rica for 18 days from December 12th to 30th with a friend. We’re doing San José-Sarapiquí (2 nights), then Sarapiquí-Tortuguero (3 nights), then from Tortuguero heading to the Cahuita and Puerto Viejo area. We’ll spend about ten days in that region, then make a 2-day stop somewhere before flying back out of San José. From what I’ve read on this blog, Puerto Viejo seems like the "rasta," party-friendly spot, which is honestly the kind of place I tend to avoid—too touristy. I’m looking for places surrounded by beautiful nature. I’ve already spent several weeks in Drake Bay (in 2019 and 10 years before that) and loved it. My friend also wants to visit the Bri Bri. Could you recommend some authentic spots in this southern Caribbean area? Your favorite places—whether it’s sights to see, accommodations, or even your favorite little restaurants 😛? What’s the most authentic way to visit the Bri Bri? What’s your take on that? And finally, what beautiful stop would you recommend before heading back to San José? A huge thank you to everyone! Have a great day, Zineb
How to travel from Mexico to Costa Rica by ferry?
by Usin · 2025-01-11 · 4 replies
Hi there,

I’m looking for a ferry or Ro-Ro passage for my vehicle and two passengers from Mexico to Costa Rica. I haven’t found anything online. If you know of any regular routes, I’d love to hear about them!
Visite du Corcovado: y aller en 4x4 ou prendre un vol interne?
by Cel974 · 2019-10-28 · 1 reply
Bonjour

Nous partons 15 jours (15 jours pleins sur place) au Costa Rica fin novembre début décembre, soit à la fin de la saison des pluies. Nous voulons faire le trajet classique avec Arenal, Tenorio, Monteverde, et peut-être pousser jusqu'à la péninsule de Nicoya pour voir les tortues sur la plage de Ostional. En fin de voyage, nous souhaitons nous rendre à la péninsule d'Osa pour visiter le corcovado. Nous hésitons à laisser la voiture de location et nous y rendre en avion, ou à y aller en voiture. Je ne sais pas si le corcovado est accessible en voiture à cette période. En revanche, si nous y allons en avion, nous allons arriver à puerto jimenez et j'aurais aimé aller jusqu'à Drake mais difficile sans voiture. Avez vous des avis sur la question? Merci de votre aide

Céline
Projet Costa Rica en famille en janvier
by Lilougirl · 2019-07-08 · 5 replies
Bonjour à tous,

Pour notre voyage de Noces, nous projetons de partir au Costa Rica en Janvier et en famille (6 et 7 ans). Pourquoi le Costa Rica, parce que c'est un petit pays, donc on peut en voir pas mal en 15 jours, pour la diversité des paysages aussi et le trajet en avion n'est pas si terrible.

J'ai vu quelques avis négatifs qui font un peu peur...

J'aimerais avoir votre avis sur un parcours en voiture de location sympa, pas trop chargé et avec un spot / plage farniente sympa pour les 3/4 derniers jours.

Merci par avance à tous, je suis toujours enchantée de vos retours qui m'ont toujours permise de faire de super voyages !!! (Indonésie, Thailande, Afrique du Sud...)

Merci,

Marie
Really disappointed with Costa Rica!
by Costatraca · 2019-07-03 · 41 replies
Really disappointed with Costa Rica! Pura vida? The scam of the century! (Costa Rica pure emptiness).

The country where animals are free and people are in cages. 3 weeks in December in this country and never again. Imagine the trailer of a movie that seems interesting, and when you go see it, you realize it’s a flop and the best moments were in the trailer. Well, that’s exactly how we felt with Costa Rica pure emptiness. My wife and I have traveled quite a bit and didn’t expect to be so wrong about a place. On the main routes, we visited: San José Alajuela Limón, Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Manzanillo (Caribbean side) Jaco, Quepos, Manuel Antonio (Pacific side) And a few short stops in intermediate towns.

Our dissatisfaction grew gradually like this:

When we arrived at the hotel, the taxi dropped us off on a small street in front of a white metal gate with ground-floor windows barred. We looked at it skeptically, but the sign matched. He approached the gate, rang the bell, the buzzer sounded, and the door opened slightly. The hotel wasn’t bad for the price, a 10-minute walk from downtown, but with a "Fleury-Mérogis" vibe guaranteed.

