Hello, I am thinking about going to Costa Rica for a month from mid-April to mid-May. My plan is to get around on the bus and hitch rides. Camp out or cheap bungalows. Is it possible to go for a month, living cheaply, on $1000 including airfare ($300 or less)? Some concerns: transporting boards (especially on bus) Camping- getting shit stolen Where to go Finding cheap airfare What to take- clothes, surf gear (reef shoes? extent of ding repair? etc.) If anyone can lend some thoughts, comments, or concerns on any of this I would be very grateful. I don’t know where else to find pertinent surf info and I have respect for the people here. Thanks- Roland
Unless you live in Texas or Florida its probably gonna cost $600-$700 round trip. Buses are very crowded so carrying a board will be a real hassle to impossible. If you leave your stuff unattended it’ll get stolen, like just about anywhere these days. Even in the dry season it’ll rain buckets so camping will be a hassle unless you go to the northwest. I don’t recall seeing too many campgrounds where I was (Dominical to Punta Arenas) although I really wasn’t looking. Look up "surfing Costa Rica on any search engine and you’ll find some info. You’d be best off saving up another grand or hooking up with some other people and renting a car…great people, good surf, unbelievable scenery.
Roland, my wife and I honeymooned in Costa in July (1995) rained a bunch. Surfed 1 afternoon in the Osa Peninsula, way south on the Pacific side. To get to the Pacific side you need to cross the mountains from the capital of San Jose (airport). Long slow drive (heard 8+hrs) or short flight (30min). We flew, well worth it, but then we were on our honeymoon and on a schedule (1 week). It is a great country with vast beauty. I have not done business with www.waterwaystravel.com but have used there sight as a source of info while researching my trip to Peru. Seems like a good resource. Google “surf costa rica” and you should get an endless amount of info. That is what I did for Peru, before posting here. have a great time. --4est
No problem to travel by bus with your board. I did it throughout central and south america. your board goes under the bus locked up. however buses in costa are expensive like $50 to go from one side to the other. look into ecudor dirt cheep. meals cost less than $1 and the bus from one end of the country to the other is $10 to $20 dollars. surf is real good better than costa and way less crowded.ticket will cost $600 or so but my wife and I traveled for $10 a day
check out the mal pais area on the oso peninsula. i think you could even get a taxi to take you out there for relatively cheap(at least to the ferry, from there you could catch a bus). when i was was down there in the off season there were people camping on the beach, although it rained almost every day.