Costa Rica is known as one of the safest places to travel to out of the Latin Americas.
First, the basics. Let’s expand a little on what we already know about Costa Rica and what is often mentioned in travel guides.
Costa Rica nests itself in proximity to North America and has accommodating visas for most citizens of other countries.
So, this makes it a no-brainer for those who are not necessarily thrilled by the idea of a grueling long-haul flight to Europe or Asia.
But what is so unconventional about travel in the land of Costa Rica?
Picture yourself venturing through the lush green jungle with twinkling lights of fireflies guiding your way. The whole scene is closer to Peter Pan’s Neverland rather than reality. And with incredible and accessible wellness packages, a Costa Rican vacation retreat is within reach.
Let’s dive into ten not-so-standard travel tips to broaden your mind when it comes to Costa Rica. With a bonus tip at the end, to keep the magic going with the angelic 11.
Travel Tip 1: Inhale the Abundant Nature, Exhale Stress
It has become an easy task in our progressive modern lives to forget who we are and where we came from. Costa Rica will remind you that you are also a free animal, and you are one with nature.
We have an innate biological need to be in nature.
Many of the Costa Rican people who live outside of the big cities, neighbor the monkeys and sloths in the jungle. Even the big cities are surrounded by mountains and greenery that dreams are made of.
Did you know that nature is also an antidote for stress?
That’s right! The more biodiverse the natural habitats, the more relaxed we feel. Why? Plants and trees release a substance called phytoncides, which is proven to reduce the stress and tension within us.
It is no wonder Ticos, short for Costa Rican, bask in tranquility. Their lifestyle even goes by the name– Pura Vida. It means pure life and is underpinned by the most laid-back attitude you can ask for.
So, when you come to explore the wildlife within the National Parks… Don’t forget to breathe in some of that worry-free life!
Travel Tip 2: Build Your Confidence in Costa Rica
No matter if we want to or not, travel calls for talking to strangers. And a lot of the time strangers who don’t speak the same language.
Whether our Wendy is lost in Neverland or needs to ask for directions to the Jolly Roger pirate ship, we need to open up our throat energy centers and speak freely.
Luckily, Ticos are happy to help, or even just to get to know you. But the best thing about Costa Ricans is that language is a barrier they are happy to not only climb but leap over.
They might even teach you one or two secret recipes, or share with you an off-the-beaten-track spot to visit.
At first, it might be daunting to approach someone you don’t know. Of course, a stranger’s reaction to us will be unpredictable.
To build our confidence, we must push past that fear of the unknown and uncontrollable, and Costa Rica is the best place to do that!
Travel Tip 3: Meet People from Different Walks of Life
It’s quite common to consider ourselves as different from others. And in some ways, we are just that, different.
But as we travel, we find that there is a lot more familiarity to go around than difference.
Talk to people and listen. Everyone has a story to tell that might just resonate the right way with you or impart some practical knowledge.
Costa Rica is rich in not only nature but also a variety of people. There are the welcoming locals, whether you’re in the Caribbean or the Pacific, the knowledgeable ex-pats from all over the world, and the multitude of working – holiday volunteers.
They all have a unique perspective they would love to share with you. Don’t miss out on an alternative view!
Travel Tip 4: Traveling in Costa Rica will Increase Your Emotional Intelligence
‘Emotions have the ability to alter our sensory perceptions.’ – Schachter (1975)
When we take advantage of our ability to speak with others, we also get to expand another ability we have. The ability to be emotionally intelligent.
Costa Rica is a multi-layered country. The hosts of the different regions live somewhat different lives.
There are farming communities. The business people in San Jose. The surfers and yogis of Guanacaste and Ballena Coast. In the chilled Caribbean, the people even have their own patois. The expatriate community…
Someone stop me because I can go on. But I think you get what I mean.
By experiencing the way someone else lives, we naturally become more sensitive and understanding of the needs of others.
Because we realize we’re all driven by the same forces. We might live in different places, wear different clothes, speak different languages. But we are united.
Travel Tip 5: Travel Broadens Your Mind
As much as we don’t like to admit it, we hold some implicit biases within us.
These are unspoken or hidden prejudices we hold against tradition, cultures, even people. Sometimes, we don’t even realize we have these biases. They could be a result of our upbringing, education, or information available in our respective countries.
The beauty of travel is that it broadens your mind past those biases.
Travel, in general, pulls at the thread of those biases and unravels them. We become aware of those biases and also understand that they hold no water, it’s simple conditioning.
Through the medium of travel, we can learn that when we encounter differences, we need to simply observe them rather than judge them.
