Cell Phones and Internet while Traveling in Costa Rica

The all-important question, will I be able to access the internet in Costa Rica? Most hotels and restaurants have Wi-Fi for their guests with varying degrees of reliability.

Making Calls from Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s rural phone system is quite good by neighboring country standards, but that means that even small towns have a phone. One payphone. Which is shared by all the people who live in the town. Prepaid sim cards are nowadays readily available at many utility stores and almost all cellphone stores sell them. Please be aware these will work only in unlocked cell phones. If your phone needs a micro/nano sim (the smaller versions), you may need to go to an official office of the phone company to cut it to right size, so better to bring a phone that takes the original size (full size) sim card. Many Costa Rican local businesses communicate on WhatsApp, so it is highly recommended that you have this downloaded for your trip.

WiFi Connectivity in Costa Rica

The majority of Costa Rica’s hotels and restaurants have internet access for their clients, although it can be spotty depending on where you are in the country. Don’t be surprised if the internet in Costa Rica goes down without warning and see it as an opportunity to disconnect and enjoy your vacation!

Contacting you while you’re on your Costa Rican adventure

If your family at home tries to reach you and can’t get through, they should not panic that you’ve been swallowed by a volcano. In an emergency, they should call the Serendipity office and ask us to reach your group (the guides carry cell phones which work in about ¾ of the country). Guides also try to call the office each day during a trip to check for messages.