Hi! We are Thomas from Germany and Sarah from the US. You can find us chasing fabulous vibes around Costa Rica while sticking to a budget.
Here’s a commercial that Skyscanner made about us so you can get a taste of our story…
To give you a better idea of who we are and our vibe we created an FAQ section to answer the questions we get asked the most.
How did you two meet?
We met in 2010 while volunteering for a year in a community for adults with mental disabilities in Virginia.
Sarah had just graduated college and wasn’t really interested in the whole 9-5 thing yet and Thomas had to complete nine months of civil service which was required by the German government at that time. He was able to complete this requirement by volunteering and he could even do it overseas.
Somehow we both ended up in the same little village in Virginia at the same time. We don’t really believe in fate or destiny, but we can say that we feel really freaking lucky that we met because our life together is better than anything we could have ever imagined.
After just a few months together we needed to decide our future.
Thomas needed to go back to Germany because his visa was about to run out. Sarah tends to act with her heart rather than what is logical so two months after Thomas left the US, Sarah left as well and we started our life together in Germany.
How did you end up living in Costa Rica?
After four years living in Germany, Sarah was really ready for a change. She gets seasonal depression and the constant gray days were killing her productivity in life.
Sarah was teaching English at the time and we figured it would possible for her to do this job from anywhere in the world. Thomas, on the other hand, works in a job in which it is kind of necessary that he works at a German company. It is much more difficult for him to find a job internationally.
He started applying for jobs around the world and when he was offered a job in San Jose, Costa Rica, Sarah was all like, “Pack your bags. We’re going.” He was a bit more hesitant about the whole thing, but she eventually got him on the same page.
In all honesty, it was the best decision we ever made. We absolutely love it here!
Why did you start Costa Rica Vibes?
We started Costa Rica Vibes after living here for a year and traveling around the country. We realized there is a serious lack of available information on how to travel in Costa Rica while sticking to a budget.
When you start to plan your Costa Rica travels you will likely be bombarded with info on 5-star hotels and expensive tours. That’s just not our vibe and it doesn’t need to be yours either.
We also realized that there are tons of amazing small businesses here in Costa Rica that just can’t compete with the big companies. We wanted to be a voice for the amazing companies and places which most Costa Rica tourists never get a chance to experience.
What is your travel style?
Sarah is usually the one planning the trips. Thomas is the one picking up the pieces and ironing out the details (how very German of him).
Sarah is the dreamer. Thomas is the practical thinker.
As far as traveling goes, we are a bit of a contradiction. We like to have everything such as transportation and accommodations arranged ahead of time but tend to go with the flow as far as activities.
We love to see a lot of the places we are visiting, but we also like to stop and just enjoy the moment. It is not unusual for us to spend a whole day drinking margaritas on a beach and then spend the next day doing a five-hour long hike and wrapping up the day by kayaking.
We like to get the best deals possible (which we, of course, will always share with you) but we also like to find the coolest places with the best vibes.
We are all about finding off the beaten path activities and supporting small local businesses.
Oh and we love to be outside!
Where should I visit in Costa Rica?
Everywhere!
No, but seriously we think Costa Rica is such a unique country because it is so small but every area has a completely different vibe (hence why we named our site Costa Rica Vibes).
Below this FAQ section, we go through our favorite picks of places to visit. Check that out for some inspiration.
We also have detailed Destination Guides. These will really help you get a feel for the vibe at different places throughout the country.
Can you help me plan my trip?
We can, to an extent. One of us is always available by email and we’re more than happy to answer your questions, but we just don’t have the time to plan everyone’s vacations.
Because of that, we just created an entire section of extremely detailed itineraries. These are free to access and will give you a lot of great ideas for your travels.
Of course you do!
Join our 30,000 monthly readers in planning your dream travels in Costa Rica with our newsletter. Plus, we will send you our travel planning packet which will keep your travels super organized.
We would like to take our 3 adult children and 2 grandchildren (ages 8 and 11) to Costa Rica next Spring. The trouble is, the family with the grandchildren prefers the beach, and my husband and I (we are in our late 70s) and our adult daughter prefer hiking and seeing wildlife. Can these two needs be met? Should we rent a house? Stay in an all-inclusive resort (I love Casa Corcovado, but let’s keep the price reasonable!). Rent a car and go two different places to please everyone? Where would you recommend?
