What You Need To Know About Costa Rica That Nobody Tells You

We are off to Tamarindo! Jorge, the nice driver, picked me up from the hotel as promised. However, he had no idea where the bus terminal was. I tried to Google it but not much turned up. I gave him the name of the bus company, Transportes Alfaro, and he asked if it was in San Jose. Thirty minutes later, he pulled over in front of a closed garage door and was puzzled. He said Transportes Alfaro used to be located there but was no longer. I asked if we should be looking for the bus terminal instead of the company and he said probably but he didn’t know where it was. I remembered that the concierge, Edgar, had given me his phone number so I gave it to Jorge to call him. When he called, Edgar said that he didn’t know either. This was puzzling to me. How can two people in the tourism industry for over two decades not know where the main bus terminal was? Eventually Google led us there.

There was a bakery, fast food, and a convenience store in the station. The fast-food restaurant opened around 6:35 am. The bakery was great with lots of delicious bread and sweets. There was a gift shop and a clothing store, but they were closed either because it was too early, or it was Sunday. There were washrooms inside the terminal, but I had to pay 400 colones to use it. You can use US dollars or colones to pay at all places including the washroom attendant, but you may not always get your change back in USD.

What I Learned:

• You need to pay 400 colones to use the washroom in the bus terminal.

• Avoid traveling on a Sunday if possible as a lot of businesses close on Sunday's.Public bus ticket from San Jose to Tamarindo costs $10 USD per person each way.

• The public bus trip takes 6 hours with breaks and passenger pickups. There are only two departures on Sunday's, 7 am and 11 am.

• The public bus makes a stop for about 30 minutes halfway through the trip.

· No private/shuttle buses from San Jose to Tamarindo run on Sunday’s. They provide door-to-door service and cost $80 each way. The ride takes 4.5 hours.

• Private transportation costs $300 USD from San Jose to Tamarindo for one way. It takes 4.5 hours.

I saw a long line up by where the buses were parked and wondered if we should line up there as well. It turned out that people were lining up for a different bus. When it was around 6:45 am, we were able to line up for our bus. By this time, there were three lines formed for three different destinations. The bus was less than ¾ full.

Our luggage was loaded under the bus, and we were given luggage tags. There was overhead compartment to put our belongings, but it is always prudent to keep your belongings with you. There were no washrooms on the bus. The bus made several stops along the way to pick up more passengers. At the stop, there was a restaurant and a convenience store. Most passengers got off at Santa Cruz, about an hour away from Tamarindo. The last stop was in the centre of Tamarindo where you can get anything you need.

The Costa Ricans again demonstrated their kindness like no other place I’ve been to. People offered help on the bus without being asked. They just appeared, helped, then left even before I could look at their faces or ask for their names. Tico angels…

What I Learned:

• The Costa Ricans take allergies seriously and are usually able to answer if there are allergens in the food either by referring to a manual or asking the chef/baker.

• There are washrooms readily available for the public in most stores and casual restaurants. There is no fee to use these washrooms.

Tamarindo was very different from San Jose. It was a bit of shock to my senses. It is only 4.5 hours away, but the climate was very dry (realized later that it was dry season) and almost desert like. Along the bus route, the ground became more and more beige, and the trees were sparse. Overall, the land lost its color. It’s sunny, hot (around 30 degrees Celsius), and dusty. Downtown Tamarindo is fairly upscale and has numerous restaurants and bars with glorious open fronts that allow breeze to come and go. There are lots of dive/surf shops. You can buy anything from souvenirs to furniture here.

What I Learned:

• Everything dries so fast here compared to San Jose where nothing dried.

• There are lots of unofficial taxis here. A driver might pull over and ask if you need a ride. It was unsettling at first because I didn’t know they were providing a paid service!

• There are many tourists and expats living in Tamarindo. It is the busiest town out of all the beach towns in Guanacaste.