Articles / Advice Main Menu

15th Jan 2007

There are many online companies that offer romantic honeymoon getaways on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Costa Rica. Having just returned from Costa Rica myself, I would like to offer some suggestions that you probably will not find online or in a guidebook.

When we planned our trip, we assumed that most people in Costa Rica would understand English fairly well. At several hotels, the front desk clerks spoke practically no English. The same goes for bus drivers. The staff at the car rental agency spoke the best English. They were able to give us needed recommendation for food and site seeing. I highly recommend translating some key Spanish phrases before your trip, such as “Where is the bank, bathroom, hotel?”

The Pan American Highway runs through Costa Rica and is a reliable, well-paved road. However, many side roads in Costa Rica are very bad and full of deep potholes. I recommend that when you rent a car, take out the full coverage (usually an additional $20 per day on top of the regular fee). When you take the side roads, you need to allow more time to reach your destination. In some cases you may be only going 25 miles per hour.

Colones are the national currency and are very easy to translate into American dollars. If an item says 5,000 colones, just drop the 3 zeros and multiply the other number by 2. In other words, 5,000 colones is equal to 10 American dollars. If you need to convert other currency into colones, you can do that online at www.xe.com/ucc/ (Universal Currency Converter).

The rainy season in Costa Rica runs from May through December. Hotels are cheaper and there are fewer people on the roads and in the restaurants. My husband and I traveled in September, and experienced rain on only a few days of our trip. It would rain heavily for about one hour and then stop completely. We would spend the time indoors having a lovely Costa Rican lunch, and by the time we finished the rain was gone.

Bring a good camera and lots of film. Because of the rain, you will see some of the most beautiful exotic plants and flowers. The volcanoes are breathtaking and you can even hear the rumbling. The waterfalls are located off of the side roads, so drive slowly and allow more time. Even in the cities, you will want to photograph the ornate wrought iron that covers all the windows and patios in Costa Rica. After your honeymoon, you will want to have some of these amazing pictures enlarged to put in your new home.




Kathleen Terrana is the owner of Beautiful Bridal specializing in discount tiaras, veils, bridal and bridesmaid jewelry. Visit our site for additional wedding tips, advice and information.