Hi Gail! You can absolutely please everyone with one place. I would suggest staying in either Manuel Antonio or Uvita (or Dominical it is actually between Uvita and Manuel Antonio). Manuel Antonio is not always our favorite place because it can get very crowded, but it is a great mix of jungle and beach. You can also swim at the beaches here without usually worrying about the rip currents. The national park is definitely one of the best places in the country to see wildlife. There are several beaches in and around the Uvita area. Some are great for swimming… Read more »
We are planning to fly into San Jose. We will arrive Feb 21 – March 10th. Other than being in San Jose for a week, what would you recommend doing and going the rest of the time. Not familiar at with Costa Rica. We are in our late 70’s but healthy.
Hi Dolores,
I would suggest La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio. That would be the perfect mix of jungle and beach. Plus there are tons of activities in both areas.
Here is a link to the guide for each of those places.
https://www.costaricavibes.com/destinations/puntarenas/manuel-antonio/
https://www.costaricavibes.com/destinations/alajuela/la-fortuna/
In Manuel Antonio, I definitely suggest the national park.
In La Fortuna you might like the hot springs, the waterfall, the butterfly garden, and hanging bridges.
Feel free to email me [email protected] if you need more tips. 🙂
Hey you two,
I just read 5 mins on your blog and I am sure that our style of traveling matches. Me and my gf will be in Costa Rica for a total of 22 full days with a 4×4 car. My question. Should we do „whole“ Costa Rica, meaning East West South and North or maybe skip a part due to time (road conditions)? Thanks for the help. Cheers from Germany, Dario
Hi Dario!
With 22 days you can do a lot, but it can take a while to get between places. When are you traveling? Just asking because the weather on the Pacific coast is typically opposite the weather on the Caribbean coast depending on the time of year.
Hey Sarah, I had to look up the part of the homepage where I commented…:O Thanks for the reply. We will be in Costa Rica from the 31st of august til the 23rd of September. Having the rainy season in mind, traveling to remote areas (4WD) could be sometimes tricky right? Can you give me information regarding the timespans to get from A to B on google maps? Are 3 hours e.g. realistic? A friend of mine mentioned that you could add about 50% of time onto the google maps times 4 years ago. What do you think about that?… Read more »
Hi Dario! As far as travel time you never can be sure. I’d add about an hour to whatever Google maps says as far as driving time. It may be faster, it may be slower. It all depends on if you get stuck behind large trucks on roads in which it’s hard to pass. In Nicoya I’d do two or three nights in Santa Teresa and four nights in Montezuma. If you are interested in surfing, I’d stay longer in Santa Teresa. We usually spend more time in Montezuma because the beach is so nice, there is a cool waterfall… Read more »
Hey Sarah, thanks, you helped me a lot! I guess we skip Corcovado due to distance and see how far south we go. Probably Uvita will be max. the southernmost stop on the west coast. One last question about the Montezuma Area. Me and my gf like surfing, but we are definately no pros. I would say more like beginners. As I saw so far, the waves are sometimes pretty high this time of the year. right? You think there are beaches for beginners? If not, would it be better to do some surfing in a different area? Final question:… Read more »
Hi Dario Happy I could help! I don’t surf so I can’t help you too much, but of the places you are going to Puerto Viejo and Santa Teresa are the most popular surf spots. If you rent a board the surf shops can tell you the best spot to go for smaller waves. There are enough beaches near Puerto Viejo and Santa Teresa that I’m sure you’ll be able to find a good spot. I do not have the contact info for the guy we fished with in Tortuguero. I suggest just asking at your hotel. Everyone knows everyone… Read more »
WOW, what an awesome website! It has been so helpful. My friend and I are planning 10 days in Costa Rica, (we are coming to Central America from New Zealand) and I am keen to rent a car however she is worried that we will struggle with reading signs and finding our way as neither of us speak Spanish. Also, I have heard it is almost impossible to get car insurance in Costa Rica. Thanks, Erin
Hi Erin! I would suggest renting a car. It is definitely not cheap here, but it is worth it. It will give you so much more flexibility. You will be fine with the signs. There is nothing unusual and they all have the same shape and colors as normal signs so you can easily figure out what is a stop sign, yield etc. The car insurance thing is not impossible, it’s just that a lot of companies here do not tell you that there is mandatory insurance. So, you will rent a car and then get hit with crazy insurance… Read more »
Hey Guys! Just found your site! Congrats on your upcoming marriage! So I am an avid traveler, and so are my sons, so I found a deal 7 nights in Costa Rica for $719 including airfare and hotels and transportation to hotels. 1 night San Jose, 2 nights Arenal Volcano area, 3 nights Manuel Antonio area, 1 night San Jose. I am from NYC so driving is not an issue for me, but honestly we are going to be moving around a bit, and I rather enjoy the sights rather than have to figure out where we are going. What… Read more »
Hi Maura, That actually does sound like a great deal. Coming from NYC you will usually pay about $400 roundtrip for flights alone. Transportation such as private shuttles is usually expensive here. I’d say take it. Of course, double check on what the hotels are like. There is a wide range of hotels here from very basic to fancy. Also, I don’t think you wrote which month exactly you would be coming, but Green Season does mean rain, sometimes more than others. July and August tend to just be afternoon storms for a few hours like Fla. September, Oct, and… Read more »
I have found your site to be so helpful and informative! My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Costa Rica Aug 26th to Sept. 3rd. After reading your site thoroughly, I have mapped out a route, but feel it might be too much for the time that we have. I am just having a hard time deciding what to take out! We arrive at 9pm on Aug 26th and will be renting a car from Adobe through your site. I am thinking 1 night near the airport, 1 night in Tortuguero, 2 nights in Puerto Viejo or Cahuita… Read more »
Hi Marianne!
