ATM question and travel with valuables
 

Wonder what the charges are for each ATM transaction- in Costa Rica? Do you get dollars or other? And when traveling - visiting areas how does anyone take the camera or binoculars with them? How did you carry your passport? Is it possible to rent lockers at different places? One day for a transfer, we were asked about stopping at Poas Volcano and then La Paz en route to La Fortuna. Is this a good choice or limit it to one ? What was your favorite guided tour in La Fortuna area? What was your favorite tour in Monteverde? In La Fortuna did anyone do a night walk? Where? If we have one day open would anyone suggest going to Cana Negro Park? Thanks so much

(no expert on costa rica, but I spend time in Mexico and...)

ATM's depend in large part on your HOME bank's arrangements and what type of an ATM you use in CR. There is no one answer to your question.

Try to use a partner bank, the fees will be lower. You will get money from an ATM in CR in colones. I always try to take out a high amount so I use the ATM less. I also use my credit card as much as possible.

I carry cameras, etc in a day pack. I also carry my passport on me or leave it in my room locked in a safe or suitcase. If I leave it safe in the room, I carry a copy when I am out and about. I NEVER leave it in a car, purse or pack.

Not sure about lockers, but the zip lines at Sky Trek had lockers.

If you had time, do both Poas and La Paz. If you have to pick one, pick La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Lots too see. Poas gets socked in with clouds if you get their too late in the morning

The Costa Rican bank that operates the ATM will charge a fee for using a card that is not one of its own. It always seems to be $1-2 per transaction. A screen will come up asking you if you agree to the charge. You have to say YES or SI if you want to continue. Your home bank may charge you a fee too. You'll have to find out from them.

ATMs give you the option of withdrawing colones or dollars. You can also choose to see screens in Spanish or English. The maximum amount you can withdraw at a time is $200 or 100,000 colones.

Thank you all for your help with the ATM. About the room and a safe, I read online that one commented they had things taken from a safe, would there be a certain one that it could not happen with? Any comment with a favorite activity in LaFortuna, Monteverde? There is so much to think about in CR - hard to imagine it all - thanks again all of you,

I've always kept money and passport in the safe. When I haven't had a safe I've just stashed it in my luggage. Either way never lost anything. A vague comment online about an unknown hotel...there's 1-2 million visitors to CR each year and thousands of hotels, so I would take it w/a grain of salt.