+10 best Costa Rica Travel Tips

The best time to have a Vacation in Costa Rica for birdwatching and ecotourism will depend on the type of vacation you want.
For nature lovers that like an ecotour to see a little bit of everything, all year round is good. Nature is always there to amaze you. You will not be disappointed even on a rainy day.
For a birding tour, if you are interested in any kind of bird, year-round is fine. But if you have any special interest in some spices, it will be better to coordinate the best moment of the year. Please contact us.

The rainy season in Caño Negro – Costa Rica is from the beginning of May to the end of November approximately. The season begins with very light rain, occasionally. It is difficult to find an all-day rainy situation. Probably, the rainiest period is around October and November. But even so, it probably won’t rain all day.
In any case, as our tours are private, we would organize with you the best moment of the day to go discover the refuge.

Costa Rica is a safe country and is a great place for solo travelers, especially when you are very into nature. This is because you will explore no crowded places.
In any case, as everywhere around the world, be organized, choose your destination carefully, and be safe.
About Caño Negro, we can ensure you it is an excellent destination for solo females.

TIP in Costa Rica is only included in the bar and restaurant bill. Any other products and services, it is not included.
I consider that TIP is a personal choice, based on the kind of service you receive.

USD is accepted in Costa Rica when it comes to tourism. The current exchange rate is around 650 colones to $1 but it changes daily. Google’s change is quite accurate.

A good pair of binoculars. And if you are a photographer a lens is at least 400mm.
Why? Because only caimans you can see close. Everything else is far away

Preferably YES. 

It will depend on where you are going. For most tourist destinations and cities, there are paved roads. But these roads can be in ugly conditions. A 4×4 can be more comfortable. Even so, a regular car is ok. 

Driving to Caño Negro from the north (Los Chiles) the road is paved. But between Caño Negro and Upala, you will find 25 km of dirt road. 

But other remote and rural parts of the country do and these are Osa Peninsula, Nicoya Peninsula, and the Costa Ballena.

We do have mosquitos, everywhere. How many? It depends on where you go and the season. It is a tropical country.
My best recommendation: an electric burner for mosquitos. As you arrive in Costa Rica, go to a supermarket and purchase an electric burner for mosquitos. It is the best solution to clean your room and sleep well everywhere. And you will find spare all-round in Costa Rica.
You can find that use plaquette, or with liquid. I do prefer to travel around with a plaquette.
Repellent, always.

One of the best places to visit in Costa Rica for a nature lover, or a more specialized birder and photographer is Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge. Here you can enjoy special Vacations in Costa Rica birdwatching ecotourism.
This is an amazing refuge with a different scenario. We have a lagoons area, a river, and a mostly forest section.
This almost unique wetland, allows you to enjoy the different panorama and also switch between animal species: birds, sloths, monkeys, caimans, iguanas, and so on.

YES. Rain is part of the ecosystem, and finally, birds and mammals are not very worried about that.
In any case, we do offer private tours and are specially organized based on your interest. So, when you arrive at Hotel de Campo, we will organize the best moment to go explore the refuge

Yes! Caño Negro and Costa Rica in general are great destinations for family vacations. Caño Negro is a very quiet place, very safe. It is a safe place to discover nature. Also, for families, our tours are always private. So, you will enjoy it for sure.
For a family vacation, we offer rooms with up to 3 beds (2 doubles and 1 single bed) and joined rooms. So, you will never be apart, but with privacy.

The currency of Costa Rica is the colon, colones plural.

If you need to change to colones, go to the bank, is the best and safe place.

In Costa Rica, you can use US dollars. EURO is not very welcome at the bank, and the change from EURO to colones is not very good.
At Hotel de Campo we do accept EURO.

For an eco-tour vacation, I do recommend bringing clothes that dry fast and wick away moisture, good walking shoes, lots of sunscreens and mosquito repellent, sunglasses, a hat, a microfiber towel, and an insulated water bottle.
If you’re visiting in the rainy season, then we recommend bringing a waterproof rain jacket and a waterproof backpack or rain cover.

For the rainy season, a waterproof hiking shoe. Also, and especially for wetland places and rainforests, a good pair of rubber boots. This is what the locals use. They protect you very well from rain and mud. And also, they dry up very fast.
During the dry season, very comfortable hiking waterproof shoes.

Not really. Costa Rica has only a few main roads, and normally to arrive at some destination, you will not have more than 1 or 2 options.
Instead of a GPS, I will use Waze, or Google Maps (not so accurate as Waze).
I am sure, that everybody can share with you their location with Whatsapp and Waze.