There is a huge difference in the cost of cars between Costa Rica and neighboring Panama. In general, cars in Costa Rica can cost twice as much as in Panama. This is because the Costa Rica government has a large import tax on any items brought into the country. There are no cars manufactured in Costa Rica so every vehicle here is subject to this tax, which is somewhere between 40% and 80% of the perceived value IN COSTA RICA. Panama has an import tax too, but it is much less than in Costa Rica.
Here is an example of a car that I noticed this week. A 2008 Toyota 4Runner 4×4 with under 50K kilometers. In Costa Rica this one is advertised for a whopping $38000. I looked for a comparison in Panama and found a similar vehicle for half that much, at $18800.
In Costa Rica:
In Panama:
The cost of gasoline is also considerably cheaper in Panama, currently around $3.80 a gallon for Premium/Super. In Costa Rica it’s around $4.80.
I am not a realtor and I do not sell properties directly. However, I sometimes have friends who would like me to advertise something on my website. I have one friend who has a large lot of land and a brand new house on another lot and he has asked me to post them on my site:
River & Hot Spring Lot Property:
5,300 mt2 adjoining a river over 118 meters.
The property has a source of thermal hot spring water.
It is located in the vicinity of Bagaces alongside the Rio Piedras, about 30 minutes south of Liberia International Airport (LIR).
The property has the potential for a spa treatment center or hotel because of the presence in hot thermal water in the ground.
The attractive price for this property is $ 170,000
House and Lot Near Tamarindo:
The second property that my friend has is a newly constructed house on a large lot of 1500 m2 with a new house 150 sq meters (1614 sq feet). On the property there is the potential to build another house.
The construction is made in cement, with high quality finishes.
The location of the property is at Garritan, 5 km from Tamarindo, or 5 minutes by car. Liberia International Airport is about a one hour drive away.
The price is $ 205,000
If you are interested in either of these properties, you can send me an email at and I will get my friend to contact you directly.
Canadian jazz vocalist Melinda Whitaker will be visiting Costa Rica and she will be performing at La Finisterra Hotel in Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. There are two dates confirmed, Friday January 27 2012 and Friday February 3 2012.
Melinda will be performing with local jazz group Los Mojitos. This band features Warren Alani on piano, Brad Moodie on bass and Don Bruch on jazz guitar. Visit www.livemusicincostarica.com for more information.
Tickets are $10 each and reservations are required. Call 2672-0227 or visit the website at www.lafinisterra.com
Over the past few years, prices have been steadily increasing in Costa Rica (except property!). In the past I think people from North America and Europe were attracted to the low cost of living and high quality of life in Costa Rica, but now I regularly find things that are a lot more expensive than in Canada or The United States.
One thing that is a problem in Costa Rica is the fines being handed out by traffic police in Costa Rica. I always try to stay completely legal when driving in Costa Rica. I stay within the speed limit, I use a seat belt, I don’t talk on my cell phone, my license is current and my RTV & marchamo is paid and up to date. So I’ve never had a fine in three years in Costa Rica, but I get worried when I read about the traffic police handing out huge fines for infringements.
The speeding tickets that are being handed out are 308,000 colones, around $616. It seems to be debatable whether these fines are just for tourists, or for locals as well. I find it incredibly hard to believe that a local who makes $500 a month working 40 hours a week could pay a fine like that. On the other hand, although the internet reports that the average wage in Costa Rica is around $500 a month, I know lots of Ticos who make $4000 a month. Maybe it depends upon the car you drive…?
Then I read that the fines are going up again on January 1st, 2012! Apparently the Costa Rica government isn’t content with $616 fines, and they are raising the fines to $936 for driving without a license, drink driving or passing on a curve/crossing solid yellow lines. Speeding will be a $710 fine, as is riding a motorcycle without a helmet, and talking on a cell phone.
