The most perfect day for a walk along Sally’s Pa The most perfect day for a walk along Sally’s Path - this cute path connects @bakerylivingpgh to @bakerysquarepgh and I can be eating tacos or pizza in literally minutes😍😍What are you up to this weekend? Hopefully it involves 🌮 or 🍕 too! •
•
•
•
•
•
•
#walnutcapital #happyatwcm #wcm #pittsburgh #pittsburghpa #shadyside #pittsburghneighborhoods #bakeryliving #bakerysquare
Athelsiure has been my go to for the past… two y Athelsiure has been my go to for the past… two years at this point 😅#justfabpartner loving this cute little cropped hoodie from @justfabonline! It’s the perfect spring color! Linking this and other options over in the @shop.ltk app! Just search “chicandcheaplifestyles”.•
•
•
•
•
•
•
#justfabonline #justfab #athleisure #croppedhoodie #croptop #springworkout #workoutlook #pittsburghpa #springlook
Seriously spoiled with good shopping and amazing f Seriously spoiled with good shopping and amazing food across the street from me @bakerysquarepgh! Did some shopping @anthropologie this weekend & lunch and drinks @galleybakerysquare! How did you spend this beautiful weekend?! •
•
•
•
•
#pittsburghweekend #pittsburghpa #pittsburghshopping #bakerysquare #bakeryliving #pittsburghliving #anthropologie #anthrofinds #pittsburghfood
I always feel like the day after Easter is officia I always feel like the day after Easter is officially spring but… Pittsburgh had other plans and it snowed 😫😫😫. Still finding blooms and pink buildings helps. ❤️•
•
•
•
•
•
#springfashion #reservedfashion #springbreak2022 #springclothes #floraldress #reservedclothing #floralsspring #pittsburghblogger #pablogger #stripdistrict #springinbloom #pittsburghinbloom #springflowers #reservedforme
Forever a sneakers and skirt kinda girl! I’ve ho Forever a sneakers and skirt kinda girl! I’ve honestly had these white sneaks from @justfabonline for years! I’m wondering if I should level up to the chunky dad sneaker look but I’m scared 🤣🤣🤣 what do you think of the trend?! •
•
•
•
•
•
#springfashion #fashioninsp #skirtoutfit #justfab #justfabinfluencer #shopltk #ltkspring #bloggerfashion #springskirt #justfabpartner #justfabshoes #everydaystyle #floralskirt
When it’s 70 and you aren’t sure if it’s goi When it’s 70 and you aren’t sure if it’s going to snow tomorrow, you take your lunch break outdoors @bakerysquarepgh & enjoy the sun! Love all the places to eat and enjoy a coffee or lunch! •
 •
•
•
.
•
•
#bakerysquare #bakeryliving #shoppingdistrict #starbuckscoffee #walnutcapital
This cold and snowy weekend made it the perfect we This cold and snowy weekend made it the perfect weekend to stay home @bakerylivingpgh, order takeout & drink some red wine! Were lucky there are so many good takeout places nearby! We ordered ramen and @takotorta too! PGH friends - What are some of your favorite places for takeout?! •
•
•
•
•
•
• #letsstayhome #bakeryliving #happyatwcm #walnutcapital #pittsburghliving #pittsburghapartments #pghfood #pittsburghapts #pittsburghblogger #apartmentlife #apartmentliving #apartmenttherapy
Took full advantage of the snowy weekend and read Took full advantage of the snowy weekend and read by the coziest fireplace @bakerylivingpgh - there’s just something about a fireplace  and a good book am I right?! I just started the guest list and so far I’m hooked! What are you reading right now?! •
•
•
•
•
•
•
#bakeryliving #walnutcapital #happyatwcm #pittsburghapartments #apartmentlocator #apartmentliving #apartmentlobby #pittsburgh #pittsburghapts
Throwback to those WFH vibes now that offices are Throwback to those WFH vibes now that offices are calling us back 😱😱😱 has your office called you back yet? We are going back to a casual dress code sooo I’ll be sharing casual work #ootd here for some inspo! •
•
•
•
.•
•
#wfh #wfhvibes #wfhspace #pinkblazer #officechic #officeoutfit #whatimwearing #blazeroutfit #pittsburghliving #officevibes #officewearstyle #officeoutfits
  • About Me
  • Shop My Instagram
  • Lifestyles
  • Style
  • Fashion Cents
  • Pittsburgh
  • Travel

