Question about traveling in Costa Rica.

[Tudor]

Im going to Costa Rica In setember for 7 weeks. I was speaking with some friends that went there, they told me if it wasn't for the spanish guy they were with they would have been screwed. For those who have been, is getting around costa Rica difficult with little Spanish?

I also wanted to know if Costa Rica is more of a "party and bar" tourism or more of the scenic beaches and nature tourism?

[space virgin]

I'm sure Omisan and perhaps Voyd will be along to share their experiences (I have yet to go to Costa Rica), but in the mean time check out this thread. It's full of all sorts of good info.

[omisan]

I studied Spanish before going to CR, and I loved being able to use it, but no - it's not necessary there. You'll hardly run into anyone - even in the middle of nowhere - that doesn't speak at least a little English. Tourism is the #1 commodity there, so it's to their benefit to be multi-lingual. Of course, it doesn't hurt to know some Spanish, and if you're going to be there for 7 weeks, you are definitely going to pick up a lot of it, especially if you try to immerse yourself.

As for the scene there - it's both. Ecotourism is HUUUGE, so a trip there can be all about the beaches and rainforests. But since that's generally only done during the day, the nightlife/party scene can be pretty hopping, depending where you are and what night of week it is. And it's not just the tourists partying. Ticos like to let loose and par-tay Thurs-Sat, sometimes Sunday nights. So any town you're in on those nights, there's bound to be a lively scene involving drinking and dancing. But you can really have it anyway you like. If the party/bar thing isn't your scene, don't worry, there are plenty of quiet places to go and reflect.

Check out the thread SV linked - it's got a bunch of mine and Voyd's experiences there.

[Tudor]

Wow thanks a lot I really apperciate the help. I was a little concerned about the language barrier, but now I feel a little more confident.

[Kaaar]

Agree with Omisan and would add that you only need to learn a few lines of Spanish (or get them out of a phrase book) to book buses, etc so its not too bad.

[grainya]

I suppose it depends on what part of the country you're in how much Spanish you'll need. I only spent 2 weeks there, but there was only one place we went where no one really spoke English. I got by fine on very little Spanish (I'm quite terrible with languages).

And the nightclubs there are a blast, we went out dancing and drinking most nights that we were there, and visited the beaches and museums and whatnot through the day. Ended up packing a lot of activity into 2 weeks - the longest we stayed in one place was 3 days. I can't wait to go back.

[voyd]

Originally posted by grainya@Jul 14 2005, 07:07 AM
I suppose it depends on what part of the country you're in how much Spanish you'll need. I only spent 2 weeks there, but there was only one place we went where no one really spoke English. I got by fine on very little Spanish (I'm quite terrible with languages).

Yup, depends where you go. I was mostly in Tamarindo, an ex-pat surfer town where most of the locals had all learned English. Don't know about the rest of the country, though!