Costa Rica Solo Travel Tips
Welcome to our page which covers a list of Costa Rica solo travel tips.
Let’s be real, Costa Rica is a unique country to explore.
With dense jungle, a host of exotic animals and birds, world-class beaches and some of the friendliest people on earth, this country is perfect for a solo trip.
Costa Rica Solo Travel Tips
In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about traveling solo to Costa Rica.
How Safe is Costa Rica?
Here we’ll take a look at the current safety situation in Costa Rica.
The 2020 Global Peace Index is a great way of comparing countries’ current stability, by looking at both tangible and qualitative indicators.
- Costa Rica ranked as 32nd out of the 163 nations measured, whilst for comparison, The United States ranked as 121st.
- Out of all of the countries in Latin America, Costa Rica ranks as one of the safest to visit. Having said this, there can be some not-so-nice areas in San José, where carjackings and theft are common.
- Be sure to read up on the best neighborhoods to visit in the capital around the time you decide to go.
Places in Costa Rica for Singles
Costa Rica as a whole is perfect for solo travel! There truly are countless destinations to be enjoyed, however here we’ll cover the very best.
Puerto Viejo
Puerto Viejo is a very laid-back town on the Caribbean coast, close to the border with Panama and you can easily reach Bocas del Toro from here.
Known for its chill vibes and stunning beaches, it’s a very friendly place with some good nightlife going for it.
It’s great for solo travelers because the town feels like one big community, and here you’ll find it easy to meet others, as well as many activities to do such as bike rides through the jungle or surfing on its turquoise waters.
La Fortuna
La Fortuna is a place to go for hiking and adventure enthusiasts. Located around 50km inland, La Fortuna and its national park are home to to the infamous Arenal Volcano.
One of the most popular to hike in Central America, this 1650m high cone-shaped volcano looks something out of a prehistoric film.
Other cool things to see nearby include La Fortuna Waterfall, and also to explore the hanging bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park (where you can also see lots of cool animals).
Other places that are worthy of mention include Manuel Antonio National Park, Santa Teresa and Jaco.
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Getting solid insurance is your priority before traveling to Costa Rica!
Let’s be honest – getting ill or having an accident is something we all avoid thinking about, and that it will never happen to you personally.
However when traveling it’s natural you’ll be taking more risks, so it’s vital to get this sorted beforehand. Even if nothing happens, just knowing that you’re covered will help you relax and enjoy your trip even more.
Click the button above so we can help you get a realistic quote to see how much your backpacking insurance will cost for the entire duration of your trip.
Is Costa Rica Expensive?
There’s no beating around the bush here – Costa Rica is expensive.
At least in terms of backpacking, with it being one of the more costly to travel in Central America, and it even tops the cost of travel in South America too.
We suggest having a budget of $30 a day, which is roughly 19,000 CRC in the local Costa Rican Currency (Colones) at this time of writing (March 2022).
This is for the classic backpacker style of living, which involves sleeping in a dorm bed, eating at a cheap local restaurant and also buying some food to prepare in the hostel.
There’s also extra leftover for a couple of bus tickets, daily activities and for some beers or drinks at night.
Below we’ve outlined some of the costs you can expect on your average day backpacking in Costa Rica.
Of course, these can vary depending on where you are and your travel style, but it’s a good start for expectations.
- Inexpensive meal at a local restaurant: $4.50 (3000 CRC)
- Mid-range meal at a nice restaurant: $8.50 (5500 CRC)
- 1.5L Bottle of water at the local shop: $1.50 (1000CRC)
- SIM card average price: $1.80 (1200 CRC)
- Dorm bed: $11 (7000 CRC)
- Private room in a hostel: $25 (16,000 CRC)
- One-way bus ticket within a city: $0.50-1.00 (300-600 CRC)
Things to do in Costa Rica
As with any new country, you’re eager to explore, it’s good to get to know the places before you head out. This also includes the must-dos and also any other activities that take your fancy.
Costa Rica in particular is popular for many different reasons, and below we’ll cover the top activities and things to do.
See these EPIC things to do in Costa Rica
- Learn to Dive in the Pacific waters of Santa Teresa.
- Explore the city of San José with a free walking tour.
- Lace up your boots and hike up the incredible Arenal Volcano.
- Get immersed in nature with an organized night jungle tour in Monteverde.
- Chill out on the beaches of Puerto Viejo and breathe the Caribbean vibes.
- Explore Punta Uva and less visited beaches along the wild Pacific coast.
- Head out to Jaco for an intense weekend of partying followed by recovering on its beautiful beaches.
- Visit Tortuguero National Park to get up and close with Green Turtles that nest here annually.
Backpacking Costa Rica
Having already spent time backpacking Costa Rica ourselves, we know exactly what’s it like and what to expect.
We also learned of some of the challenges, and also hacks to traveling this country from our own raw experience. We’ll cover these below now.
