Discover Camping in Costa Rica

In the spring of 2022 we travelled to Costa Rica for a month. It was certain for us that we wanted to go camping in Costa Rica. The reason was that Costa Rica is a country par excellence for (free) camping.

Of course we first researched how this works and where you can go and are allowed to camp. The latter was resolved fairly quickly. You can camp almost anywhere in Costa Rica, even along the road. Plus.., golden rule.., you can go camping on the beach up to the row of trees because of the turtles and other animal species. Camping is not allowed in National Parks, although some National Parks have a small campsite. Because camping is allowed in the wild, there are not that many campsites. Incidentally, the campsites are very basic. It is often no more than a lawn with a toilet and a cold shower.

After we spent the first few days in the capital San José, it was time to pick up our campervan. The first week we travelled with a small Suzuki campervan and the other two weeks with a 4x4 Toyota Hilux with roof tent. We rented both vehicles through Nomad America.

Roads of Costa Rica

The roads in Costa Rica are fair to good. Main roads are generally good. Side roads in the small towns are easy to drive, except for the holes in the road.

The more you drive outside the urban area in rural areas, the more challenging the roads become.

The first week with the Suzuki campervan we drove the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. The reason for this was that it is unusually beautiful and doable with this vehicle. But certainly because you can't drive off-road with the Suzuki campervan, that's why we chose paved roads.

After all, later we would travel in a 4x4 off-road camping vehicle which is perfect to drive the rougher roads on the Pacific coast. The Suzuki campervan was small but really nice. We could store some stuff in it and sleep in the back of the van. Anything else you need to do outside. 

Outdoor life in Costa Rica

We cooked mostly all of our dishes outside
(this applies to all vehicles that you rent through Nomad America)

TIP I: Via the Nomad America site you can easily find which vehicles are available in the period that is best for you
TIP II: As a Dutch citizen you do not need an international driver's license to rent a car or campervan

After travelling for a week in the Suzuki campervan, it was time for the “real work’. We changed the Suzuki for a 4x4 off-road Toyota Hilux with a roof top tent.

Many nights…

We camped on the most beautiful beaches…

Fell asleep with the nightly jungle sounds and waking up by sunrise with the sound of the waves of the ocean…

For us, travelling trough Costa Rica in a 4x4 camping vehicle with rooftop tent was one of the best experiences.

With the 4x4 off-road you have many more options. You can drive off-road, through rivers and park it more easily on the beach. The two remaining weeks we drove the South, West and central Costa Rica. We parked at het most beautiful beaches or in the rough jungle. Fell asleep with the monkeys around you. Or waking up with a beach full of sea turtles. I can say that we had a lot of fun with both the off-roading and camping.

We always focus…

On the journey and never on the destination. This is one of the things we learned while travelling. No matter how well you plan your trip, it will turn out differently in the end.

Due to weather conditions, curiosity or just that it feels good.

Just like the Suzuki, with the Jeep we had to cook and live outside. Your stuff is in the car and you sleep in the rooftop tent.
In the huge trunk we had a large cool box (yes, get your ice every day), table and chairs, groceries in containers and the accompanying camping gear. We also received a machete from Nomad America. Here we could cut branches for a campfire, cut and chop coconuts or chop away branches to clear the path. Neither of us are ever like 'you must see this' or ‘this has to be on your list’. What I do want to say is, if you are interested in camping in Costa Rica and you can afford it, then camping and travelling in a 4x4 off-road camping vehicle is definitely recommended.

Do you want to read more about our trip through Costa Rica. Read our travel experience here.