Top Costa Rica hotels
Robbery San José
8 Reviews When you are walking trough the streets dont look at your map were you have to... step into a restaurant or shop and look at your map there... keep some change in your pockets I was watching the map...
See All 26 Warnings Or Dangers in San José
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If you fall in love with Costa Rica and start to consider buying land consider two facts. 1) Many Costa Ricans are getting very rich buying land, subdividing it and then selling it to foreigners so if you pay too much you many never recoup your investment. and 2) In only 10 days of my visit I read two news articles about land fraud involving lawyers and CPAs. Foreign ladies were mentioned as often being the victims.
Costa Rica has become more dangerous over the years and more and more people are being mugged everywhere, specially if you look like a tourist... so try to blend in! There is a way around this though. We know you come here to visit and sight seeing and that sometime you might be a little bit lost, but while you're getting to know your place, just try to be aware of your surroundings and I promise you'll be just fine!
As previously mentioned, we had a few run-ins with scorpions in CR. I don't think they are too dangerous for healthy adults (we spoke with someone who had been bitten 3 or 4 times and I guess you just swell up for a while) but it can be quite dangerous for children or the infirm. It is helpful to know that they like dark, cool places like the insides of your shoes or inbetween your covers. Just be sure to check those things out before getting in to them!
When my friends and I flew into San Jose at the main airport there everything was pretty much a breeze, we ordered a taxi there, had a look around and got through baggage and everything fairly easily. When we got outside there were cars (that appeared to be taxis and busses) all over the place, which you normally wouldn't think much of at an airport. Most travel books will tell you, as Frommer's did us, make sure that the taxi you call/get into is a legitimate, registered orange/red taxi (correct me if im wrong about the color). Also, many locals might try to help you load stuff into the cab but only let the guy who's running the cab load your stuff up because when they're done loading they will probably all ask you for tips and that can get overwhelming when there are 4 or more people asking you. A friend actually had 5 colones taken out of his hand by one of the men. Basically just be...
We recently spent time in Costa Rica, a "safe and peaceful country" we read. We rented a 4WD at the airport in San Jose to get to our small hotel near Dominical and we planned to travel around a bit. We drove through San Jose heading SE onto the main highway. Just past San Pedro we had a flat tire and pulled off onto the roadside.....BIG MISTAKE. A "nice" young man came along and helped us change the tire. Then he took off and jumped into a car which sped off. Back in our car we found that my travel bag which had been on the floor on the passenger side was GONE. Obviously, while we were busy with the tire an accomplice came from the driver's side of the car and stole the bag. Passports, $+++ and credit cards all gone. When we had the tire repaired we discovered that it had been cut with a knife. Officials told us that, in high season, about 10 Canadians EACH DAY are robbed of their...
A lot of people drive through Costa Rica with a four wheel drive car. Unfortunately, Costa Rican traffic cops are all too aware of that and make a habit (so we were told by a compatriot who lives in Costa Rica quite some time) of fining tourists and keeping the money for themselves. We got a fine for speeding, which was very doubtful (discussing would not have helped us) and we didn't get a receit (unless we wanted to pay more). We had to pay about 30 dollars. They didn't speak a word of English, but they did look cool on their motorbikes.
I read that one turist tolk a non ofical taxi cap and he or she was afried of getting asaltt or somthing my tip is DON'T BE CHEAP and take the taxis that have the licence just like you would do in the country that you from.By taking the official taxi not only secutting your form getting mott but also not sooportting the iligal taxi drivers.
If you visit the north of the country, be really careful if you are going to take a "tour" in the Arenal lake. To be more clear, while we were in one of those boats visiting the "Iguana's island", our car was visited by stealers. Que decepcion!!
If traveling around Costa Rica by domestic airline be sure to plan to do your flights in the mornings. Especially during the wet season (April to October). If you fly in the afternoons you will surely have a wild ride. The air is very humid and as it heats it rises over the mountains which form the backbone of the country. As it rises it cools and the moisture condenses out in the form of rainclouds. These rainstorms will bounce your plane around like a roller coaster at Disneyworld or worse. We took one such trip from Golfito to San Jose and it was wild and wet. However, we had assurances from our seasoned seatmates that all was fine. After all, the pilot and copilot had wore ties, white shirts and had striped epilets to show their ranks. We survived but it was a thriller.
before driving in costa rica it must be understood that costa rica is a third world country. outside of san jose the roads maybe in terrible shape. there are frequent mud slides that will wash mountian roads away. some of the bridges have pot holes that can swallow a car. it is not avisable to drive on country roads after dark. you never know what will be around the next bend. also obey the speed limits, the police will fine you on the spot.
Hotel AmaTierra Provincia de Puntarenas
191 Opinions
Grano De Oro Hotel San José
2 Reviews and 489 Opinions I arrived at Hotel De Oro on December 28, 2008 at lunch with 3 other friends. We decided to have...
Hilton Papagayo Costa Rica Resort & Spa Provincia de Guanacaste
862 Opinions
Reviews and photos of Costa Rica attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Costa Rica sightseeing.
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