mariposa85

Hi everyone,

I'm 28, female and live in the UK. I have vacation time in May (can't take any June-September due to my line of work) and am considering going to Costa Rica. It's been a lifelong dream to visit Latin America but I've never had the money or the time and it's getting to the stage where I just want to get there! What's put me off up to this point is that I've never considered it 'worthwhile' to go for just a week or two, given the cost of the flights and the flying time. I always wanted to go for 2-3 months. However I've realised that I'm probably never going to have the money to do this, not in the foreseeable future, and I wouldn't want to do it alone. So perhaps it's time to bite the bullet and just GO?

I'm leading towards Costa Rica because it seems to be thought of as one of the safer Latin American countries for female visitors, and I'm interested in seeing the nature there. I was thinking of going in late April or May. Is this a good/bad time to go? I have a good level of Spanish, but it's rusty and I really, really want to meet local people and practise. I was considering doing a week-long language course in San Jose and staying with a host family, but perhaps there are other ways of doing this? I would be looking at going for around 10 days in total, including 2 weekends.

Am I crazy? Or could the idea be a goer?

mlgb

Costa Rica is very popular with North American snowbirds. I don't think you will find the cultural immersion that you are hoping for, it seems as if people involved in tourism generally speak English quite well. It is also fairly expensive once you get there.

As far as safety, not necessarily true any more.

Although the people on the CR forums (especially TripAdvisor) won't admit this.

I think if you are more interested in cultural tourism and learning Spanish I would look farther south, if you can find good airfares to Ecuador, the cost of meals, lodging and etc is more reasonable.

Have a look at crellston's blog on the SA forums.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

I agree with mlgb on only one point: You should like at a variety of options before deciding where to go. Beyond that, I think her assessment of Costa Rica misses the mark.

You can come to Costa Rica and you will see McDonald's and shopping malls and a large expat community and many tourists. Here's the key: You don't have to have contact with any of that. Most Costa Ricans do not shop at malls. They do not eat at McDonald's. They have nothing to do with the expat community or tourism. Most do not speak English, or at least, not very well. You can immerse yourself in another culture here. Costa Rica is not the US or UK by any stretch of the imagination. It has many of the comforts of home, but it is very different. I never understand the people who come here and say, "Costa Rica is SO Americanized." No, it is not.

Safety is relative. I think every Latin American country has declined in levels of safety in recent years. You can still call Costa Rica "one of the safer countries" down here.

Costa Rica is an expensive place to be a tourist. That's not what you'll be doing here, it sounds like. If you're willing to live and travel like a local, you can do so fairly inexpensively. It's not a hardship to go local here.

May is a great time to come here. The rainy season will just be getting underway, but in the early part of the season, it means an hour of so of rain in the afternoon. You can easily work around that. I like May. The rain clears and freshens the dry, dusty air that we have now through late April.

volcanogirl

We've been in April before, and it was fantastic. We've had several trips and have always felt safe in the areas we've visited. Use the usual common sense - don't wear flashy jewelry or flash iPads, etc. around. Don't drink and stay out late alone, etc. We don't usually spend much time in San Jose - most of the natural beauty and wildlife lie in other areas of the country. San Jose for the most part is not that attractive a city. The nature elsewhere is spectacular, amazing wildlife, and loads of nice adventure activities. The people are very friendly and welcoming. They love to let you practice your Spanish.

mlgb

Perhaps unlike either Jeff or volcanogirl, I traveled alone as a single female.

I would use extra caution in terms of hiking alone, walking around alone in San Jose (I went with a guide for the most part, although if I was in a reserve with lots of other people around then less of an issue).

I find that whenever there is an option to speak English I get lazy, vs being forced to use Spanish when there is no other choice.

volcanogirl

mariposa, tully might be another good source for you. She's single and has traveled CR extensively so may have some trip reports if you search for them. Maybe hipvirgochick too.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

"I find that whenever there is an option to speak English I get lazy, vs being forced to use Spanish when there is no other choice."

That's not Costa Rica's fault.

Seriously, if you don't come here as a tourist you'll find that the majority of Costa Ricans do not speak much or any English. You have to survive with some Spanish. There's a Youtube video going around here of the president trying to speak English. It is shockingly bad. That's fine, obviously. She's under no obligation to know English, but you'd think someone in her position would. Never a given.

tully

Tully here As a matter of fact, I am meeting hipvirgochick in CR near the end of May. But yes, both of us have traveled a lot in CR on our own and myself can say never had a problem or felt unsafe. Obviously, for any big city like San Jose, Managua, San Pedro Sula - I don't go out at night and during the day get advice from the front desk. I've had a couple say to me basically - no that's not a good area/place to visit.

Anyway, to the OP, I would say go for it. May is my favorite time in CR, the start of rainy season, and prices should be better as well. Wish I could suggest a place for the language course but I have not done that. I believe another poster here, shillmac, did one many moons ago in Manuel Antonio. I'll ask her to pop in on this thread.

shillmac

Mariposa85, do you primarily want to brush up on language skills with a school or just experience some of the great nature areas Costa Rica is known for?

If language is your main thing, there are some small schools tucked away in rural areas with plenty of nature to enjoy nearby. Away from the more popular areas for tourism, you will be hard pressed to find anything but Spanish spoken.

If you are wanting to experience some of the nature highlights of Costa Rica then yes, there will be more English spoken.

Away from San Jose, you should feel very comfortable traveling as a single female. People tend to be kind and happy to help. The bus system is easy to use as are taxis. Private drivers also available to get you from Point A to Point B.

What is it you most want to do with your 10 days? Costa Rica is a GREAT place to visit, and Jeff has been on Fodor's for YEARS offering excellent and smart advice. He is a wonderful source.

I live near Turrialba (part of the year) and can give you info about language schools nearby in this very rural area if that is your focus. Lots of beautiful nature nearby or within short traveling distance. If you'd like, shoot me an e-mail at [email protected], and we can narrow it down. It helps to know budget, etc.

Also, tully and I (and my daughter) visited Honduras last year. We had a fabulous time at The Lodge at Pico Bonito, coupled with the ruins at Copan and a couple of overnight logistical stays in San Pedro Sula. We researched it thoroughly, all of our transfers were safe and comfortable, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

We have a little bit of experience in Panama and liked it, but the people seemed less friendly. Costa Ricans are lovely people.

Good luck!

Jeff_Costa_Rica

Thanks for the kind words, shillmac. Always great to see you and tully and volcangirl and mlgb.

kristin_storm_7

Anything I would add here would seem repetitive so I'll just chime in as a frequent solo traveler who has also travelled alone with young child and with adult friends. In my opinion CR is a very safe country to travel in, alone or not. It's all relative. You must not put yourself in compromising situations (such as late night in areas unknown or know to be sketchy) and read up on the areas you are going to for any current issues that could seem hostile...but this applies to anywhere. I'm not aware of any recent happenings that would prevent me from travelling alone there at this time.

By the way, this is hipvirgochick replying. Fodors changed my screen name a while back and I can't figure out how to get in touch someone to fix this. Anyone know?

hipvirgochick

Please disregard my prior message. Apparently it was "user error". I had connected via Facebook at one time and I guess when I did that it created a new name for me. Weird. Anyway, problem is solved.

wally123

I'm a 24 year old female and I'll be travelling Costa Rica solo from 3 - 20 May after spending a month volunteering, I can't wait!