Hang ten and enjoy this read by Costa Rica study abroad veteran Kelcey Parker!
Pura Vida or "pure life" is the unofficial mantra of Costa Rica. People are generally friendly and content. Life in general, or at least on the surface, seems simpler and free from the trappings of the 9-5 lifestyle. A couple of weeks or a month in Costa Rica could do us all a lot of good, but by the end of the second week, most surfers already want to buy land, build a house and move there.
Travel within Costa Rica is fairly easy and reliable. Buses go pretty much everywhere, and schedules can tell you how to take advantage of the bus routes. Traveling with surfboards on the buses is generally not a problem, and the drivers are used to surfers, so this is an inexpensive way to get around if you don't mind getting bounced around on treacherous dirt roads from time to time. Locals use the buses regularly, and you may notice two prices for locals and those that speak Spanish, and gringos that make no effort to even say "hola". First lesson: there's the local price, and the gringo price. You can haggle if you wish, or just enjoy the ride.
Renting a car is probably the best way to get around if you can afford it. We recommend that you plan in advance and reserve a 4-wheel drive. This especially important during rainy season when road conditions can get pretty nasty. A 4-wheel drive is going to get you closer to some surf spots, and others are inaccessible without one. If you don't reserve one in advance, you might show up at the rental place and have no choice but to take a sedan or compact. This will leave you in the unfortunate position of having less clearance for potholes, and less power going up hills. Get ready to argue with the rental place about the condition of the car when you return it and be prepared with photos of your own to back up your side of the story. Flat tires are common and you can expect to pay $10 if you return a tire with patching it first. Make sure you are insured. Check with your credit card company about their policy and how you will be covered in the event of an accident or total loss. You don't want to get stuck with a huge deductible or paying out of pocket to replace a vehicle. I once saw a Suzuki Samurai go bye-bye down a river before, so it can happen to you! Check your insurance policy or buy extra insurance.
Driving in Costa Rica comes with certain inherent risks. The roads in and around San Hose are especially dangerous. There is a prevailing attitude of machismo behind the wheel in general, and you are expected to keep up the pace by passing slow moving diesel trucks on treacherous curves, and probably just going faster than you want to. Its a fine line, I've narrowly avoided two head-on collisions on those roads just outside San Hose, but now I just put up with being honked at and keep my speed consistent and my hands at 10 and 2. In most areas it's nowhere near as populated and busy, and driving is really a lot of fun. Road conditions can go from perfect to horrific in a few seconds. Expect horrific potholes, washed out roads, bumpy dirt road patches interspersed in otherwise perfect highways, and anything else that seems abnormal.
Finding a place to stay is easy. You can do this both ways. Virgo's will want to plan every hostel and hotel to the day, and more adventurous types will just figure it out when they get there. I've done both, but it depends on how you travel. Surfers tend to want to follow the swell, which makes planning your accommodations kind of impossible, unless you happen to be a long lost 2nd cousin of Nostradamus and can predict waves a month in advance. That being said, it's a good idea to plan at least your first and last nights hotel near the airport and save yourself any unnecessary travel stress.
Flights into Costa Rica can land in two places. Most people will generally land in the capital city of San Jose. There is a lot to do and see here, but don't ask me too many details. For most surfers this is a jumping off point and we suggest you just rent a car and head for the coast. It's about a 2-3 hour drive to Jaco beach on the Pacific coast, the closest surfing destination to the Airport. From here you can head North or South, which will open a whole different range of options for surf breaks, inland day-trips, and scenery. If you are headed to the Caribbean side, the port city of Limon is probably your first destination. It's about a four and a half hour drive depending on conditions. There is another major airport in Liberia, which gets you within about one and a half hours of the popular surfing destination town of Tamarindo. This is a great option if surf spots on the Nicoya Peninsula are your destination. Just to give you an idea of the distances, Tamarindo is about a nine-hour bus ride from San Jose that you will never do twice.