Tip 1: Don’t use the Airport ATM’s. I mean this one is pretty standard wherever you are, however in Costa Rica the fees were astronomical, not to mention giving a pretty poor rate. Take out some Colones before your trip, and use the ATM’s in the city or town centers instead.
Tip 2: Take advantage of the Buses. Despite Costa Rica being one of the most expensive countries in Latin America, the buses (especially between cities and destinations) were super cheap! You can easily check timetables and prices online, which can sometimes be as low as $5 for a 2/3 hour trip!
Tip 3: Start a morning with Gallo Pinto. The famous national dish of Costa Rica is a must-try, with lots of different ingredients merged including dark beans and rice. We recommend everyone tries this at least once on their trip. Who knows, it may become your go-to when in Costa Rica.
Best Places to stay in Costa Rica
Now let’s take a look at our favorite hostels to stay in Costa Rica.
We’ve explored the best hostels in Central America on this blog before. Below are two from our own experiences in Costa Rica for you to try.
So… without further ado let’s take a look.
Selina San Jose
Hostel Features:
- Safe Neighbourhood
- Range of Accommodation Options
- Many Nightlife Options Nearby
Selina in our experience is the best hostel to stay in San Jose. It’s located in a safer area of the capital and is close to lots of busy areas with lots of eating and nightlife options. There’s also a good range of sleeping options here to accommodate all budgets.
- 🏠 Address: Av 9 15, Otoya, San José, 10101, Costa Rica
- 🏘 Neighbourhood: San Francisco Centre
- 🚌 Nearest Bus station: Parada Antigua Fabrica de Licores
Casa Zen Guesthouse
Hostel Features:
- Perfect Location
- Relaxing Atmosphere
- Nice Eco-Friendly Feel
Located just steps from the beach, Casa Zen is a great place with a more chill vibe going for it. Here you can take part in daily yoga classes and also surfing close-by. The hostel itself has a really cool and eco-friendly feel to it, with the layout really adding to its off-the-beaten-path experience.
- 🏠 Address: Casa Zen Beach Access Rd 30103
- 🏘 Neighbourhood: Santa Teresa
- 🚌 Nearest Bus station: Parada de Buses de Santa Teresa
Getting Around Costa Rica
You’ll first arrive in San José (if flying into Costa Rica), or by bus from Nicaragua or Panama.
Getting around Costa Rica is very cheap by bus, and we recommend taking advantage of the numerous operators that connect the major destinations well.
The duration of the buses tends to be quite quick as well, especially if you’re used to travelling around much larger countries in Latin America.
In San José, the major bus station is called the Terminal 7-10, and here the buses depart to all the different corners of the country.
For example, the bus from San José to Puerto Viejo takes around 5 hours, and another popular route of San José to Jaco takes just 2.5 hours.
In other destinations, they all have their own major bus terminal or stops, with timetables easy to find online or in the terminal. Again you can either book online or head there in person.
It’s worth mentioning that if heading more off the beaten path, then it’s worth trying to find out logistics before you leave, unless you’re confident in your Spanish-speaking abilities.
Costa Rica Itineraries
Once you’ve worked out a few places where you’ll want to visit in Costa Rica, now comes the time for organising your trip.
Whilst you could just arrive and see where it goes (this is also a fun way of traveling), it’s best to have some kind of itinerary or rough idea for your trip.
Below we’ll cover some of our best itineraries for backpacking around Costa Rica. All of these itineraries will start and finish from the capital of San José.
However it’s worth mentioning that you can also arrive from Nicaragua to the north and also Panama from the south.
Itinerary 1: (1 Week) San Jose > Jaco > Manuel Antonio National Park.
Itinerary 2: (1 Week) San Jose > Monteverde > La Fortuna.
Itinerary 3: (2 Weeks) San Jose > Puerto Viejo > Punta Uva > Manuel Antonio National Park.
Itinerary 4: (3 Weeks) San Jose > Jaco > Manuel Antonio National Park > La Fortuna > Tortuguero National Park.
Itinerary 5: (1 Month) San Jose > Puerto Viejo > Tortuguero National Park > La Fortuna > Monteverde > Santa Teresa > Manuel Antonio National Park.
Costa Rica Solo Travel Tips
And that’s all for our solo backpacking guide to Costa Rica!
This beautiful yet comfortably-small country is home to picturesque beaches and some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the World.
In this guide, we’ve explored everything you’ll need to know about backpacking Costa Rica, including how to stay safe, budgeting, itineraries, the best things to do and much more.
See the best time to visit Central America here and learn about the micro climates in each region before booking your trip to Costa Rica.
👉🏽 P.S. If you’ve found this guide helpful, buy us a coffee here to say thanks! Or, support us by downloading our South America Travel Bible to get our best content.
“Dear traveler! Some links in this post contain affiliate links. Meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, book a hostel or sign up for a tour, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Your support means a lot and helps us to carry on traveling and maintaining the quality of this site for you.”
