To take advantage of your road trip to Costa Rica in a van or a 4*4 with roof tents, we give you a list of advice:
1) Prepare your suitcase
The #vanlife is synonymous with simplicity, for that we advise you to bring the strictly necessary, namely: Shorts and a T-shirt, flip-flops, bathing suit, K-way, wool (for the cold nights in the volcanoes it can be useful), sneakers or hiking shoes, soft bag (If you come with a suitcase, we advise you to store your clothes in the Van and leave it at our agency), anti-mosquito, sun cream, headlamp, a good game of cards and a good book. You will find laundries in the big cities to clean your clothes if needed.
2) Prepare your itinerary
In a van or 4*4 with a roof tent the golden rule is to prepare your itinerary but to leave space for the unexpected. To help you, we have concocted several itineraries according to the duration of your trip to Costa Rica (you will find them in the article “Our favorite itineraries” or in the rider’s guide). The roads in Costa Rica can be tricky, we usually speak in hours and not in kilometers. Don’t overload your itinerary, this is also the time to chill at the beach or a waterfall.
We strongly recommend camping in the wild, to take advantage of the best spots on the beach, near a river or a volcano.
3) Find a place to sleep before it gets dark
In Costa Rica night falls quickly, around 6 pm. We advise you to find your place before, in order not to have bad surprises during the night and especially to install yourself correctly. Thanks to the ioverlander.com application, it’s a piece of cake (remember to download it beforehand).
4) Save water and food
To remain autonomous, we advise you to manage your water consumption. You will find free water in all gas stations or in campsites. The same goes for food, keep a stock in case you find a place that amazes you to the point of not wanting to move.
Whatever happens, remember that the key to enjoying your van road trip is to be a little flexible and ready for an extraordinary adventure!
Start by renting your campervan with us, more info on our main page!