My First Days in Costa Rica
My first few days in Costa Rica were filled with border crossings, volcanoes, waterfalls, beaches, and the excitement of discovering a brand-new country.
Crossing Into Country #51
After spending the last few months backpacking through Central America, there was one country that everyone seemed to rave about: Costa Rica. Fellow travellers talked about its incredible wildlife, beautiful beaches, lush rainforests, and laid-back lifestyle. Friends back home spoke highly of it, and my mom had visited years earlier and loved it. By the time I reached the Nicaraguan border, my expectations were pretty high. I couldn't wait to find out if Costa Rica really lived up to the hype.
Costa Rica would become the sixth country on my year-long backpacking adventure. Apart from eventually volunteering with the Leatherback Trust, I had very little planned. For the first time in a while, I could simply see where the journey took me. Before I left Nicaragua, my mom gave me one piece of advice that stuck with me.
"If Google says it's an hour away, add at least another hour."
According to her, Costa Rica's roads were winding, hilly, and much slower than they appeared on a map. It sounded like one of those exaggerated travel tips parents love to give, but as I would soon discover, she wasn't entirely wrong.
I booked a shuttle through my hostel in San Juan del Sur, and early that morning I said goodbye to Nicaragua. The shuttle itself was straightforward enough, although it wasn't a direct trip. After driving for a while, we were dropped off to transfer onto a larger bus that would continue toward the border. Everyone was carrying backpacks, dragging suitcases, or trying to keep track of passports and paperwork. There was an excited energy in the air as people prepared to enter another country.
That excitement faded slightly when we reached immigration.
Instead of walking straight up to the border, we were met with a massive queue that snaked back and forth through the immigration area. It felt like it would never end. Travellers from all over the world patiently shuffled forward a few steps at a time, only to stop again. Between waiting in line, going through immigration procedures, and crossing the border itself, I was there for somewhere between two and three hours.
Everything was going smoothly... until the immigration officer asked for my onward ticket.
Eventually, I reached the immigration officer, handed over my passport, and waited for the satisfying sound of another stamp.
Instead, he looked up and asked for my onward ticket.
My heart sank.
"I don't have one."
He politely explained that I couldn't enter Costa Rica without proof that I intended to leave the country. The problem was, I genuinely had no idea when I would be leaving. My volunteer dates hadn't been confirmed yet, and I hadn't planned anything beyond arriving in Liberia.
I asked where I was supposed to buy an onward ticket from the middle of a border crossing, and he pointed me towards a small hut nearby.
Inside was what looked like a tiny bus office, complete with a credit card machine and a printer—something I definitely wasn't expecting to find at a land border. The employee asked me where I wanted to go, and more importantly, when.
I had absolutely no clue.
So I picked a date roughly a month away and booked a bus from San José to Panama City for around $45 USD. The only question I cared about was whether I could change the date later.
"Yes."
Perfect.
Credit card paid, ticket printed, crisis averted.
Thankfully, I didn't have to join the enormous immigration queue all over again. I returned to the same officer, showed him my newly purchased onward ticket, and within seconds I finally heard the sound I'd been waiting for.
Thunk.
Another passport stamp.
Country number 51.
Back on the bus, I settled into my seat and watched Nicaragua slowly disappear behind me. A few hours later, the driver pulled over on the side of the road in Liberia, unloaded my backpack, pointed in the direction of my hostel, and drove away. I was standing beside a highway in a country I had never visited before, with a ten-minute walk ahead of me and no real plan beyond the next few days.
Exactly how I like to travel.
One last photo before crossing the border into Costa Rica. Next stop: Country #51.
Settling into Liberia
With my backpack slung over my shoulders, I made the short walk from the highway to Hostel Dodero, my home for the next few nights. Originally, I had only booked a single night. Unlike my previous countries, I wasn't following a strict itinerary through Costa Rica. I was waiting to hear back from the Leatherback Trust about my volunteer dates, and until those were confirmed, I didn't want to lock myself into accommodation all over the country.
One of my first priorities was finding a bank. I needed some Costa Rican colón, and spotting a Scotiabank made me smile. Since I bank with Scotiabank back home in Canada, I assumed I had found a clever way to avoid ATM fees.
Nope.
As it turns out, although they shared the same name, the banking systems were completely separate, and I was still charged a withdrawal fee. So much for outsmarting the banks.
With cash in my wallet, I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the neighbourhood surrounding the hostel.
One thing I noticed almost immediately was the music.