So far, so good.

After showering and regaining our bearings, we headed downtown. What started to unsettle us on the way was seeing houses with bars on the ground-floor windows and even on the second floor. At first, we thought the hotel’s neighborhood wasn’t great.

Downtown San José: It’s a generic city, not very exotic, with a pedestrian street and a small mercado where you can eat local food without frills. Very few tourists—if any—which let you blend in with the locals. We had lunch and struggled to make ourselves understood because, aside from one or two shops, English wasn’t spoken. On the way back to the hotel, we took a different route, and while chatting and strolling, my wife pointed out a beautiful two-story white house completely barricaded like Fort Knox. From that moment, we started noticing the facades of houses and buildings, and wow, it was creepy—most looked like prisons, some even with barbed wire. Though put off, we told ourselves it was probably a big-city thing and the rest of the country couldn’t be like this.

So far, so good.

We relaxed at the hotel and had a drink at the bar. Night falls early, around 5:30 PM. By 7:30 PM, we headed back downtown for dinner. A bit unsettling for a capital—downtown was almost deserted, and aside from fast-food chains, very few restaurants were open, with hardly anyone on the streets. Bars with security guards out front. I won’t say we felt unsafe that night, but once it got dark, we realized the bars on the windows weren’t for nothing. First day in, and our impression was already mixed.

The next day, we explored the city and surroundings, and our feelings didn’t change.

So far, so good.

Off to Cahuita by bus—4 hours of travel. The landscapes are very green but quickly become monotonous. The road runs alongside the forest and passes through a few towns and villages, and even in the countryside, there were just as many prison-like houses. The bus dropped us off at Cahuita’s terminal station—only four of us got off. It’s a village, or rather, a small town. Cahuita is basically one straight road and a perpendicular one, and honestly, doubt started to creep in. A few restaurants that add 13% tax and 10% service charge—so 23% extra. We dropped our stuff at the hotel and went to explore. In 20 minutes, we’d seen it all. We had lunch and planned to check out the famous park. Entry is by donation—well, the "entry" is a joke. There’s a path along the forest by the sea, and that’s it.

Nothing’s going right anymore.

We thought it was a total scam, but since we hadn’t gone far, we decided to come back the next day to explore further. We returned to the hotel, relaxed, and around 8:00 PM, we went out for dinner. Only two restaurants were open, and the streets were deserted.

Creepy!

The next day, we explored the so-called park more thoroughly and really got it. A path along the forest by the sea—2 hours there and 2 hours back, where you see animals that feel like showing their faces. A total joke—"all that for this?"

The beach was full of wood debris and coconut husks. We wondered if the photos online were edited because the sea, very rough, wasn’t the azure blue we’d seen in pictures. But calling this a park is a joke—it’s like a new concept.

When we thought about the reviews online, we started to suspect that professionals with interests in the country were monitoring and countering any negative feedback that could harm their business. Too bad we didn’t check the negative reviews beforehand—we did while we were there, and it helped. We wondered if we’d become too demanding after all our travels, but no—when something’s bad, it’s bad.

Manuel Antonio’s park is even more ridiculous—there’s a short path along the sea for about 500 meters, and then nothing. You have to climb through mud and hack your way through the forest. We ended up barefoot because the mud was up to our calves. All that to see a raccoon and a few parrots flying overhead.

We didn’t expect Noah’s Ark, but we’ve seen more animals in Bali, Mexico, and Thailand while visiting temples or just walking around than in these so-called parks!

Puerto Viejo, not far from Cahuita and supposedly livelier—well, it couldn’t be worse! According to Lonely Planet, it had a Caribbean vibe and wild nights, but maybe that was a long time ago. The good reggae music playing everywhere isn’t enough.

In the evening, Puerto Viejo was a bit livelier than Cahuita, but that’s not saying much. Very few tourists—if any—no night market, just two or three shops open selling $20 T-shirts. Same vibe as San José.

