Costa Rica travel checklist: what to do before you go

Three months out is a reasonable time to book international flights and the first two nights, then leave the middle of the trip loose until you know how you want to move around. Whether earlier is cheaper depends on the route and season — check fares for your dates rather than assuming a rule.

Check your passport now, not in the airport queue. The validity rule and the length of stay you get depend on your nationality and can change, so read your own government's travel advice and the Costa Rican immigration rules for your passport before you book anything non-refundable.

Decide the shape of the trip before you book anything else. The country rewards three bases rather than six: Arenal or La Fortuna for three nights, the Pacific for four, and Monteverde or the Caribbean for three. Each leg is 3–5 hours by road, so a tight loop costs you days.

One month out, lock the transport that sells out in high season: rental cars, shuttles between tourist towns, and any domestic flight. A rental car with the mandatory insurance adds US$45–110 a day; shared shuttles run US$55–80 a leg. Both are fine choices, but they need booking — confirm availability and cancellation terms for your dates.

Sort money. Cards work in hotels, restaurants and tour companies, but small sodas and parking want cash. Tell your bank you are travelling, and check the credit limit on the card you plan to use for a rental car deposit — declining the rental company's collision cover can block US$1,000–5,000.

Book the tours that are genuinely limited: park entry slots, guided park walks, and any lodge inside a reserve. A guided park walk runs US$35–65 and is worth it for the wildlife you would otherwise walk past. Daily entry caps and booking windows vary by park — check the park's own rules for your dates.

Confirm every booking in writing, especially shuttles that only exist as a WhatsApp message. Re-check your onward or return ticket: airlines flying into San José and Liberia often ask for proof of exit before boarding, and a screenshot is enough. The exact requirement depends on your nationality — check.

Pack for two climates. The Central Valley sits around 1,000 m and is cool in the evening; the coast is hot and humid; the Caribbean is wetter and warmer. Rain gear, quick-dry clothes and shoes you can walk in mud matter more than anything formal. Bring a refillable bottle, reef-safe sunscreen, insect repellent and any prescription medicine in its original packaging.

Download offline maps and a translation app, and save your insurance policy number and embassy contact somewhere that works without data. Check the forecast for the region you are actually visiting — the Pacific and the Caribbean have different rainy seasons.

Arrive with the paperwork in one place: passport, onward ticket, first-night address and insurance details. Immigration at Juan Santamaría (SJO) and Daniel Oduber (LIR) moves at whatever pace the arriving flights dictate, so leave slack if you have a same-day transfer.

Get a small amount of local cash for the first taxi or shuttle, then use ATMs or cards later — airport exchange counters are rarely the best rate. If you are picking up a rental car, allow extra time for the paperwork and the insurance conversation, and photograph the car before you drive off.

Do not drive after dark on your first day. Roads outside the Central Valley are narrow, unlit and often unmarked, and the last hour of a long transfer is where trips go wrong. If your flight lands late, sleep near the airport and drive in the morning.

The core set is a passport, proof of onward travel, and enough money or a card to cover your stay. The validity rule, the length of stay and whether you need a visa at all are set by your nationality and can change, so confirm them for your own passport with your government's travel advice and the Costa Rican immigration authority before you book.

If you plan to work remotely from Costa Rica, visitor entry is not the same as a nomad permit; read the digital nomad visa route separately and apply before you travel if you need it. Carry a printed copy of your first-night booking — some airlines and officers ask for an address.

Driving adds a licence question: your home licence plus an International Driving Permit is the usual combination, and rental companies ask for both. Check the current rule for your licence country before you rely on it.

Costa Rica uses the colón, and US dollars are accepted in tourist areas, often with change given in colones. That convenience has a cost: the exchange rate you get from a hotel or a tour desk is usually worse than an ATM. Withdraw colones from a bank ATM and pay in local currency where you can.

Restaurant bills normally include a 10% service charge and 13% VAT, so an extra tip is optional and small. Carry small notes for sodas, parking and national park entrances, and keep a card for hotels and tours. Budget on the site's figures: mid-range travel runs US$175–340 per person per day, and tours are the line that grows fastest.

Book a travel clinic appointment before departure and follow the advice for your own itinerary and medical history. Which vaccines you need, and how far ahead to start, depends on your history and your route — check with a travel clinic rather than a fixed rule.

Costa Rica's main health risks for visitors are sun, heat, insects and stomach upsets. Mosquito-borne illness exists in lowland areas, so repellent is a practical item, not an optional one. Water safety varies by region — check current guidance for where you are staying.

Travel insurance should cover medical treatment and evacuation; a helicopter or private clinic transfer from a remote lodge is the expensive scenario. Carry prescription medicine in original packaging with a copy of the prescription.

Pack for two climates in one bag. The Central Valley is cool at night, the Pacific coast is hot and humid, and the Caribbean is warmer and wetter. Layers, a rain shell and shoes that survive mud cover almost every day. Anything formal can stay home.

The items people forget are the ones that cost the most locally: a refillable bottle, a power bank, a dry bag for boat transfers, and binoculars if you care about wildlife. Reef-safe sunscreen and insect repellent are cheaper at home than at a resort shop.

Keep the bag light enough to carry up a lodge staircase and small enough for a domestic hopper, where the weight limit is tighter than on international flights.