The ferry system throughout Costa Rica is great. Car ferries and passenger ferries can get you to some pretty remote places. Ferries are regular and inexpensive. Plan your ferry trips to avoid getting stuck in dangerous port towns with no good accommodations or nightlife. To get across to the Nicoya Peninsula, you will take the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera or Naranjo for about $10.
Safety while traveling is always a concern. You should exercise a little bit of common sense, and plan to avoid getting yourself into bad situations. Some areas really don't have a police presence, and it's just better to be safe than sorry. Petty crimes committed by offenders under 18 are not really punishable by Costa Rican law and you are likely to see the kid who stole your surfboard walking down the street the next day. Break-ins to rental vehicles are not uncommon. Everyone knows you've left your wallets in the car while you are out splish-splashing around in the waves. So, don't leave your wallet in the car. Ask your surf camp, or hotel front desk person to lock up your passport and wallet behind the counter in a safe. Don't leave anything in the car unattended that you can't afford to lose. Public transit offers thieves and pickpockets many opportunities to snatch your goods. Watch out for strangers brushing up against you and keep your belongings under close surveillance. This rule applies at the bus station, the bus stop, on the bus, or while getting on and off the bus. Safety at night is all relative to where you are. You are probably fine wandering around Santa Theresa at night, but not necessarily fine to wander around Puntarenas at night. If you aren't sure, do some research and ask around.
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Costa Rica is a surfer's playground. Waves for every level of surfer are possible, and it's a great place to get in shape and take your surfing to the next level. Beach breaks are scattered along both coasts, and bottoms vary from volcanic rock on the Pacific side to Coral reef of the Caribbean side. I generally consider the Caribbean side to be a little more treacherous and unforgiving, but if you're looking for a heaving barrel over razor sharp coral, hey- it's great! The volcanic rock/ sand bottoms on the Pacific side are a little less likely to cut you to ribbons, but small cuts to your feet are not uncommon.
Sharks, stingrays, crocodiles, jellyfish and other scary creatures of the deep are all around you. There's really not much to say about this except good luck! If you are a surfer, then you've already made peace with the fact that any time you paddle out, it could be your last ride. There are areas where saltwater crocodiles are known to be prevalent, like the Boca Barranca river-mouth (you can see them basking on the river banks about half a mile upriver from the ocean) but it will be up to you to assess the risk. If the waves are good you will probably forget that you even read this. I surfed a spot around Quepos the day after a guy lost his leg to a crocodile, but our nonchalant guide opted to tell us that story on the way back to the camp. My point is that there is always a risk, which must be weighed against your desire to surf a given break, and sometimes you just can't possibly know. Same old story as it ever was.
Preparation for a medical crisis is up to you. Get out your list and start adding a few things like, bandages, isopropyl alcohol, peroxide, polysporin, diarrhea medication, pain reliever, condoms and anything else you need to stay out of trouble. In some places you could be too far away to get treatment right away, and its best to deal with minor cuts and scrapes right away to avoid staff infection and other complications. Avoid over-exposure to the sun. This is actually a bit hard to do when you are surfing, but you wont be adding to anyone's enjoyment if you have a class 3 sunburn and are stuck laying in bed for 5 days... been there, done that. Use a sunscreen with zinc oxide and apply often. Don't worry, you will come home with a nice tan and be the envy of all you friends and family, even if you use a little sunscreen.
If all this sounds a little scary, don't worry. Costa Rica is a surfer's paradise and for that matter anyone's paradise. Plan and prepare for the things I've outlined in this article as much as you can and just go! You are guaranteed to make friends, eat well and surf fun waves. Don't forget to take a few day trips inland to see one of the active volcanoes or to take time for a rain forest adventure hike. Costa Rica isn't just waves, there are all kinds of great side trips and activities like hiking to waterfalls, river-rafting, horseback riding, rain forest canopy tours, wildlife, sport fishing and more. Don't feel bad if you can't do it all, you will probably be back to live more of the Pura Vida!
Kelcey Parker is a surfer and editor of http://www.costaricasurfguru.com who has traveled extensively in Costa Rica and around the world.
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