I’m going to send you an email to give you some advice. I’ll be out this evening but look for an email from me in the morning. 🙂
-Sarah
Hi, Your website was a great resource for our recent trip to Playa Santa Teresa. My wife and I traveled to Costa Rica from British Columbia Canada with our two young daughters and some of our immediate family as a family vacation spurred on by my sister. We loved Costa Rica and found your website to be a great resource for the trip. We used the link to Adobe rental car and had a great experience with Adobe for the trip. A tip to anyone travelling with kids and driving is that the roads are mayhem and very rough in… Read more »
So glad I found this blog! We are traveling to Jaco in April for my friends wedding and all of your posts have been EXTREMELY helpful so far! This will be my first time traveling outside of the US, so I’m sure I’m in for a culture shock. Your blog is definitely making me feel more prepared for the trip and less anxious about things that could go wrong. Murphy’s Law. My boyfriend is AD in the Navy. Just curious if you have heard of anyone running into problems at Customs if they are AD or any advice? When asked… Read more »
Hi Kelsey! I have not heard of anyone having problems entering as someone in the Navy. He should be totally fine with saying his true profession. I would have him just give his passport. If they then ask for his military ID he can always give it, but they most likely won’t ask. Just make sure you have a printout of your return flight to show as proof that you are leaving the country within 90 days. Have fun at your friend’s wedding! And seriously don’t hesitate to message us if you have any other questions or need any help… Read more »
Hey guys! I have been reading your site all day and I feel I finally found someone who actually travels the way I like it and that I can trust your recommendations! I’m going next week to CR arriving at 5:00pm (mon 12) and leaving 5:00pm (sun 18) we are from Mexico so we are looking to see places with a lot of wildlife and also to find a cool hotel for a few days at the beach (not too fancy or expensive) so the first plan we are working on is to go to san gerardo de dota spend… Read more »
Hi Natalia! I’m so happy you like our site. I’m going to send you an email in a few hours to respond to everything!:)
Hi Folks,
I’m a Canadian senior adventure seaker looking for a 6 to 10 day back packing, hiking,camping, experience vrs guided tours, buses and hostels. Are there any opportunities here for that type of experience.
Hi George
It is definitely possible to have that type of experience here, but it seems as though it is getting more and more difficult to find this type of thing. Two good places I’d suggest are either hiking through Chirripo National Park or heading down south to Corcovado. We, unfortunately, have not done either yet but the folks who run the site Costa Rica Guide are our go-to for this type of travel. Check out their site and maybe message them. I bet they can help you out a bit more than we can.
Lots of great info, we have connected on Girls love travel. I was wondering about SIM cards from the airport for my unlocked Samsung, any suggestions? We don’t plan on doing much calling but like having text option and Uber option. Ty leaving in a couple weeks plan on heading directly to bus stati9n to catch bus to Cahuito so getting from airport to bus station on Uber might be the way to go. Thanks for your info! Kimberly
Yes definitely use Uber! Its always A LOT cheaper than taxis. There is free wifi in the airport (or at least there used to be but I was there picking up some friends the other day and I had trouble connecting to it sooo hopefully it was just a temporary problem). After you go through Customs in the baggage claim area there is a Kolbi counter (a phone company) where you can buy a SIM card. It will take like 5 minutes to register there. Its about $4 for a card and that money is applied to your account. If… Read more »