This then leads to corruption within the traffic police. Everyone knows that all over latin America the police are open to bribes. And most people get angry at this. We all like to think that corruption should be exposed and stopped. And this week I read that 6 traffic police were arrested under suspicion of demanding a bribe in exchange for not writing up a ticket.
However, with outrageous fines like $936 being handed out by officers who average $600 a month income, it’s no wonder that bribes happen and will continue. As long as the greedy Costa Rica government keeps trying to take advantage of the people, corruption will continue.
I don’t mind paying more for a quality product. And if we see some of the money being produced by the outrageous fines and huge import taxes getting invested back into the infrastructure, then maybe it would be a good thing. The roads in Costa Rica are terrible. There are huge potholes everywhere caused by cheap road construction, single lane highways and slow drivers which causes people to overtake sometimes dangerously, no lighting or paint markings or reflectors on many roads all over the country, and a shortage of signs.
By the way, I thought I would check to see how the fines are in Panama, the neighboring country to the south east of Costa Rica. Speeding fines there are $50, running a red light is $100. Visit Panama Guide
So be very careful if you are driving in Costa Rica. A lot of people rent vehicles but sometimes it’s a better idea to rent a driver to take you where you want to go. Taxis are cheap, airport transfers and tours are very reasonable and often won’t cost much more than renting a car. In the last two years I’ve had a flat tire five times. Three times from hitting a pothole, twice from running over a nail.
Today I visited the beautiful waterfall near Canas in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The name of the waterfall is Cataratas Llanos Del Cortes, and it is located near Bagaces, which is ten minutes west of the town of Canas. It is sign posted on the main highway between Canas and Liberia, on the south side of the road.
When you turn off the highway there is a dirt road that you will follow. It’s close by, around a three minute drive to the entrance. At the gate there are people collecting donations, for which you will receive a receipt. From that point on the road is horrible, so it’s best to park there and walk the rest. It’s about a 20 minute hike to the waterfall. There’s no entrance fee.
Once we climbed down the side of the hill to get to the bottom of the waterfall, we were surprised at how beautiful it is there! We went on a Monday so there weren’t many people there. I’ve heard it can get busy on weekends.
The water is warm, and you can swim there, although it’s not deep and quite safe for kids. You can even walk around the back of the waterfall!
There are lots of little fish in the water. My friends brought some bread and fed them. It was like a feeding frenzy!
The area is completely undeveloped and natural, so you might want to bring a folding chair, towels, snacks & sunscreen. And good shoes for the hike in.
If you are interested in visiting Cataratas Llanos Del Cortes Waterfall near Canas, I can provide transport there from the Playas Del Coco area, for up to four people for $80. You can send me an email at and I can help you get it organized.
Yesterday I played at a wedding ceremony and cocktail reception at Hotel Capitan Suizo in Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
What a great place for a wedding! The hotel is located just outside of Tamarindo on the road to Langosta, right on the beach. It has seven bungalows, a honeymoon bungalow, 22 rooms and a four-bedroom suite.
The wedding ceremony music was provided by Intermezzo, a duo featuring Vittorio Petrosillo on piano and Brad Moodie on bass. We played classical music for the ceremony and jazzy pop tunes for the cocktail reception.
We saw someone fly over us on an Ultralight Tour! I’ve never tried it yet but it looks like a lot of fun! Pure Life Adventures in Playas Del Coco can help you get this organized if you’d like to try it! The cost is $160 for 30 minutes, or $240 for one hour. Click here for more information.
If you are interested in a destination wedding in Costa Rica, please send me an email at and I can help you with your musical options.
One of my favorite places to visit in Costa Rica is the Arenal area. Monteverde is also a great place but the problem with Monteverde is the terrible roads to get there. You need a 4×4 truck and it takes about an hour from the main highway near Caňas, down a horrible dirt road with large pot holes.
However, once you get there you can find several options for cheap accommodation, including the Treehouse and Camino Verde (under $20 for a double room).
