Sidebar #73 - Travel Recs: Places to Maybe Avoid in Costa Rica

Last week I offered some recommendations for my favorite places to visit in Costa Rica. This week I’ll do the opposite - I’ll write about some places that perhaps aren’t as high on my list. With that being said, it’s truly hard to go wrong anywhere in Costa Rica - the entire country is absolutely beautiful. More often than not, the destinations listed below are really touristy and overcrowded, and that’s why they aren’t my personal favorites. 


Jaco

Jaco is the closest major beach and surfing town to San Jose. Because of that, it receives lots of foreign and domestic visitors. There’s lots of great tourist infrastructure, but it’s almost too much. The traffic to arrive in Jaco is some of the worst in Costa Rica (where the traffic is already notoriously bad nationwide). There’s construction everywhere, the area is incredibly commercialized, and there’s a reputation for alcohol, drugs, and prostitution in Jaco. It still has some beautiful beaches and waves, but Jaco wouldn’t be my first recommendation for a relaxing paradise to visit in Costa Rica.


Tamarindo

Tamarindo has some of the best beaches in Costa Rica and is arguably the country’s most famous beach and surf town. A lot of people love Tamarindo, and for the right person, it may be the perfect destination. However, for me, Tamarindo is so well-developed that it feels more like California or Florida. Furthermore, it is one of the most expensive places in the country. Finally, Tamarindo primarily attracts college-aged partiers and surfers - if partying isn’t your vibe, this probably isn’t the town for you. 


Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa is very similar to Tamarindo in that it has stunning beaches and is beloved by lots of people. But like Tamarindo, my issue with Santa Teresa is that it doesn’t feel like you’re even in Costa Rica anymore other than the surrounding jungle. Santa Teresa is jam-packed with expats, surfers, and digital nomads, primarily from the US, Israel, and Argentina. I hardly heard any Spanish when I was there and I’m not sure I saw any domestic tourists there. Finally, it is an incredibly expensive destination, and its location across the Nicoya Peninsula makes it one of the most difficult to get to in the country.




San Jose (Don’t avoid, but limit time there)

As a Chepeno, (resident of San Jose) this one pains me a little bit to write. I’m an ardent believer that it is important to visit a country’s capital in order to truly get a sense for what the country is like. I feel the same way about San Jose - it is important to see San Jose to truly know the real Costa Rica. The Museo Nacional, Teatro Nacional, Mercado Central, and Parque La Sabana, amongst other landmarks, are iconic places in the fabric of Costa Rica. With that being said, San Jose lacks some of the tourist infrastructure that other Latin American capitals offer, doesn’t have a revitalized historic center, and can be dangerous at times. I think 1 or 2 days in San Jose is probably the perfect amount of time to see the city.


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