Chic & Cheap Lifestyles

Affordable Lifestyle Blog by Jen

  • About Me
  • Style
  • Travel
  • Lifestyles
    • Affordable Finds
    • Beauty
    • How To
    • Pittsburgh
  • Fashion Cents
  • Follow me on LTK
  • Shop
    • Shop My Favorites
    • Shop My Instagram
  • Holiday 2021
    • Gift Guides
    • Holiday Style
    • DIY & Entertain

Lifestyles, Travel · March 3, 2018

Iphone Travel Diary – Costa Rica

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect in Costa Rica. I was a little nervous since it was my first time in Central America, but after spending a week there, I could absolutely spend a few more weeks there exploring. Costa Rica is anything but boring, and I feel like I only scratched the surface!

One of my the things I want to showcase on my blog is affordable trip ideas. I toyed with the idea of preparing travel guides, but think its more aligned with what I do to offer affordable options to various travel destinations. Because let’s be honest, you want to have a good trip but you don’t want to eat cereal for dinner for weeks after to pay for it, right?!

Getting There and Staying There

Flights and accommodations to Costa Rica are extremely reasonable. Costa Rica is one of the more expensive Central American countries, but I found it to be on the cheap side. Your trip will dictate what area you plan on flying into. Pittsburgh to San Jose was the best decision for us – and our flights were under $400 which is extremely reasonable. We knew we wanted to stay on a beach that was centrally located to what we wanted to do – we wanted to visit the cloud forest, rainforest, and an island. After tons of research, those seemed to be the can’t miss places in Costa Rica.

Jaco Beach is where we decided to stay because it was a bustling town with tons to do (and centrally located to all of our activities). Jaco offers a variety of accommodations for any budget – there are tons of Airbnbs, luxury hotels, moderately priced hotels and hostels. We chose Oceano Boutique Hotel because it was less than $100 a night.

Cheap Things to Do

  • The beach – obviously, the beach is the cheapest thing you can do since its free! The sand is volcanic ash so it tends to look like mud but there are nearby beaches with better sand!

  • Take in nature – literally, there is nature everywhere and anywhere. Jungles, rain forests, lush greenery, mountains – I seriously can’t explain how beautiful it was. There are also wild animals everywhere! On the way to the airport, we stopped on a bridge to check out the alligators underneath. It was terrifying but so cool.
  • Take a surf lesson – surfing is HUGE in Costa Rica and you can take a surf lesson for under $50
  • Eat at a Soda – the typical Costa Rican food is from a soda (their version of a fast food restaurant) which you can find pretty much everywhere. Tons of variety of what you can fill your plate with, but it consists of meat, plantains, rice, beans, and salad. It costs under $5 for a meal.

  • Enjoy happy hour – pretty much all of the restaurants in Jaco offered happy hour from 3 to 7 (umm America, can you take note of the four-hour happy hour please?) Dos Amigos was our favorite spot because margaritas were $3 and patron shots were $2.
  • Ride a bike – our hotel offered bike rentals for $3. Since we would walk to the beach and to lunch, having a bike was perfect. Other than the seriously crazy drivers you have to dodge, I would highly recommend it!

