Costa Rica

San José is smack-dab in the middle of Costa Rica, and let me tell you, it is extremely difficult to get to the beaches from the country’s capital. The biodiversity in the region is unmatched, and there are plenty of eco tours and volcano visits that can be made during your trip!

Since it was my first time there, and I think because of the area that we were staying, I wasn’t entirely comfortable going out at night. I mostly did activities that were within walking distance (as in, 35 minutes of walking or less) of the hotel — there was quite a lot to do! You could tell that there were some areas where the infrastructure wasn’t holding up as well, but I admired the hustle and bustle and the drive that the community had in their everyday lives.

Funnily enough, my partner and I were given free food on two occasions at restaurants for completely unrelated reasons. I can truly attest that the people of Costa Rica and San José in particular are incredibly kind!

There are a ton of bars that are open on every street corner in San José, and the night life is vibrant but rather secretive. In my experience, the bars weren’t so much as energetic clubs with EDM, but rather mellow gathering places for a good drink after work.

Please also note that rideshare services are mostly illegal in Costa Rica to prevent impeding on the taxi services. That being said, you can still get an Uber, but you must sit in the passenger seat and be more lowkey about it.