1. Guided Tour Instead Of Solitary Tour

If you're visiting Costa Rica For the first time, it's better to go on some guided tours instead of going alone to reduce the risk of getting lost. Costa Rica might be a small country, but it is not very hard to get lost there because of the one-way roads in the country.

You can find many reasonable Costa Rica guided tours online. You can choose one of them that is more convenient for you and go with them for your first visit. The pros of guided tours are that you can travel on a bus with many people instead of driving alone, and it is reliable, navigable, and inexpensive.

2. Visiting Costa Rica Won't Be Very Cheap

If you think visiting Costa Rica will be very cheap, then I'm sorry to break it to you; that's your biggest misconception. People might assume visiting Central America means affordable travel, but no, it's not true at all.

Tours to Costa Rica will generally cost you USD 100, and food prices are the same as in Canada, the USA, and Europe. The biggest shocker is that the gas price in Costa Rica is twice as much as in the USA.

You must have an excellent financial plan during your visit to Costa Rica, or else you might be in trouble.

3. Hotel Price In Costa Rica

Whether you decide to check into hotel after midnight or after the evening, you must choose the right hotel for you to spend your vacation comfortably. A hotel that will give you all the needed services but is also within your budget.

The average price of hotels with room service in Costa Rica is $114. But in non-shoulder-season months, the accommodation price in Costa Rica is usually lower than the normal time of the year. The non-shoulder-season months are May, June, September, October, and November.

4. Tipping In Costa Rica

Tipping people to let them know you were satisfied with their service is very common in many places worldwide. But in Costa Rica, there is a standard percentage of how much you can tip someone. The percentage is 10%, and yes, you can tip Costa Rican colones or USD.

But tipping is not at all a mandatory thing in Costa Rica as tips or service tax is already included in the price. That's why Costa Ricans usually avoid tipping someone extra.

5. Police Can Stop Your Car Anytime In Costa Rica

It's usual in Costa Rica for police to stop your car anytime and ask for legal papers. Generally, after stopping you, the police will ask you to show them your passport and ask you where you're heading, and if everything seems okay to them, they will let you go on your way.

While driving in Costa Rica as a tourist, don't forget to always keep your original passport and photo of your tourist stamp with you. Oh, and don't forget your driver's license too. But don't sweat too much because the police of Costa Rica are known to be humble and always willing to help out the tourists.

6. Driving In Costa Rica Is Different

Driving in Costa Rica is nothing like how you drive in your country. In Costa Rica, no road signs or street addresses exist, and traffic rules are not enforced at all. But potholes, dirt roads, and reckless drivers are common on Costa Rica roads.

Also, it would be best if you avoided driving in San Jose during rush hours. Many people call it one of the worst things on earth. Another important thing about driving in Costa Rica is that it is illegal to drive drunk there but not illicit to drink while driving. So you should stay extra alert while driving in Costa Rica.

7. Stay Safe From Mosquitos

Dengue is a widespread disease in Costa Rica. Take everything you can to avoid getting bitten by mosquitos. Mosquitos get wilder in the rainy seasons in Costa Rica. Take mosquito repellers with you in Costa Rica, and when you go out in the evening, don't forget to cover yourself up so that mosquitoes can't bite you.

8. You Can Use US Dollars In Costa Rica

Many hotels and restaurants in Costa Rica accept USD as the most number of tourists that visit Costa Rica are from the USA. US dollars have become the standard currency in tourism in Costa Rica.

9. Spotting Sloths Is Not That Easy

In commercials, people might try to prove that sloths are everywhere in Costa Rica, but unfortunately, there aren't a lot of sloths in Costa Rica. Roads crawling with sloths in Costa Rica is a complete myth.

You can't spot a sloth in Costa Rica without taking help from a guide or an expert eye, as sloths are masters in camouflage. So don't get disappointed if you fail to see a sloth during your visit to Costa Rica because it is not easy to spot a sloth in Costa Rica.

10. Theft Is The Most Common Crime

The thing that tourists most suffer from while visiting Costa Rica is getting robbed. It is a prevalent crime there, so you must save your belongings from thieves on the roads. Also, you should never keep your backpack in the overhead compartment of the bus or leave your purse on your car's dashboard, and keep the windows of your car closed.