FAQs

Question

I don't know Spanish! Am I in trouble?

Answer

Nope! Everywhere you go, you'll get by with speaking English! The locals enjoy helping you with your Spanish, though, so give it a try!

Question

Do I have to worry about the water being unsafe? What about the alcohol?

Answer

The water is perfectly safe to drink, you don't need to worry! There will, however, be bottled and filtered water available at all restaurants and hotels. Costa Rica is known for being environmentally friendly, so please bring a re-useable water bottle with you during your travels to reduce your carbon foot print! As for the alcohol, there was a recent scare (as seen on the news) involving tainted alcohol. Costa Rica has very strict laws and regulations on imported goods. The alcohol tainted was placed into the wrong hands of people who tampered with the products AFTER leaving the distributors and was then sold illegally. However, the safety of our guests is our absolute number one concern. Alcohol will still be available at all of our events, but for purchase by each individual. Please note, if you are planning to check a bag during your flight, you can bring a 5 LITER bottle of alcohol into Costa Rica duty free (that's a pretty dang big bottle of alcohol!)

Question

What do I need to know about the currency there? Can I use credit cards?

Answer

Costa Rica’s unit of currency is the colon (₡), which hovers around 600 colones/ $1 USD. (Currently 600 to the dollar). So for example a ₡1,000 colones bill is worth about $1.67* and a ₡10,000 colones bill is worth about $16.67. • US dollars are king in Costa Rica and are accepted everywhere. Most stores will offer a discount when paying with dollars. $10s, $20s and $50s are preferred and most stores will not take $100 bills. You will be able to use your credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Amex) in all hotels and most restaurants. Travelers Checks are a difficult to cash, we advise against bringing them. There are ATM’s in San Jose and Liberia, and all the areas of travel including Nosara.

Question

Will my cell phone work?

Answer

Holly and Joe encourage you to unplug during your vacation as you possibly can to enjoy time with us, the people who mean the most to us (all of you!), and to take in the beauty of all that Costa Rica has to offer! You'll see quickly why we chose to get married here! Yes, cell phones do work in CR, but coverage is spotty; You'll be able to make international calls from your hotel rooms. Smart phones with international access do work. Remember to turn off your data roaming or you’ll have a large bill when you return. If you plan to bring electronic devices, consider purchasing travel insurance in case of loss or theft. Back up your files before leaving home. It is NOT necessary to bring converter attachments. PLEASE, ABSOLUTELY NO CELL PHONES AT OUR CEREMONY. Please respect our wishes! We are hiring a professional photographer to take our photos and ask that you all be present in the moment with us. Kindly allow our photographer and his crew to do the job we hired them for.

Question

What is the weather like?

Answer

You will be visiting Costa Rica at one of the most perfect times of the year! Costa Rica will just have finished up their green season (Costa Rica's winter) where rain is a common visitor. Dry season (no rain!) is Mid-November through April and generally the warmest time of the year. Temperatures are not as high as March and April, but still warm. Welcome to the Jungle! You may see ants, beetles, spiders and other assorted cool insects year round. Your guides and drivers can tell you everything you want to know about them.