Roll call! Who’s going to Envision festival in Costa Rica this year? We’ll be there and we’d love to meet up. We are super excited to have the full experience of this amazing festival and share it with all of you.
If this is your first time attending Envision, or even your first time in Costa Rica, you probably have several questions about what you can expect. You’ve come to the right place!
Envision Festival in Costa Rica – The Event
In case you are unaware, Envision festival is a 4-Day event which takes place in Uvita, Costa Rica. Uvita is a special spot which sits on the ocean but also borders the jungle. You get the best of both worlds here! Envision Festival creates a space for various cultures to collide in a harmonious community.
The festival lives on eight pillars; music, movement, art, bio-construction, health, community, permaculture, spirituality.
I think this Youtube video from Envision showing the festival from last year does a lot better job of explaining the whole thing than I can do.
We are looking forward to Envision because although we have been to many music festivals together, this will be our first time going to a festival where live music is only one part of the overall experience. I am particularly excited about the spoken workshops and the performance artists.
Here is the event poster put out by Envision so you can see the complete lineup of musicians and events. If you would like more details on the event head to the Envision website.
Envision Festival in Costa Rica – Getting Tickets
Unfortunately, if you haven’t already bought your tickets, your chances of snagging some are growing slim. There are a few tickets still available, but if you haven’t already bought your tickets you should do so ASAP. You can find more information here.
Envision Festival in Costa Rica – What to Bring
Envision has a great packing list on their site here. However, there are a few things we would like to mention/ clarify as far as packing.
-As the Envision list says, bring bug spray and suntan lotion. We would like to add that you will save money if you bring these items with you from your home country rather than buying them in Costa Rica. With high import taxes, these items will be a lot more expensive in Costa Rica.
-Envision mentions that you should bring a towel. We would like to add that we personally love microfiber towels for Costa Rica. Uvita is really humid and nothing ever dries. We like microfiber because they tend to dry faster than a normal towel.
-Along the same line, packing fast drying clothing will make your life much easier. We plan on packing a few bathing suits, sports bras, fast drying underwear (ExOfficio is the best underwear you’ll ever own), lightweight shorts which dry quickly, a few t-shirt or tank tops, and one light sweater (because I’m always cold at night).
-There is filtered drinking water available so don’t forget to bring a refillable water container.
Envision Festival in Costa Rica – Getting There
There are a few different viable options for getting to Envision. Here are the best options (in our opinion).
Shuttle
Envision has buses running between the San Jose airport and the festival. These buses cost $60 for a one-way ticket. This is a great option if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of getting to downtown San Jose to grab the bus. You can book your shuttle ride here.
Bus
The most affordable option to get to the festival is to take the Tracopa bus from downtown San Jose. This will only cost you about $12 for a one-way ticket to Uvita. The buses are comfortable. The only problem is, you will need to get to the Tracopa terminal from the airport. Depending on the time of day, the traffic can be crazy and taking a taxi or Uber from the airport to downtown can take a while. The bus leaves from San Jose at 7:30 am, 10:15 am, 11 am, 12 noon, and 4:30 pm. It will take about four hours to get to Uvita by bus.
Rental car
It is possible to rent a car and drive to the festival, but we think this is not worth your money. If you are going to the festival for four days this means you will be paying for a rental car which will be sitting there unused for the whole time you are at the festival. There are plenty of rental car companies with offices nearby if you would like to rent a car after the festival to continue your travels.
We also have a rental car deal through our site which will save you 10%. You can find out more about that here.
Just note, you will need to pay a parking fee of $20 for single use or $40 for going in and out.
Also, keep in mind that you do not need a 4×4 to get to the festival, but several of the roads around Uvita are hilly and unpaved.
Envision Festival in Costa Rica – Helpful Tips
Camping
Camping is included in all multi-day tickets. If you do not want to lug all your camping equipment with you to Costa Rica, it is possible to rent tents with a foam mattress and pillow at the event. Just remember to bring some kind of tapestry or light sheet to cover yourself while sleeping.
Eating
There will be food for sale at the event (and I am super excited about it) but it is also possible to bring in your own food and prepare it yourself. There will be a dishwashing station so you can clean your plates. If you do opt to cook your own food, there will be an Envision Fresh Market on site and there is a basic grocery store in Uvita.
Safety
Costa Rica is pretty safe, but we know it’s often a concern for people. If you want to read some safety tips, we have a full post about that here. However, we do always suggest travel insurance. You are in a foreign country and you never really know what’s going to happen. We suggest World Nomads. They are by far our favorite travel insurance company and we know we can always count on them.
Envision Festival in Costa Rica – What to Do After
The Envision festival is held in Uvita which is the perfect jumping off point for other adventures in Costa Rica!
We suggest making your way south through Dominical and down into the Osa Peninsula if you are looking for a more relaxed/ nature vibe to your Costa Rica travels. Just remember, this involves a long trip back to San Jose.
Your other easy option is to head up to Manuel Antonio and then Jaco. From Jaco, you can easily get back to San Jose or head off to explore other parts of the country. We find Manuel Antonio and Jaco to be a bit too filled with tourists at this time of year, but they are definitely great jumping off points for getting to other parts of the country.
In the comment section below let us know if you have any questions about Envision Festival or any other travels in Costa Rica. Also, be sure to tell us if you’ll be at Envision. We’d love to meet up!
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