In Monteverde one of the attractions is renting a dune buggy. Really great fun and not expensive, around $90 for three hours.
Rent a Dune Buggy in Monteverde!
But for me, Arenal is the better option. The roads are paved, the majestic Arenal Volcano is spectacular and although accommodation is slightly more expensive than Monteverde, you can find really nice places to stay for $50-60 for a double. In the past I recommended going to Arenal from Playas Del Coco and Tamarindo for just a day trip. But now I have discovered so many neat things to do there and reasonably priced accommodation, so I recommend staying the night.
The driver cost is $140 for day trips to Arenal from Playas Del Coco. It makes for a long day, leaving around 7am and returning around 9pm. Maybe it’s better to spend the night there so you can enjoy more of the activities. The driver cost for two days, one night is $200. You can also rent a car but I think you’ll find it cheaper and easier to hire a driver. Car rentals in Costa Rica are usually around $50-70 a day for a small car, gas is more expensive than in United States or Canada, and driving in Costa Rica is dangerous, with horrible drivers, nasty pot holes, almost invisible bicyclists at night with no lights, and hardly any signs.
Here are some of the activities you can enjoy in the Arenal area:
The drive from Playas Del Coco to Arenal is just over 3 hours, so it’s nice to take a break when we arrive at Lake Arenal, an hour before the volcano. The are two places I can recommend to stop for coffee and baked sweets: Macademia Café and The German Bakery.
Macadamia Cafe in Nuevo Arenal overlooks Lake Arenal
Then when we arrive at the dam there are the hanging bridges. It’s a really nice 1 hour hike through the rainforest with around 15 suspension bridges high above the trees, and spectacular views of Arenal Volcano. The entry cost is around $22 each and is fairly strenuous.
The Hanging Bridges offers a strenuous hike through the rainforest
Next is the zipline canopy tour at Sky Trek. This is one of the best canopy tours in Costa Rica, with 9 long cables high above the rainforest with terrific views of the volcano. You take a tram lift up to the start point and sometimes you can see monkeys, birds and maybe a sloth. Sky Trek is a bit more expensive than other canopies at around $68 each, but I strongly recommend it…it’s worth it! There is also a butterfly sanctuary there.
The view at the start point of the Sky Trek Zip Line Canopy
Video showing the thrilling Sky Trek Canopy Tour
There is a spectacular waterfall near La Fortuna. It’s a strenuous 30 minute hike to the falls and it costs $10 each for the entry fee.
La Fortuna Waterfall
After a busy day in the Arenal area, you should relax at one of the many natural hot springs. I recommend Arenal Paraiso because they have 8 hot spring pools with different temperatures. It’s actually one spring at the top and the water runs down through the different pools and the water cools as it travels. They also have a zipline canopy onsite, not quite as scary as Sky Trek but still a lot of fun. I think the cost is around $35 for hot springs and $45 for the canopy.
Arenal Paraiso offers natural hot springs and canopy on-site
There are lots of adventure options in the Arenal area. Two popular choices are white water rafting and canyoneering. Or if you prefer you can take a floating tour, which is a tranquil wander down a river, observing wildlife and exotic fauna.
White water rafting, canyoning and safari river float tours in Arenal
If you are staying the night I recommend Hotel La Fortuna. It’s right in the center of La Fortuna, off the main street. Nice, clean and comfortable rooms reasonably priced from $50-60 for a single, with continental breakfast and wireless internet included. There are also three computers in the lobby.
Hotel La Fortuna in the shadow of Arenal Volcano
Beside the hotel there is an excellent restaurant called Don Rufino’s. It’s more of a high end place, not cheap but terrific quality and quantity.
