Advice on Costa Rica reconnaissance trip

knackstedt374 · 2025-09-08T18:59:57+02:00

Explore local tips for retirees seeking a cooler, non-touristy spot in Costa Rica. Discover public transport options and ideal locations for a month-long stay.

knackstedt374 New member

Member since 08 September 2025

knackstedt374New member08 September 2025 16:59:57

Hello,

My husband and I are retired and planning a trip to Costa Rica this winter to stay a month or two to scope it out and get some sun.聽 We would like to find a base in a cooler area (some altitude), in a typical not too touristy community and take excursions to explore the country.聽 We plan to take public transportation most of the time. When we were in Panama a few years ago, we stayed in a neighborhood about a mile outside of a town with about 18K population with some nice hikes nearby.聽 We walked to town and took collectivos to haul groceries and supplies. The little vans served the locals and were very inexpensive & convenient--they offered short routes throughout the community. I'd like to find a similar situation/location in Costa Rica.聽 Cooler area, cheap local transportation so we can be a little out of a smallish town, access to farmers market/supermarket with good food, some interesting sights/hikes to see birds and wildlife in the vicinity.聽 We'll take buses, shuttles or rent a car for longer excursions. I can't find much information about public transportation on the internet--such as getting around within a community/village area.聽 The most expensive touristy transportation options are the only ones offered--no surprise there. How do the locals get around?

Any advice on location and public transportation is appreciated!

Mary

Bhavna Team

Member since 01 June 2015

BhavnaTeam09 September 2025 00:40:09

42039

@knackstedt374

Hello Mary,

Welcome on board !

Till members share some feedback with you, feel free to have a look at the articles in the Living in Costa Rica: the ultimate expat guide. You will find some general under under the "everyday life" section.

All the best

Bhavna

daveandmarcia Serial expat

Member since 03 February 2023

daveandmarciaSerial expat09 September 2025 16:07:16

340

@knackstedt374, your plan sounds pretty good. A note of caution, however. Public transportation tends to be one-way only. So if you wish to go from town to town, you may be faced with having to take the bus from wherever you're staying to San Jose, then change busses to go to your destination, and then make the trip in reverse to get home. It might be much more pleasant to plan to rely on taxis, Uber, etc.

From what you've described about your plan, Grecia, where we've lived for twenty years, might be well worth considering. We'd be happy to show you around.