Iguana Surf's Recommendations

Costa Rica’s unit of currency is the Costa Rican Colon (CRC). To give you some perspective; 650 CRC is about $1 USD. Anyway, U.S. dollars are widely accepted, provided the bill is not too large ($50 and $100 bills are rarely accepted) and in good condition. Hotels and tours generally list their prices in dollars. Compared to the rest of Central America, prices in Costa Rica are relatively high, due to the high standard of living in our country. Typical Costa Rican food and produce is quite inexpensive, while imported products are priced similarly to U.S. prices.

Costa Rica has 2 Seasons. Dry Season is December through April where you will not see a drop of rain out here in Guanacaste. Rainy (or Green) season is May – October. May & June, September & October are the rainiest months of the year, but no worries; this does not mean there is rain all day every day, it just means there is a chance of showers almost every day. Many times it rains for an hour or so like normal island weather and then is sunny the rest of the day. July, August & November we call our Indian Summer since it is in the middle of Rainy Season but there is little to no rain.

Costa Rica is a very secure country with a low crime rate, however we do recommend keeping passports & valuables in a safe (which we have in every bedroom of the house). According to the Global Peace Index, Costa Rica is safer than the U.S. for example. Also, although it is a very safe country, petty theft is fairly high. Do not leave anything on the beach unattended, nor inside the car; including sandals, towels etc., unless you are okay with them not being there when you come back.

You can save a lot of time and stress by just learning to say PURA VIDA! (poo-ra vee-dah), this phrase just means Pure Life, but in Costa rica it is widely use inestead of Hello, Thank You, You're welcome, Bye.

Me puede dar un vaso de agua, por favor? Tap water in Costa Rica is drinkable and, in many areas of the country, quite good. However, if you have a sensitive stomach, it's recommended to refrain from drinking the tap water in most beach destinations. To play it safe, visit any supermarket and buy bottled water, or use the water dispenser from the refrigerator.

Tamarindo is a one mile town, and everything is walking distance from the house, especially Restarants and Bars. When you are staying here in Tamarindo, a car is not necessary at all, you can walk from one end of town to the other in under 20 minutes and colectivos (taxi's) are $5 or less to anywhere in town, while golf cart rentals are around $70 per day. Costa Rican roads are not in the best shape, but believe it or not they are 100 times better than years past! If you are wanting to rent a car and drive yourself, you will definitely need a GPS.

By Costa Rican law, 13% sales tax & 10% service charge will be added to all restaurant bills. In regards to tipping customs, the 10% service charge is split amongst all the workers in the restaurant including the kitchen, so a very small percentage will actually go to your server. Our recommendation is if you normally tip 15-20% at home, leave an extra 10% on top of of the 10% service charge in hopes your server will actually receive a 12-15% gratuity.

Remember you are in Costa Rica and most everything runs on Tico Time. If you are in a hurry you will surely be dissatisfied with the service in Costa Rica. If you can force yourself to sit back, relax and enjoy your surroundings, you will find the service much more pleasant. By the way, it is not customary for the waiter to bring you the check without asking for it, they consider it rude, so you will need to ask for the check or you will be sitting long enough to get hungry again.

Tamarindo is widely known by its waves and by its gorgeous sunsets, so make sure that you take the time to enjoy them. Depending on the time of the year, the sun will set between 5:30 and 6:30 pm. There are many beachfront restaurants and bars where you can have a nice drink or an amazing meal while enjoying the view. My personal favorites are Pangas Beach Club (best food in town), and Ocho Beach Bar (great music and drinks).

This is a must do on Thursday evenings. It started as a farmers market, then it became a local art / food market, and now a days it is an amazing place to see and be seen at. Good, music, drinks, food, souvenirs, amazing people, and great vibe. It happens in the parking lot of the Tamarindo Gym, about 300 meters from the house on Guanacaste Street.

Every Saturday morning, the place to be is the Tamarindo Skate Park, where you will find good produce, organic and local foods, the best coffee, activities for the kids, live music, souvenirs, and more :)

Wheon planning your trip, please install the SOSAFE community app on your phone. This is a great connection tool used by the locals to report any type of emergency without having to wait for the 911 operator to communicate with the local authorities.