Costa Rica Tour Vacations

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SOLO GUIDED HOLIDAYS IN COSTA RICA

WHAT ARE THE BEST SOLO TOURS TO COSTA RICA?

Costa Rica is an enthralling country. A bliss of nature and wildlife. If you want to discover all that Costa Rica has to offer, then the Real Costa Rica tour is the one for you. There's so much packed in to this nine-day adventure, from a visit to an indigenous community, to guided boat tours through the jungle. A stay on the stunning Caribbean coast, discovering the flora and fauna of national parks and a tour of a coffee plantation. For the thrill seeker, there's even an option to take in breath-taking views of the rainforest as you soar across it on an exhilarating zip line!

WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF A SINGLES HOLIDAY IN COSTA RICA?

Cost Rica has too many highlights to write about but some of the ones you definitely won’t want to miss are:

Animal lovers won’t have to look very far to see exotic animals in the wild. Costa Rican’s love their wildlife and work tirelessly to make sure that nature thrives in their country. You’ll often see locals feeding and rescuing animals or open air breeding centres that allow the animals to release themselves back into the wild once they feel ready. There are over 500,000 animal species in costa Rica and 30 percent of the country is dedicated to national reserves where the animals thrive in the wild.

It's also a twitchers paradise, with the keel-billed toucan, great green macaw, fiery billed aracari, violet sabre wing and over 50 species of humming bird!

Sun-dwellers will love it’s pristine 800 miles of beaches, which just like it’s animal preservation, Costa Rican’s also care about the environment, so you’ll be hard fetched to find a messy beach!

If volcanoes are your thing then Cost Rica has 66! 60 are dormant/extinct but 6 are still active. The Arenal Volcano is one of Costa Rica’s most popular volcanoes especially for those who don’t mind a bit of a hike as it’s rough ground on the way to it.

Coffee – Don’t forget to enjoy a cup or 6 (as the locals do daily) and/or bring home some coffee – it’s well known that some of the best coffee is grown and harvested in this country.

WHAT IS THE FOOD LIKE ON A COSTA RICAN HOLIDAY?

The Food in Costa Rica is based mainly around the fresh exotic fruit and vegetables grown locally. A lot of these fruits you will have purchased from your local supermarket without realising where they have travelled from, for example: Pineapples, Melons and bananas. Rice and beans are a staple used in a lot of their dishes, and surprisingly for us brits, often used as a breakfast dish!

Costa Rican food is mild in nature, and flavour is added with exotic fruits rather than spices.

Dishes to try while in Costa Rica are:

• Casado – Casado means a marriage of foods. This is the traditional dish of Costa Rica and is a plate full of their favourite items. It includes; Meat or fish, fried plantain chips, rice, beans, salad and tortillas
• Patacones – Fried plantain – if you’ve never tried plantain then you are in for a treat, this fruit of the banana family is often eaten as a savoury dish and used as we would potatoes. However it does have a sweetness to it akin to a banana. The closest comparison would possibly be a sweet potato
• Chifrijo – a snack of pork rinds, rice, tomatoes and tortilla chips
• Olla de Carne – Beef stew filled with vegetables such as plantain, taro root, corn on the cob, carrots and any other local vegetables available. A very filling dish
• Sopa Negra (Black bean soup) – A great dish for vegetarians – ingredients include, black beans, onions, tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and some mild spices along with boiled egg
• Tamal – different to the Mexican Tamal, this one is much milder and has a garlic twist to it.
• Arroz con Leche (Rice pudding) and Flan are both popular desserts for the Costa Ricans

WHAT SHOULD I PACK FOR A HOLIDAY IN COSTA RICA?

The Costa Rican climate is in the main hot and humid so comfortable, lightweight clothing is advisable. You may also find a cardigan or pullover useful for air-conditioned buildings, transportation and natural drops in temperature. Comfortable shoes are a must as there can be a lot of walking involved on some excursions, especially the national reserves. Insect repellent is also wise if going into the reserves. We do however, recommend checking the weather forecast a few days before you travel just to be on the safe side.