Don Rufino is an excellent restaurant in the heart of La Fortuna
You can see an example of their menu here (10,000 colones = $20 US):
I had Grandma’s Style Chicken (pollo abuela). It was unbelievably delicious! It was a half chicken wrapped in banana leaves, smothered in an incredible sweet BBQ sauce with potatoes and vegetables on the side. My friend ordered Chicken Courgettes for an appetizer, which we shared and were fantastic with a garlic butter dipping sauce. And she had a steak, perfectly tender, done medium rare, so delicious! I loved that restaurant, definitely you should try to visit there.
La Fortuna is a small town but it has a few bars with night life. We enjoyed drinks at The Lava Lounge on the main street, and I heard there is sometimes live music at some of the other bars.
When we are heading back home I recommend stopping at Moya’s Restaurant in Nuevo Arenal for one of the best pizzas I have enjoyed in Costa Rica. It’s just a small place in the center of town with around 10 tables but they have great meals including pizza, pasta and salads. I had a ‘Spitfire’ pizza with ground beef, onions, tomatoes and jalapeños! Really good and only 5000 colones (around $10).
TRANSPORT TO ARENAL
If you are flying into Liberia Airport and you are staying at Playas Del Coco or Tamarindo, you might consider going straight to Arenal from the airport. That could be a more efficient way to see Arenal. You could spend the night in Arenal without having to pay for the night at your beach hotel as well. I can help you with airport transfers and tours.
Typical costs are:
Liberia Airport to Playas Del Coco/Playa Hermosa/Ocotal – $40
Liberia Airport to Tamarindo/Flamingo/Conchal – $60
Playas Del Coco to Arenal (return same day) – $140
Playas Del Coco to Arenal (return next day) – $200
Tamarindo to Arenal (return same day) – $160
Tamarindo to Arenal (return next day) – $220
Prices are per car, not per person, for up to two people with luggage, or four people without luggage (the car is a regular sedan, comfortable with air conditioning).
If you are interested in going to Arenal, please send me an email at and I can help you get it arranged.
There are many places in Costa Rica that I can recommend for white water rafting. One good place to go is Rincon Corobici, which is located beside Caňas in Guanacaste. It’s about a one hour drive from Playas Del Coco, or two hours from Tamarindo.
I recently went with a couple visiting from The United States. I picked them up at their hotel in Playa Hermosa at 7am and we arrived at Ricon Corobici just after 8am. The trip starts at 9am so we had some time to relax and enjoy the view of the river with complimentary coffee or lemonade. We also pre-ordered our lunch, a typical dish in Costa Rica called ‘Casado’, which is rice and beans, vegetables with a choice of beef, chicken or fish (tilapia).
At 9am we went in a truck for about 30 minutes, down some back roads to take us to the start point. Then we spend almost three hours on the river covering eight miles with rapids up to class 3 and 4. There is also a 12 feet drop with class 5 rapids! There are lots of opportunities to see wildlife, including monkeys, birds, butterflies and reptiles.
When we returned to the restaurant we were able to get changed and then we enjoyed our lunch, before heading back home. We arrived back in Playa Hermosa around 3pm.
If you are interested in going white water rafting at Rincon Corobici, please send me an email at and I will help you get it arranged. Just let me know how many people are in your group and if you need transport or not. You’ll need swimwear, shoes and t-shirt that can get wet, a towel and a complete change of clothes.
If you are planning to get married in Costa Rica, consider Sylvia Guardia for your photographer. She is based in Playas Del Coco, near Tamarindo and she is available to travel throughout Costa Rica. Sylvia graduated from Universidad Veritas in Costa Rica in 2005 and now specializes in destination weddings, collaborating with many wedding and event planners throughout the country. She also speaks fluent English and Spanish.
Sylvia works with local musical group Los Mojitos and together can offer a package deal of photography and ceremony & cocktail musicians. Here is a video slideshow highlighting some of Sylvia’s work, with musical accompaniment from Los Mojitos:
If you would like a quote from Sylvia for your wedding, you can send me an email at and I’ll get her to contact you. Remember to include your planned date so she can check availability.
