After the bureaucratic nightmare of leaving Nicaragua it was smooth sailing at the border into Costa Rica and we picked up our drone from DHL in Liberia without any issues.
Despite another visit to a garage we continued to have clutch problems so we booked an appointment with Autostar, the Mercedes Benz garage in San Jose, the capital. This meant our time in Costa Rica would be determined by this appointment especially as they need three days to diagnose the problem before they could start to fix it. On the upside this meant we spent a few nights in hotels plus an Airbnb making the most of running water and most importantly, air conditioning!
Although expensive and the fact they need three days to diagnose a problem, we were happy with the service we received from Autostar. Once they started work they kept us up to date by WhatsApp, sending us photos of our broken clutch so we could see that it definitely needed changing.
We could go on forever about the places we visited and our Facebook page is the best place to go to see the photos. People come to Costa Rica for the wildlife and we were certainly not disappointed even if our time was limited. We manage to cram in the following:
Manuel Antonio NP
Nauyaca Waterfalls
Carara NP
Jose’s Crocodile boat trip, Tarcoles
Irazu Volcano NP
Caribbean Rainforest Sloths
Cahuita NP
Corcovado NP
Beaches on both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts
Unless it was compulsory we didn’t take guides in the parks and if you’re vigilant you soon learn to spot the wildlife. You don’t need to be in a park though; simply sitting outside was enough and we found ourselves comparing iguana sightings to seeing squirrels back in the UK. Our favourite place was the smallest and owned by Jose. At Caribbean Rainforest Sloths Jose has cultivated his land to attract sloths, birds and at night he takes you out on a night walk to spot brightly coloured frogs.
General info
Diesel was about 80p a litre and water and LPG were easily available. Food on the other hand we found to be expensive and don’t ask about the van repairs! Costa Rica doesn’t have an army and instead the government has invested money in infrastructure so the roads are in good condition (a major change for Central America!).
At time of visiting £1 was approximately C670. The currency is colones.
Campsites used
Célébra Liberia,near Liberia: C4000/$8 pppn. A grass field with toilets not far from the city of Liberia, just off the main Pan-Am Highway. Fine for an overnight stay.
Eco Camping Papagayo: C5000 pppn. Camping spaces around the edge of the restaurant car park with hook up and water points. Hard standing but not flat. Toilets and showers available when the restaurant is open. Across the road from the beach.
Playa Brasilito: $16pn including water and hook up. Small beachside campsite with parking on grass between trees – not big rig friendly. Close to shops and restaurants.
Casa Mango, near Puntarenas: $20pn including water, hook up, toilets and cold showers. Hard standing parking next to a river estuary (we had a crocodile swim past one day!).
Reggae Bar, near Cahuita: C3000pp. Grass parking area for the bar/restaurant. Toilets and shower available. Across the road from the beach and surprisingly quiet!
Monkey’s Camping, Drake Bay: $20 pn. Small grassy campsite not suitable for big rigs. Shower and toilet available
Other places stayed
Inn on the Park hotel, Manuel Antonio: prices vary and we booked a breakfast included deal through Booking.com. Breakfast is offered at the sister hotel just up the hill. Great location for visiting Manuel Antonio National Park as the main entrance is less than 100m away.
Tarcoles Birding Lodge: prices vary and again we booked through Booking.com. Accommodation is in large bungalows with breakfast and dinner available if pre booked – more restaurants can be found in the nearby town. Property has a swimming pool and a bird watching tower. We loved it there and would have stayed longer than two nights if we could.
La Uruca Sports Square,San Jose: free parking at the back of a sports field. A little noisy but great for getting easily to Autostar, the Mercedes garage in the city.
Caribbean Rainforest Sloths: $20pn. Overnight parking in the car park. Water available.
Punta Uva: free parking in one of several spots alongside the beach. No facilities but not too far from restaurants, bars and shops.
Hotel Best Western Zima, San Isidro de General: C10,000 pn. We parked in the overflow car park which is flatter than the main hotel car park. The overnight price also allowed us to use the hotel pool (we didn’t).