Costa Rica is a country known for its laidback attitude and friendly locals. ‘Pura vida’ is the unofficial motto of this country, and it’s why they’ll take any opportunity to celebrate. During your stay, you might want to visit some of the festivals in Costa Rica. Here’s a brief insight into a number of major and minor festivals and celebrations.

It’s the question on any first-time visitor’s mind, is Spanish necessary to get by? Costa Rica’s primary language is Spanish so it would really help if you could churn out a few words. If you’re travelling for a standard family surf vacation, you can probably get away without learning Spanish. Many expats get away without ever speaking a word of the language. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t attempt to pick up a few Spanish words. It opens far more doors and enables you to explore the country more intimately.

It’s not hard to find animals in Costa Rica. It’s awash with birds, marine life, and howler monkeys hiding in the foliage. However, there are some animals which you’ll remember for a lifetime. We have compiled five of the weirdest animals to be found in this tropical nation.

See if you can spot these beauties during your stay in Costa Rica. They provide some great reasons to not forget your camera!

National parks in Costa Rica are all teeming with wildlife and cover 25 per cent of its total landmass. This is a country which takes pride in having such a diverse ecological system. It’s also the backbone of its behemoth tourism industry. During your trip to Central America, you’ll experience some of your most treasured memories in one or more national parks. If you’re unsure which of the 26 national parks you want to visit, here are our favourites.

Oh no, travelling alone! But what about all those dangers which are ready to injure or kill you? Calm down, travelling alone gets a lot of bad press. The media blows the occasional negative story out of proportion and we start to believe going it alone is wrong. What many of these stories fail to mention is whether the people in question were being responsible or not.

Costa Rican weather is more chaotic than anything you’ll find in the US. When it rains in Costa Rica it really rains. It’s not a shower it’s a deluge. What makes this country stand out is the fact you can visit anytime of the year, in rain or shine, and still have a great experience. The animals don’t leave and neither do the tour operators. They’re here all year round.

Tourist traps occur in any country where you can find tourists, and Costa Rica is no exception. To make sure you don’t become the victim of a shady operator, we’ve compiled a list of the worst tourist traps in Costa Rica. There are hundreds of them, but these are the ones we’ve seen reported on a regular basis.

San Jose is the seat of government, and the most important city in Costa Rica. It’s a city which brings in thousands of tourists each year. Before you make your trip to the Tico capital, let’s take a look at these facts about Costa Rica and the capital city. They’ll help you prepare for your trip and learn about what you can expect from this high-altitude urban sanctuary.

Come to Costa Rica and this is the first question most people ask when they attend their first Spanish lesson. When you’re not splashing about in the water at our surf retreat or enjoying a relaxing massage, you might be sitting on a beach learning to speak the language of this Central American paradise. You know it’s important and fun to learn a new language, but you still have some butterflies floating around in the pit of your stomach.

The Nicoya Peninsula has been a point of contention over the years. Up until the 19th century, it was under Spanish rule, along with the rest of Central America. Originally, it was part of Nicaragua. In 1824 it voted to secede from the country and join Costa Rica. It’s still a hot topic of discussion today.