Costa Rica travel mistakes are easy to make when planning your first road trip.
Looking Back
Looking back, I absolutely loved this trip.
Costa Rica exceeded almost all my expectations, and if you asked me whether I would follow the same route again, my answer would still be yes.
However, after spending two weeks driving around the country, there are a few things I would keep exactly the same and a few things I would change if I planned the trip again today.
What I Would Definitely Do Again
First of all, I wouldn’t change the destinations themselves.
Puerto Viejo would stay on my itinerary without a second thought. I absolutely loved the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.
The drive there was already part of the experience, with enormous trees lining the roads and jungle scenery appearing almost everywhere I looked.
I would also choose La Fortuna again. Even though we never got the chance to see the volcano because of the fog (still a sad story), the area completely lived up to its reputation and became one of my favourite parts of the trip.
Guanacaste would also remain on the route. I liked the fact that it felt less crowded and less touristy compared to destinations such as Manuel Antonio.
One thing I definitely wouldn’t change is renting a car.
Even after experiencing Costa Rica firsthand, I still can’t imagine doing this itinerary with shuttle buses. Having a car gave us complete flexibility and allowed us to visit places that would have been much harder to reach otherwise.
One thing I would also do again without hesitation is buying an eSIM before travelling. Having internet access immediately after landing made navigation, accommodation check-ins, activity bookings, and day-to-day planning much easier throughout the road trip. Since we were driving across the country and relying heavily on navigation apps, having mobile data from the moment we landed saved us both time and stress.
The activities would stay exactly the same as well.
If I returned tomorrow, I would happily book the rafting, zip-lining, snorkelling trip, and Palo Verde boat tour all over again.
What would stay on my itinerary?
What I Would Change
The biggest change would actually be quite simple: I would spend less time in Guanacaste and more time in La Fortuna.
Guanacaste is located in one of the driest regions of Costa Rica.
That’s one of the reasons why destinations such as Manuel Antonio feel greener and more tropical, although they are also much more crowded.I don’t regret visiting Guanacaste at all. The beaches are beautiful, the sunsets are fantastic, and it offers a more relaxed atmosphere than some of Costa Rica’s most famous tourist destinations.
However, I originally booked five nights there because we wanted a slower pace after several active days. Looking back, four nights would have been enough.
Looking at the map before the trip, I somehow imagined that everything would be just around the corner. Costa Rica quickly proved me wrong.
Reaching different beaches often required longer drives than I expected, and after spending time in the rainforest areas of the country, I found myself missing the jungle scenery.
If I could move one day from Guanacaste to La Fortuna, I would do it immediately.
The Beach I Was Most Excited About
I was incredibly excited to visit Playa Conchal, a beach famous for being covered in tiny crushed shells instead of ordinary sand.
Unfortunately, reality didn’t quite match my expectations.
Access to the beach was more complicated than I expected because of the large resort developments nearby.
We ended up driving further to Playa Brasilito and then walking around twenty minutes to reach the beach.
Was it beautiful? Absolutely.
Was it worth the hype for me personally? Not entirely.
I don’t regret visiting it, but if I had only one beach day available, I would probably choose somewhere else.
That being said, I know many travellers love Playa Conchal, and I would probably still visit it again simply to decide whether my opinion changes on a second visit.
My Biggest Costa Rica Travel Mistake
If I could go back and change one practical thing, it would be booking some activities earlier.
The best example is the hanging bridges near La Fortuna.
I had read several websites claiming that advance reservations weren’t necessary, so I decided not to book ahead.
Big mistake.
Because we travelled during February, one of Costa Rica’s busiest seasons, the attraction was completely booked when we arrived.
Unfortunately, it was also our final day in La Fortuna, so returning another day wasn’t possible.
As a result, I completely missed one of the experiences I had been looking forward to most, the hanging bridges.
My lesson?
If you’re travelling during high season and there’s an activity you really don’t want to miss, book it in advance.
Apparently everyone else had planned ahead.
Me?
Not so much.
But as they say in Costa Rica:
Pura Vida.
More on that later.
My Biggest Surprises
The Roads
One of my biggest surprises in Costa Rica was the condition of the roads.
Based on all the travel research I had done before the trip, I had somehow convinced myself that driving would be a nightmare and that the roads would be in terrible condition.
That wasn’t my experience at all.
Were they perfect? No.
The road signs could sometimes be a bit confusing, and there were occasional rough sections, especially in more remote areas.
But overall, the roads were much better than I expected.
Most of the routes we drove were paved and well maintained, and even on the way to places such as Palo Verde I never felt that driving was particularly difficult.
Having an SUV was still nice for peace of mind, but looking back, the road conditions were one of the things I worried about the most and probably needed to worry about the least.
You can read more about the car rental here.
