Costa Rica

The mountains in the clouds, the clouds in the mountains, you decide. But this little phrase became one we were constantly saying to ourselves throughout our time in Costa Rica. Over the last few years Costa Rica is becoming increasingly popular and I experienced first hand why this to be true. The country is lively, amazing, organic, genuine and heartwarming. Costa Rica has been on my bucket list and a place I was looking forward to navigating. The biodiversity is what kept me wanting to explore more and the culture made me want to stay longer. Did I forget the beaches? Yes, the beaches are fantastic too.

What to Expect

Language: Spanish.

Currency: Costa Rican colón

Credit Cards & ATMs: Many Tico shops, restaurants, and hotels accept credit cards.

Safety: Costa Rica is generally, safe, but use caution. Exercise caution with valuables.

Plugs: 110 V, The same as USA.

Food and Drinks: The casado is the most traditional Costa Rican lunch- made up of rice, (black) beans, protein, vegetables- all on one plate 

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What to Eat

If you’ve spent any time in Portugal, you’ve undoubtedly encountered the iconic pastéis de nata. They beckon from every bakery window with their flaky crusts, custardy centers, and carefully caramelized surfaces. In the capital and throughout the country, they’re cheap, they’re delicious, and they’re absolutely ubiquitous; you might even say pastéis de nata in Lisbon are a dime a dozen. But I beg to differ.

In the local cafés and restaurants you will find traditional dishes such as bacalhau (salted cod). Since Lisbon is situated along the Atlantic Ocean and seafood is one of the city’s specialties. Try catch-of-the-day specials including octopus, sea bass and sardines.

The famous casada. Pork, rice, lettice, beans and bread. 

Crusted Sea bass at Zambeze in Lisbon, Portugal

Crusted Sea bass over a bed of spinach at Zambeze Restaurant in Lisbon, Portugal

Things To Do

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Book Your Trip Now!

Below are my favorite companies I use time and time again when I book my travel. 

  • Rakuten – Get the Best Coupons & Promo Codes at places like Hotels.com, Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline and many more. Sign Up for a Free Account with Rakuten to Save Today!
  • Chase Travel – If you have a Chase account, this is by far the best way to book travel and earn miles/points while doing so. If you don’t have a Chase account, I highly suggest getting the best travel rewards credit card in the Chase Sapphire Prefered
  • CapitalOne Travel – In my opinion, the second best travel rewards credit card. Use the CapitalOne travel portal to book airfare, hotels and rental cars using your points & miles.
  • HomeStay – Homestay is a popular form of hospitality and lodging whereby visitors share a residence with a local of the city to which they are traveling.
  • SkyScanner – Skyscanner is a great flight search engine which searches a lot of different airlines, including many of the budget carriers that larger sites miss. While I always start with Momondo, I use this site too as a way to compare prices.
  • Booking.com – Booking probably has the widest selection of budget accommodation in the world. In our studies, they constantly found the cheapest rooms. I also like their easy-to-use interface and no-money-down policy.
  • RocketMiles – Book hotels on Rocketmiles and earn thousands of miles and points per night on every booking. Or, earn gift cards for your favorite purchases.
  • Selina Hostel – This is the best hostel accommodation in the world. Their unique CoLive stays, artwork and location are the best. Not to mention, they are a great value travel brand!

For companies, check out my favorite travel companies section that includes even more of my favorite travel companies that will help you value travel!