Every so often a car would cruise past with its windows down and music blasting through the speakers. Nobody seemed bothered by it. If anything, it added to the city's relaxed atmosphere. Everything felt slower than what I had become used to, and although I hadn't heard the phrase Pura Vida very much yet, I was already beginning to understand the feeling behind it.
Ok, I know, I know... my first meal in Costa Rica probably should have been something traditional like a casado or gallo pinto.
Instead, I walked straight into KFC.
After several months of backpacking through Central America, seeing a familiar restaurant was oddly exciting. Sometimes comfort food wins, and I enjoyed every single bite without an ounce of guilt.
After dinner, I stopped at a nearby grocery store to pick up a few supplies for easy meals to make. I also booked my trip to Rincón de la Vieja National Park, something I had been looking forward to ever since my mom recommended it after her own visit.
Back at the hostel, I met one of my dorm mates, an older woman from Russia. We chatted for a while about travelling, and somehow the conversation shifted to clothing. Despite Costa Rica's warm tropical weather, she swore by wearing wool. I remember thinking she must be roasting, but she insisted it was the most breathable thing she owned.
Our conversation drifted toward the growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. News reports at the time were talking about Russian troops gathering near the border, and I asked her what she thought was happening.
She smiled confidently and told me that Vladimir Putin would never invade Ukraine.
Looking back now, that conversation feels surreal. Neither of us knew how quickly history was about to change.
With an early start ahead of me, I climbed into my bottom bunk, set my alarm for the morning, and tried to get some sleep. Tomorrow I'd finally get to explore my first Costa Rican national park.
I know, I know... my first meal in Costa Rica probably should have been something local. But after months of backpacking, KFC tasted absolutely amazing.
Exploring Rincón de la Vieja National Park
My alarm went off far earlier than I would have liked, but I was excited for the day ahead. I packed my little backpack with water and my wallet and made my way downstairs to wait for my ride.
Just after 7:30 a.m., a rugged 4x4 pulled up outside the hostel. There were only three of us on the tour: myself and two girls from the UK travelling together. I always prefer smaller groups, as they feel much more relaxed than a crowded tour bus.
The drive to Rincón de la Vieja National Park was beautiful. As we got farther away from Liberia, the scenery became greener, the roads quieter, and the countryside seemed to stretch on forever. We made a quick stop at a local convenience store so everyone could grab drinks or snacks before continuing into the national park. My shopping wasn't exactly glamorous – just crackers and cheese. Simple, easy-to-carry food that was perfect for a day of hiking.
I already knew the volcano trail was closed before I arrived at the park. My mom had recommended the park after visiting years earlier, so even without the volcano, I still wanted to experience everything else Rincón de la Vieja had to offer.
When we arrived, our driver explained where he would be picking us up later that afternoon before sending us off on our own adventure. Since there were only three of us, we decided to explore as a group.
Our main goal was the waterfall.
According to the map, it was about a two-hour one-way walk, so we set off along the trail, surrounded by tropical dry forest. The path itself wasn't particularly difficult, but it was long enough that we settled into an easy hiking pace, chatting as we walked.
Along the way, I kept my eyes open for wildlife.
I spotted colourful butterflies fluttering through the trees, an unusual bright blue insect that immediately caught my attention, and one of the largest dead grasshoppers I had ever seen. It wasn't exactly the wildlife encounter I had imagined, but it was certainly memorable.
After about two hours of walking, we finally reached the waterfall. Surrounded by rocky cliffs and lush greenery, we even had it to ourselves for a little while. The girls jumped straight into the water while I dipped my feet in once before deciding that was enough. It was freezing. I was perfectly happy sitting on the rocks and enjoying the view.
After a two-hour hike, the waterfall was worth every step. The water, however... was far too cold for me!
Once everyone had dried off, we found a comfortable spot to eat lunch. While they unpacked sandwiches, I pulled out my gourmet backpacking feast of crackers and cheese.
With plenty of time before our pickup, we decided to explore more of the park. Although the volcano trail remained closed, there were still plenty of smaller trails leading to bubbling mud pots, steaming fumaroles and thermal areas. Long before we saw them, we could smell them.
The strong scent of sulphur drifted through the air, unmistakably reminding us that despite not seeing the volcano itself, we were still walking through an active volcanic landscape.
Steam escaped from cracks in the earth while thick grey mud bubbled away beneath wooden viewing platforms. It wasn't the dramatic volcanic crater I had originally imagined, but it was fascinating to see the geothermal activity up close.
As the afternoon wore on, we kept checking the time. The park closed in the late afternoon, and the last thing we wanted was to miss our driver and be stranded inside the national park.
Thankfully, we made it back with time to spare.