Travel Tip 6: Be in Tune with the Earth’s Heartbeat
Human hearts operate on frequencies, and those frequencies release energies. Our heart is the main generator of rhythm in our body and it also produces a large energy field around it.
But as we are part of a much bigger living organism, when we fall out of sync with our natural habitat and rhythm, we can start experiencing a rise in negative emotions.
The animals, the plants, the ocean all have their own frequency. The world has a way of getting us back in tune with its frequency.
The tidal patterns and the ocean waves represent the earth’s heartbeat. Getting into the same rhythm as the waves – is the way for human beings to tune into the earth’s harmonic flow.
Costa Rica offers us the refuge to get back into that rhythm. Spend some time by the ocean, walk out onto the untouched beaches of the Osa Peninsula, or the expansive shores of Uvita and Ojochal, and just breathe.
Travel Tip 7: Experience Synchronicity in Costa Rica
Do you know that feeling of everything being connected? When you can’t help but think to yourself countless times a day, ‘everything happens for a reason.’ Even if you might not know the reason, you are aware it’s there.
Costa Rica very much encourages mindfulness in people. From the consumption of goods, recycling of waste to the preservation of nature.
It is only natural if we are in that mindfulness mindset; we start to pay attention to the synchronicities around us.
We stop exerting energy on trying to make things happen the way we think they should be. We allow the universe to effortlessly provide us with what we really need.
Countless times I’ve heard about people reconnecting with someone they have lost touch with or an item reappearing in their life after it’s been lost or stolen. Or our ideologies get challenged by someone’s views that we would never have met if we didn’t travel.
“Synchronicity is an ever-present reality for those who have eyes to see.” — C.G Jung
Costa Rica helps us tap into that exact seeing function.
Travel Tip 8: Get Creative in Costa Rica
In Costa Rica, inspiration can be found everywhere.
The artistic flair of the quaintest cafes and bars. The murals of private-owned restaurants, hostels, guesthouses. The mosaic walls of the local homes.
The color palette of the protected flora and fauna alone is enough to spark creativity in the most mathematical minds.
Our habitual close-mindedness from limited experiences can reduce our innovation and creativity. Not to mention, our power of manifestation.
But the more we expose ourselves to different walks of life and the amount of diversity out there, the more open-minded we become. Being in a country like Costa Rica is also a great way to overcome painter’s block, writer’s block, or any blockages you might be experiencing and get manifesting!
Here, everything flows, and you can’t help but flow with Costa Rica.
JADE Mural, Jaco, Costa Rica Travel
Tip 9: Travel with Purpose – Journey with Yoga
Costa Rica isn’t about just a vacation.
When we think about getting away, we usually think of going to a resort, or a beach, staying in a hotel, or having a jam-packed travel itinerary.
But what if we were to release those notions.
Costa Rica allows us to get to know ourselves. This place provides the time and space for real detoxification. A detox of the body and the mind.
Costa Rica is one of the top destinations for Yoga retreats and Yoga teacher training courses. It is the kind of place that allows you to really connect – with nature but mainly with yourself.
Costa Rica readily supports and enhances our wellbeing as a top Yoga destination!
Travel Tip 10: Get Back on Your Feet
Walk. Enjoy walking, or do yourself one better – strolling.
I’m always impressed when I think back to how much I walked while being here in Costa Rica. And always with such pleasure.
Of course, there are paved highways, but many of the smaller streets and in-roads are still all gravel and bumps.
So, at times walking isn’t just for fresh air, but it’s, in fact, easier than bumping up and down in a car or a bus.
You also get to experience the surroundings from a different perspective when you walk.
You will take in much more of your surroundings. And who knows who might cross your path? As we said before, Costa Rica is not shy about synchronicities.
BONUS Travel tip 11: Costa Rica Will Still Be the Safest Country to Visit After Covid-19
If you haven’t heard already, Costa Rica has been one of the countries that have done a great job at flattening the curve when it came to coronavirus spread.
The precautions the Costa Rican government has taken saved a lot of lives and allowed for their medical services to not become overwhelmed when cases started to appear.
The government continues to be proactive during this unpredictable time. It is underpinned by the efforts of the ministry of health, the citizens, and the ex-pats here in Costa Rica.
Even during a time of an overwhelming crisis, a true sense of community is ever-so-present in Costa Rica.
Last but not least, this is still fairly easy for foreigners to enter the country and settle for three months with a Tourist VISA. At the moment, a Covid-19 test is not a requirement anymore, you will only be required specific travel insurance.
Playa Cabuyal, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