No big deal—we enjoyed the beach and the sun, which was reliable. Our itinerary was supposed to include Tortuguero Park, but after talking to other travelers who’d just been, we changed our minds, knowing we’d be visiting Manuel Antonio Park on the Pacific side.

To get back to the Pacific side, you have to take the bus and go through San José again—5 hours this time—then switch bus terminals and another 4.5 hours to Quepos. A stopover town to get to Manuel Antonio’s beach and park! A town just like the others we’d seen—deserted as soon as the sun sets, and not exactly bustling during the day either. (Where are all the tourists?)

Still as many bars on the windows and that feeling of being in the wrong place.

7 km later: Manuel Antonio beach and park. The beach is very beautiful and quite large, but don’t expect turquoise blue water—the waves stir up the sand, giving the water a brownish color. Along the beach, shops and restaurants for about 300 meters, and then nothing. At night, after sunset, the town shuts down too.

Manuel Antonio Park is highly praised for its wildlife, so we were eager to see it. When you express dissatisfaction with Cahuita or Manzanillo parks, the response is always, "But you should’ve gone to Monteverde or Manuel Antonio!" No matter what you do or say, they’ll tell you, "You should’ve gone there or here."

Back to our famous park—entry was about $16, and contrary to what we’d heard, it wasn’t crowded! Guides at the entrance with spotting scopes offered their services for about $30. The park: a mix of boardwalk and dirt paths through the forest, sometimes running alongside beautiful coves and beaches. As soon as we entered, a crowd was taking photos of a deer eating leaves. A little further on, a guide with a group of five stopped. The guide raised his arm and set up his spotting scope! He showed them, about 100 meters away, a hummingbird perched on a branch. Some, looking through the scope, exclaimed, "Oh my God! Amazing! Incredible!" For a moment, we thought they’d discovered a unicorn or were in Jurassic Park and had just crossed paths with a T-Rex! The concept is comical—looking at a bird or another animal through a spotting scope because it’s too far away. Isn’t that what TV is for? For our part, we saw monkeys, ants, an armadillo, an iguana, and the backside of a sloth climbing a tree. Amazing, incredible!

We stayed a few days in Manuel Antonio to enjoy the beach, changing hotels often because prices varied wildly from one day to the next for shameful services. On top of that, they’d quote a price in dollars and convert it at their discretion—thieves!

Alajuela, a city near the airport, has a two-story mall and a local market downtown! No interest except its proximity to the airport.

What we liked:

The climate and, in hindsight, San José—the most authentic city we visited.

What we didn’t like, in addition to what we’ve already mentioned:

Costa Ricans aren’t very friendly or communicative. English is barely spoken, not even by doctors at Quepos Hospital, where my wife ended up with food poisoning (thanks, Google Translate). The widespread obesity among Costa Ricans, who eat like Americans. The insecurity. The eco-hipsters who leave their $150 lodges in minivans with guides to visit parks and other sites, then return to barricade themselves in their fortresses at nightfall (oh my God, amazing, incredible). The blue signs at the entrance of towns that accept this payment method: "We accept American Express." Parking lots that become paid just because a guy is watching your car. Prices displayed in dollars. The cost of living (hotels, restaurants, taxes). Landscapes that are too green and not flowery enough. Beaches—nothing exceptional. Pollution in cities where big American trucks rule. Sewage dumped directly into the sea. Aside from the jungle, there’s nothing to visit—no ruins, monuments, or anything worth seeing.

In short, my wife and I think the hype about this supposedly eco-friendly country is overrated. It’s just the trendy destination of the moment. There are much better, cheaper, and more authentic places. In hindsight, we keep the good memories and our beautiful photos, but if we had to do it over...

Before signing off, a little message to those who don’t like hearing opinions different from theirs: Well, some things aren’t up for debate. And to those who’d have us believe that in 3 weeks, we don’t have the right to criticize a country or express our feelings—how can you praise it in so little time? What a scam. Costa Rica is a money pit. Pura vida? Pure cosmic emptiness.

If you like spending your evenings barricaded in your cozy hotel after dark, this country is for you. For everyone else: run!

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