Costa Rica is on Central Standard Time, six hours behind Greenwich Mean Time and one hour behind EST in the States. It does not use daylight saving time – which means that when there is daylight saving time in the US, then Costa Rica is on MST (2 hours behind EST).

The official money is the Costa Rica Colones (Fluctuating around 420 - 700 colones per $1 USD. The US Dollar is widely accepted in Costa Rica, so exchanging US Dollars to Costa Rica Colones is not necessary. Smaller denominations of $20 or less are easiest to cash. Visa and Mastercard are also widely accepted. AMEX and DISCOVERY slightly less accepted. ATMS: There are ATMS within driving distance. Some only accepts Visa and most will dispense money in both colones & USD.

Electricity: The voltage throughout the country is 110, the same as in North America. Travelers with appliances set for 220 will need an adapter that changes the voltage and allows for use of a different plug - and we recommend you bring your own.

Citizen of the US, Canada, and Panama may enter Costa Rica with a passport that remains valid at least 6 months after your travel date. Identification such as a driver’s license or birth certificate is no longer valid for travel to Costa Rica. A valid passport allows Canadian, American, as well as most Latin American, and European citizens to stay for up to 90 days. Citizens of other countries may require a visa to enter Costa Rica. Before you go to Costa Rica, please make a copy of your passport, which you will need to carry with you at all times.

Costa Rica Entry Requirements Starting April 1st 2022, the temporary immigration measures for entering Costa Rica – put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic – are repealed. This eliminates the requirement to complete the epidemiological form known as the Health Pass, as well as the vaccine proof for the ones that has it and the requirement of medical insurance for unvaccinated foreigner. The use of masks as well as the protocol of washing hands and taking temperatures is NOT mandatory in Costa Rica.

1. General: Camera/batteries/phone/ charger, sun hat, water bottle, natural bug repellent (also available locally here), REEF SAFE sunscreen only please! (Also available for sale locally) 2. Meds: Bring any special medication. 3. Clothing: a. Short & light cargo or hiking pants for some activities, shorts, BATHING SUIT. b. Evening wear - A dress for restaurants (optional) and a light cover or sweater (for mountain retreat locations). We also recommend to pack a light raincoat or rain-poncho. (Light). c. Shoe wear: Walking trainers (sneakers) or hiking shoes & aqua/water shoes (or closed toed sandals if tubing or rafting), & beach sandals/flip-flops. Other: We recommend bringing a small flashlight, as power outages do happen on occasion. Some of our locations offer hairdryers. You may contact us with more questions or recommendations. PLEASE NOTE: You are in the tropics. YOU WILL GET WET! Light rain is common in this beautiful country. Embrace it! PLEASE NOTE: You are surrounded by wildlife. Insects, spider and little critters are part of the experience. A little essential mint oil can assist to deter bugs. (It is available at ALL retreat locations).

From a general health perspective, Costa Rica has high health standards in the entire country and is considered one of the safest destinations in the developing world. If you have a healthcare provider in the country of your origin, you may want to inquire before your travels about their coverage policy, when traveling to Costa Rica. English-speaking doctors have offices located throughout Costa Rica and 45 minutes or less drive from all of our locations. A hospital is located within 5 minutes from our Manuel Antonio locations and 15 - 35 minutes drive for ALL our retreat locations. For serious conditions, an airlift is available to a hospital with excellent and Western standard medical care in the capital of San Jose within 1 hr. SHOTS & VACCINATIONS: Typically, from US, Canada or EU no shots require, for others, please check Costa Rica’s requirements for your country.

Wi-fi: WiFi is available at all our locations, though we encourage Guests to "Go Dark" whenever possible. Cell Phone Service: You may check with your own providers to ADD Costa Rica as a travel destination on your plan. You can also opt for a local sim card with data & free WhatsApp plan (around $10-$20) for 2 4 weeks coverage). We can assist you with this if you request it in advance. We have a local cell phone available for emergency use for our Guests.