Costa Rica

Arenal Volcano: The near-perfect cone is the country's postcard image, and morning is the time to see it before cloud closes in.

Manuel Antonio: The most popular park in Costa Rica, where sloths wander along the beach itself. Worth a trip purely for the wildlife.

Cloud forest: In Monteverde you have to walk the hanging bridges. It is the one place where you can do the whole thing in a day and still feel you saw everything.

Tortuguero: If you are asking where to go for turtles, this is the answer. A boat carries you into the heart of wild canals.

La Fortuna Waterfall: A 70-metre column of water at the bottom of a long stairway. Worth the descent, and worth the climb back up.

Río Celeste: The turquoise river inside Tenorio park, the place people go for photographs that look edited but are not.

Corcovado: Wild country in the south. You will not do it in a day, but the biological density here is the highest anywhere in the country.

Currency: The colón is what people use day to day, though US dollars are accepted in almost any shop. Change usually comes back in colones at a rate that is not in your favour, so keep small notes.

Cards: Visa and Mastercard work almost everywhere, including small guesthouses. Amex is patchy outside big hotels. ATMs are plentiful in towns, but most charge a local withdrawal fee on top of whatever your bank takes.

Wise and Revolut: A multi-currency card saves real money here, since spending in colones directly beats letting a shop convert for you at the till.

Cash: Small colón notes are what you need for bus fares and snacks in a soda. Rural areas and park entrances sometimes do not take plastic at all.

Tipping: Restaurants already fold 10% service into the final bill, so anything extra is optional and small.

Item	Price (USD)
Casado lunch	7
Imperial beer	3
Coffee in a soda	2
National park entry	18
Zipline tour	65
Interbus shuttle	45
Intercity bus	8
Uber ride	5
Litre of petrol	1.5
Water 1.5l	1.5
Eggs, 12	4
Night walk tour	25
Hostel dorm bed	15
Guesthouse night	40

Buses: The cheap way to move around is the public bus network, leaving from several different terminals scattered across the capital.

Terminals: For the north, look for Terminal 7-10. For the Caribbean coast, you want the Mepe station instead.

Shuttles: Interbus minivans cost more, but they collect you from the door of your hotel or hostel and drop you at the next one.

Rental: If you plan to drive yourself into the mountains and out to remote beaches, take a 4x4 and nothing less.

Insurance: Basic TPL cover is compulsory by law on any rental and runs 10-20 dollars a day on top of the quoted rate.

Navigation: Waze is far more accurate here than Google Maps, especially on washed-out rural roads.

Domestic flights: Sansa saves hours if you need to reach Corcovado quickly rather than spending a full day on the road.

Guesthouses: Family-run pensions are the best option if you want to spend less and actually talk to someone local.

Eco-lodges: Cabins set inside the forest let you fall asleep to howler monkeys and rain on a tin roof.

Neighbourhoods: In San José, book in the safer districts of Escazú or Barrio Amón rather than near the bus terminals.

Santa Elena: In this village next to Monteverde, room rates are noticeably lower than at the reserve entrance itself.

Booking ahead: Over Easter week and New Year, hotel space runs out a couple of months in advance across the whole country.

Airbnb: Well established here, and you can find a comfortable house with a kitchen right by the ocean.

What is included: Almost everywhere the rate includes the traditional breakfast of rice and beans.

Casado: The classic plate of rice, beans, meat and plantain, and the most filling lunch you will get anywhere.

Gallo pinto: Breakfast of fried rice and beans, served with sour cream and eggs.

Sodas: Look for the small canteens locals eat in. The food is fresher and roughly half the price of a tourist restaurant.

Ceviche: Fresh fish cured in lime juice, best eaten on the coast rather than inland.

Coffee: The country grows arabica only, and the best cup comes through a chorreador cloth filter.

Fruit: At markets, pick up ripe mango, pineapple and the sour cas fruit for refreshing juices.

