Santa Teresa

Maxi Palí — Walmart budget arm

Automercado — premium, wide range

Pequeño Mundo — cheap general goods

Feria (farmers' market) — weekend produce

Best: Dec – Apr · Wet: May – Nov

Fees: Bank ATMs charge modest fees; machines dispense both colones and USD.

Limits: Usually ₡200,000 or a few hundred USD per pull.

Best machines: BACBanco NacionalScotiabank

Vaccines: Routine, Hepatitis A; Typhoid for wider eating. Dengue on both coasts — repellent.

Health: Tap water is actually safe to drink in most of the country including San José — a Central American rarity. Rip currents on both coasts are the real hazard: swim at flagged beaches, respect the ocean. Excellent private hospitals (CIMA, Clínica Bíblica).

Tap water: ✅ Safe to drink in most of the country, including cities and most beach towns — a regional exception. In very remote spots, ask locally.

Safety: One of Latin America's safest and most visitor-ready countries ('pura vida' is real). Petty theft from cars and beaches is the main issue — never leave anything visible in a rental, use lockers. Santa Teresa and Puerto Viejo are laid-back surf towns; standard beach-town smarts apply.

For most short tourist trips, citizens of the US, UK, EU/Schengen, Canada, Australia and New Zealand either enter visa-free or get a simple online authorisation (an eVisa or eTA) before flying. Typical visa-free stays run 30–90 days. Some countries want a visa arranged in advance, and a growing number ask you to fill an online arrival or eVisa form even when 'visa-free' — so always check the official portal for your exact nationality before you book.