Just before reaching the exit, we had one final wildlife surprise.
An armadillo casually wandered across the trail in front of us as if it owned the place. After spending most of the day searching for animals, it felt like the perfect way to end our visit.
Our driver was waiting exactly where he had promised, and on the drive back toward Liberia he stopped at a small local soda, one of Costa Rica's family-run restaurants. We decided to eat together before heading back to the hostel, swapping stories from our travels while sharing the photos we'd taken throughout the day.
Thanks to AirDrop, we all left with photos we never could have taken ourselves; group pictures, hiking shots, and those awkward "can you take one of me?" moments that somehow always turn into the best memories.
By the time we walked back to Hostel Dodero that evening, I was exhausted.
The volcano may have been closed, but I never felt like I had missed out.
If anything, my first full day in Costa Rica had reminded me that sometimes it's not about seeing the biggest attraction. It's about the journey getting there, the people you meet along the way, and the unexpected moments you never could have planned.
I originally bought this "Volcano" bandana while volcano boarding in Nicaragua. Turns out it worked surprisingly well against the sulphur smell at Rincón de la Vieja too.
A Beach Day at Playa del Coco
After spending the previous day hiking through Rincón de la Vieja National Park, I decided it was time for one of my favourite travel activities: finding a beach and doing absolutely nothing.
I made my way to the local bus station and caught a bus to Playa del Coco. According to Google, the journey should have taken about an hour.
It took closer to two.
Since it was a local bus, we stopped frequently to pick up and drop off passengers, including a stop at the airport. My mom’s warning about Costa Rican travel times was already proving accurate: if Google says an hour, add another.
Once I arrived, I walked through the town and headed toward the coast. Instead of settling on the main beach, I continued walking toward Playa Tinoco, climbing over a rocky section to reach the quieter shoreline I had seen in the distance.
It was exactly the kind of place I normally look for. There were fewer people, a rugged coastline, and enough space to sit quietly and enjoy the ocean. I probably stayed there for about an hour, but I kept watching the tide. The water was gradually rising around the rocks I had crossed, and I had no interest in finding out whether I could become stranded on the other side.
Once the route back started looking a little less comfortable, I gathered my things and returned toward Playa del Coco.
By then I was hungry, so I found a beachfront restaurant and ordered a chicken Caesar salad with a Caesar—basically a Canadian Bloody Mary. The menu was in English, American accents surrounded me, and there were plenty of families walking around with their children. At one point, I even ended up sitting near someone wearing a MAGA hat.
Lovely.
Playa del Coco felt less like the Central America I had been travelling through and more like a North American vacation town. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but it wasn’t really my style either.
After eating, I found a spot on the sand where I could relax, listen to music and drift in and out of sleep. I stayed for the sunset, which was nice, although I would see much better sunsets elsewhere in Costa Rica.
As the last of the light disappeared, I packed up and walked back to the bus station for the slow journey to Liberia. Playa del Coco wasn’t going to become one of my favourite Costa Rican beaches, but it gave me exactly what I had wanted that day: sunshine, ocean air and several hours with nowhere else to be.
Making my way along the rocky coastline toward the quieter beach. I kept one eye on the tide, knowing I'd have to cross back before the water got too high.
Looking Ahead
Although I had only spent a few days in Costa Rica, I was already beginning to understand why so many people loved it.
Liberia itself was never meant to be a major destination on my itinerary. For me, it was simply the perfect starting point. It gave me a chance to settle into a new country, explore my first national park, enjoy a relaxing day at the beach, and most importantly, slow down for a few days after constantly being on the move.
One thing I noticed almost immediately was the pace of life. Nobody seemed to be in a rush, and I found myself slowing down too. Whether I was wandering around Liberia, hiking through Rincón de la Vieja, or simply sitting on a beach listening to the waves, there was a relaxed atmosphere that was difficult to explain. I hadn't fully experienced Pura Vida yet, but I was beginning to understand why people talked about it so much.
I also learned my first practical lesson about travelling in Costa Rica—my mom was absolutely right about the roads. If Google says a journey will take an hour, add another. Between winding roads, local buses, and frequent stops, getting from one place to another usually took much longer than I expected. Thankfully, when you're backpacking, that's all part of the adventure.
With Liberia behind me, it was time to continue south to Tamarindo. I had heard it was one of Costa Rica's most popular beach towns, so I was curious to see if it lived up to the hype. After three relaxing days in Liberia, I was ready for my next adventure.
But that's a story for the next blog.
From volcanoes and waterfalls to quiet beaches and local buses—Costa Rica was already off to a great start.