Discovering Waze
Before arriving in Costa Rica, I assumed Google Maps would be all I needed.
One thing I was particularly happy about, however, was having internet access from the moment I landed. Before the trip I had already activated an Airalo eSIM.
That meant I could open Google Maps straight away, check directions, pick up the rental car, and find my first accommodation without having to search for Wi-Fi at the airport.
Instead, I discovered that many locals prefer Waze, and after using it throughout the trip, I completely understood why.
The app is constantly updated by its users, which means it often provides real-time information about traffic, roadworks, accidents, police controls, and other situations on the road.
In a country where road conditions and traffic can change quickly, that extra information was incredibly useful.
I still occasionally checked Google Maps, but Waze became my primary navigation app for the entire road trip.
If I ever drive around Costa Rica again, Waze would be one of the first things I install before leaving the airport.
The People
Another huge surprise was the people.
Before travelling to Costa Rica, I had read countless articles and forum posts about travelling in Latin America.
As a result, I arrived expecting to constantly watch out for scammers or people trying to take advantage of tourists.Instead, almost every local person we met was incredibly kind, welcoming, and helpful.
The Caribbean side in particular stood out to me. People seemed genuinely relaxed, friendly, and happy to help whenever we had questions.
Of course, like anywhere in the world, it’s important to use common sense and take normal precautions.
But if I had to remember one thing about Costa Rica besides its nature, it would be the warmth of the people we met along the way.
My Biggest Mistakes
Assuming I Would Need More Cash
Another mistake I made was overthinking cash.
Before arriving in Costa Rica, I had read so many different opinions online that I wasn’t sure how much cash I would actually need.
Almost everywhere I went accepted card payments, and I ended up using my bank card for nearly everything without any noticeable issues or extra fees. Restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, activities, and even many small businesses accepted cards without hesitation.
The only places where cash was consistently useful were local markets.
The real problem started when I booked one accommodation that only accepted cash.
I found myself spending part of my holiday hunting for ATMs and trying to withdraw enough money over several transactions instead of enjoying Costa Rica.
If I planned the trip again, I would either choose accommodation that accepts card payments or make sure I had a clear plan for withdrawing the necessary cash before arriving.
That being said, I would still recommend carrying some local currency for small purchases and emergencies.
And speaking of local currency, Costa Rican colones are beautiful. If you’re the kind of traveller who enjoys collecting foreign coins as souvenirs, definitely keep a few before heading home.
Skipping the Organised Hot Springs
One thing I would definitely do differently is visit one of the organised hot springs around La Fortuna.
At the time, I decided to save some money and visit the public hot springs instead.
They can be fun, especially if you’re travelling on a tight budget or looking for a more casual experience.
Unfortunately, we visited after heavy rain, and the water wasn’t particularly warm anymore.
What I had imagined as a relaxing thermal experience ended up being much less impressive than expected.
Another mistake was leaving the decision until our final day in La Fortuna.
By then, we didn’t have much flexibility left in the itinerary, and booking one of the hotel hot spring resorts at the last minute wasn’t as easy as I had hoped.
Looking back, I think I would happily spend the extra money and enjoy one of the organised hot spring resorts.
After several days of driving, rafting, zip-lining and exploring, a comfortable thermal spa experience would have been the perfect way to relax.
Packing
Too Much
Another mistake?
Packing far too many clothes.
Before the trip, one friend gave me the simplest Costa Rica advice imaginable:
“Bring your swimwear and mosquito repellent.”
And honestly, he was almost completely right.
I followed the mosquito repellent advice religiously and somehow managed to survive the entire trip without becoming a mosquito buffet.
The clothing situation, however, was a different story.I packed far more than I actually needed and quickly realised that half of it never left the suitcase.
The biggest problem wasn’t carrying the extra clothes around — it was having very little space left for souvenirs and local products I wanted to bring home.
That being said, I wouldn’t go as far as saying you only need a swimsuit.
Even during the dry season, Costa Rica can surprise you with sudden tropical downpours and heavy rain, so some extra clothing is definitely useful.
Still, if I packed for the same trip again, I would bring fewer clothes and leave a lot more room in my luggage.
You will find exactly what I packed and what I actually used in the article here.
Trying To Optimise Every Detail
Before the trip, I spent countless hours comparing routes, accommodations, beaches, activities, and itineraries.
Looking back, some of that research was useful.
Some of it was simply overthinking.
Costa Rica ended up being far more relaxed and easier to navigate than I expected, and many of the things I worried about never became issues at all.
If I planned the trip again, I would spend a little less time trying to create the perfect itinerary and a little more time simply looking forward to the adventure.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, I wouldn’t dramatically change this road trip.
The route worked, the destinations were worth visiting, and many of my favourite memories came from places I knew very little about before arriving.
And, sometimes the best memories come from the parts of the trip you spent the least time planning.
