Author

Rachel Okafor

Founder & Editor

Rachel Okafor has been to Costa Rica seven times in nine years and has driven nearly every paved and unpaved route a visitor would consider. Her day job is in operations and logistics, where the work is closing the gap between the route that looks fastest on paper and the route that is actually fastest on the ground.

She started Amazing Costa Rica Travel after years of answering the same planning questions in forums and Facebook groups, tired of watching accurate, hard-won information get buried under confident guesses. The site exists to make that information findable and to show its work: the unpaved kilometre counts, the seasonal drive times, and the costs nobody warns you about.

She drafts in the early morning before the day job. Nothing goes live the same week a trip ends, because a place always sounds easier while the trip is still glowing.

Articles by Rachel Okafor

Recent editorial

Resorts in Guanacaste, Costa Rica: Which Coast, Which Tier, and What They Really Cost

Resorts in Guanacaste, Costa Rica compared by area and price: Papagayo luxury, Conchal all-inclusives, budget picks, current rate ranges, and drive times.

Verdict: Pick the area first, then the resort: Papagayo for luxury ($600 to $1,300-plus a night), the Conchal cluster for the best all-inclusive beach (from about $600), and Dreams or the Rius for family budgets (roughly $174 to $430). Everything is within 1.5 hours of Liberia airport.

Car Rental in Liberia, Costa Rica: What It Costs and How the Airport Pickup Actually Works

Car rental at Liberia airport (LIR): real all-in daily costs, mandatory TPL insurance, deposit holds, shuttle pickup, and drive times to Guanacaste beaches.

Verdict: Budget the base rate plus mandatory liability insurance (roughly $13 to $22 per day by vehicle) plus a credit-card deposit hold, book before you fly in high season, and expect a short shuttle ride to an off-airport office rather than a car at the curb.

Things to Do in La Fortuna: What Is Worth the Entry Fee and What Is Free

Things to do in La Fortuna, Costa Rica: waterfall and volcano entry fees, hot springs from free to $100+, hanging bridges, and a realistic 2-day plan.

Verdict: Do the waterfall ($18 to $20), the volcano park ($15 plus tax), and one hot spring that matches your budget, from the free river to $100-plus resorts. Two full days covers the essentials without rushing.

Adobe Car Rental in Costa Rica: What Your Quote Leaves Out

Adobe car rental in Costa Rica: what the base rate hides, the mandatory insurance you cannot decline, which airport to use, and when to skip the 4x4.

Verdict: Adobe is a legitimate Costa Rican rental company, so the thing to get right is the all-in price. Budget the mandatory TPL insurance from the start, pick your airport by region, and skip the 4x4 unless your route needs it.

Car Rental in San Jose, Costa Rica: The All-In Cost and What the Quote Leaves Out

Car rental in San Jose, Costa Rica: the real all-in daily cost, why the counter beats your online quote, mandatory TPL insurance, deposits, and SJO vs Liberia.

Verdict: Budget the base rate plus mandatory TPL insurance (about $15/day) plus a credit-card deposit hold, and get an all-in quote in writing before you fly. Rent at Liberia instead if your trip is mostly Guanacaste beaches.

Costa Rica Beaches: Which Coast and Town to Pick for the Trip You Actually Booked

Costa Rica beaches, by coast and town: which one fits your trip, by travel month and airport, plus swim vs. surf, real drive times, and honest up-front costs.

Verdict: Fly into Liberia and base in Guanacaste or Nicoya for the fastest, most reliable December-to-April beach weather. Choose by water type, and save the Caribbean for its own February-to-March or September-to-October dry season.

Manuel Antonio National Park: What to Know Before You Go, and Who Should Skip It

Manuel Antonio National Park: whether it is worth it, if you need a guide, how SINAC tickets and hours work, plus drive times, wildlife odds, and when to go.

Verdict: Worth a half-day if you buy SINAC tickets online, arrive at 7 a.m., and expect an easy wildlife-and-beach walk. Skip it for solitude, a hard hike, or guaranteed sloths, and choose Corcovado instead.

Rincón de la Vieja National Park: Volcano Trails, Mud Pots, and How to Visit

Rincón de la Vieja National Park: the two sectors, the mud-pot loop, La Cangreja waterfall, SINAC fees and hours, the drive from Liberia, and where to stay.

Verdict: Worth a full day if you want a volcano you can actually walk through, with steaming mud pots, a waterfall hike, and hot springs next door. Base near the park, buy the SINAC ticket online, and enter before noon if the waterfall is the goal. Skip it for a beach-only trip or if you cannot handle heat and a long, steep hike.

Monteverde Cloud Forest: Is It Worth the Drive, and How to Visit It Well

Monteverde Cloud Forest: is it worth the rough drive? Real drive times, the best reserve, when to see a quetzal, entrance fees, and how many days to stay.

Verdict: Worth the slow, partly unpaved drive if you want the cloud-forest ecosystem, birding, or the ziplines Monteverde invented, and you hire a guide. Skip it on a short trip, or if you need guaranteed big-wildlife sightings.

Papagayo, Costa Rica: The Resort Coast Near Liberia, and Who Should Skip It

Papagayo, Costa Rica: gulf resort zone vs. gated peninsula, drive times from Liberia, real costs, when to go, and who should base in Tamarindo instead.

Verdict: Base in Papagayo for a calm-water resort week close to Liberia airport. Pick Tamarindo or Playas del Coco instead if you want a walkable town, local dining, surf, or a tighter budget.

Tamarindo, Costa Rica: Who It's Right For, and Who Should Base Somewhere Else

Tamarindo, Costa Rica: too touristy? Who it suits, who should base in Nosara instead, plus drive times from Liberia, costs, safety, and the best time to go.

Verdict: Base in Tamarindo for surf, nightlife, and an easy first trip near Liberia airport. Pick Nosara or Santa Teresa instead if you want quiet, wildlife, or a tighter budget.

Playas del Coco, Costa Rica: The Diving Town Near Liberia, and Who Should Skip It

Playas del Coco, Costa Rica: the diving base 30 minutes from Liberia, the beach, nearby bays, real drive times and costs, when to go, and who should skip it.

Verdict: Base in Playas del Coco for a walkable, budget-friendly Guanacaste town 30 minutes from Liberia with the best diving on the coast. Skip it for postcard white sand or a quiet luxury week, and choose Playa Conchal or the Papagayo resorts instead.

Costa Rica Rental Car Insurance (TPL): The Mandatory Fee That Doubles Your Quote

Costa Rica rental car insurance: the mandatory TPL you cannot decline, what it costs per day in 2026, TPL vs CDW, and how to avoid overpaying.

Verdict: Costa Rica requires third-party liability insurance (TPL) on every rental by law, so it is never in the online base rate and cannot be declined. Budget roughly $16 per day for it, get an all-in quote in writing, and know your CDW decision before you land.