Lisano: The house sauce that sits on every table and gives dishes that particular local taste.

Theft: Petty stealing from beaches and parked cars is the main problem. Never leave anything visible in a vehicle.

Districts: In the capital after dark, avoid walking through the centre and the blocks south of Avenida Central.

Ocean: Rip currents are strong enough to catch experienced swimmers. Stick to beaches with lifeguards or a known safe spot.

Wildlife: Do not touch bright frogs or snakes in the forest. A number of them are seriously venomous.

Roads: Mountain switchbacks have no lighting, so plan your driving days to arrive before dark.

Help: For anything serious, dial 911. Operators generally speak English.

Documents: Carry a photocopy of your passport and leave the original and your cash in the hotel safe.

Advisories: Conditions change with the season, so check your own government's travel advisory before you set off.

Pura vida: The phrase means "pure life" and works as a greeting, a thank you and the country's unofficial motto all at once.

Ticos: Locals are genuinely friendly, quick to smile, and almost never confrontational with visitors.

Time: "Hora tica" means arriving half an hour late is simply normal and nobody takes offence.

No army: Costa Rica abolished its military, and the money goes into conservation and schools instead.

Environment: People are proud of their nature, so littering or breaking branches in a park is taken seriously badly.

Holidays: On Independence Day, 15 September, streets close for loud parades of school marching bands.

Religion: Catholic tradition runs deep, and during Semana Santa town life comes close to a full stop.

eSIM: A virtual card from a provider like Airalo gets you online the moment you land, with no queueing at a counter.

Networks: State-owned Kölbi has the best signal deep in the jungle, while Liberty and Claro are strong in the cities.

Buying a SIM: You can pick up a normal SIM at the airport, but you will need your passport to register it.

Coverage: In deep valleys and inside national parks there is often nothing at all, so download offline maps in advance.

WhatsApp: Hotels, guides and drivers all run on WhatsApp. It is the default way to arrange anything here.

Wi-Fi: Free access is standard in cafés and guesthouses, and the speed is usually enough for a video call.

English: English is widely spoken in tourist towns and by park guides, less so in rural villages and on local buses.

Data cost: A 5 GB local package works out around 15 dollars, which beats almost any roaming plan.

English	Spanish	Pronunciation
Hello!	¡Hola!	OH-la
All good!	¡Pura vida!	POO-ra VEE-da
Please	Por favor	por fa-VOR
Thank you	Gracias	GRA-syas
The bill, please	La cuenta, por favor	la KWEN-ta por fa-VOR
How much is it?	¿Cuánto cuesta?	KWAN-to KWES-ta
Yes / No	Sí / No	see / no
Toilet	Baño	BA-nyo
Help!	¡Ayuda!	a-YOO-da
Delicious	Rico	REE-ko
Where is...?	¿Dónde queda...?	DON-de KE-da
Beer	Birra	BEE-rra
Mate (slang)	Mae	MY-eh
Cool! (slang)	¡Tuanis!	TWA-nees
Awesome (slang)	¡Pura vida, mae!	POO-ra VEE-da my-eh
Coffee	Café	ka-FEH
Tomorrow	Mañana	ma-NYA-na
Water	Agua	AH-gwa
Goodbye	¡Adiós!	a-DYOS
That's fine	Está bien	es-TA byen

Waze: The best app for drivers here. It knows about traffic and about the rural roads that wash out in the rain.

Offline maps: For walking in the jungle, download Maps.me, which has almost every forest trail marked.

Your embassy: Note down the contact details for your own country's embassy or consulate in San José before you travel.

Tourist police: There is a dedicated hotline that helps if your documents or belongings are stolen.

Weather: Check forecasts, but remember that in the tropics rain can arrive and clear again within the hour.

Uber: The most transparent way to move around the capital, with prices fixed and visible before you accept.

SINAC: The official portal for national parks has current opening hours, closures and booking rules.