Moderately Priced Things to Do

  • Zipline in Monte Verde – hands down the best and scariest experience I had in Costa Rica. There are lots of companies in Monte Verde that offer ziplining, but we went the Original Canopy Tours. It’s only $45 for hours of ziplining and hiking. I can’t describe how amazing it is, so just check out the pictures instead!
  • Tour Manuel Antonio Rain Forest– The entrance fee to Manuel Antonio is $16, and you can hike at your leisure. There’s a beach at the end of a couple of the hiking trails and it is well worth the (short) trek. Bonus – monkeys, sloths, raccoons, birds, need I say more?
  • Dine at the Green Room, TacoBar Jaco Beach, or Los Amigos. These were our favorite spots and we visited multiple times! The seafood is so fresh in Costa Rica, and so are the fruits and veggies.

 

Worth the Splurge

  • Tortuga Island – $110 per person. This was a splurge but worth every penny. We got picked up at our hotel, taken to a marina, rode a catamaran to a private island and all the drinks and food you could want! Bonus: banana boat and snorkeling was also complimentary. I loved every minute of our time on Tortuga and would do it again in a heartbeat! We booked through this company and I really could go on and on about them!

  • Private Airport Transfer – I’ve been to a lot of international airports, and San Jose is up there in terms of disorganization. It was nice to have a paid for transfer to our hotel in a huge, air-conditioned van. Its chaotic and there are definitely some scammers trying to get you to go with them. Better safe than sorry :)!

I hope you visit Costa Rica! I can’t wait to go back!

In: Lifestyles, Travel · Tagged: cheap finds, cheap travel, costa rica, costa rica travel, travel

join the club

You’ll Also Love

Carryon Packing List for Summer Travel
Instagram Worthy Spots in London
Chic & Cheap on the Go – A Weekend in Liverpool

Comments

  1. 4+2 Chest of Drawers says

    August 8, 2018 at 8:11 am

    Looks like such a fun trip!! The places and the food look amazing too! Thanks for sharing this amazing post.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Next Post >

Shop My Instagram

Hi there!

Hi there!

As a finance professional by day, sharing some "fashion cents" so you can live the good life on a budget!

LET’S CONNECT

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Reader Favorites

  • Everything you Need to Know about Microneedling
  • Taxes and Blogging – The Basics
  • Shopping with Gabe’s

trending now

  • Everything you Need to Know about Microneedling
  • Taxes and Blogging – The Basics
  • Shopping with Gabe’s
  • Shop My Instagram

instagram

Follow @Chic&CheapLifestyles

The most perfect day for a walk along Sally’s Pa The most perfect day for a walk along Sally’s Path - this cute path connects @bakerylivingpgh to @bakerysquarepgh and I can be eating tacos or pizza in literally minutes😍😍What are you up to this weekend? Hopefully it involves 🌮 or 🍕 too! •
•
•
•
•
•
•
#walnutcapital #happyatwcm #wcm #pittsburgh #pittsburghpa #shadyside #pittsburghneighborhoods #bakeryliving #bakerysquare
Athelsiure has been my go to for the past… two y Athelsiure has been my go to for the past… two years at this point 😅#justfabpartner loving this cute little cropped hoodie from @justfabonline! It’s the perfect spring color! Linking this and other options over in the @shop.ltk app! Just search “chicandcheaplifestyles”.•
•
•
•
•
•
•
#justfabonline #justfab #athleisure #croppedhoodie #croptop #springworkout #workoutlook #pittsburghpa #springlook
Seriously spoiled with good shopping and amazing f Seriously spoiled with good shopping and amazing food across the street from me @bakerysquarepgh! Did some shopping @anthropologie this weekend & lunch and drinks @galleybakerysquare! How did you spend this beautiful weekend?! •
•
•
•
•
#pittsburghweekend #pittsburghpa #pittsburghshopping #bakerysquare #bakeryliving #pittsburghliving #anthropologie #anthrofinds #pittsburghfood
I always feel like the day after Easter is officia I always feel like the day after Easter is officially spring but… Pittsburgh had other plans and it snowed 😫😫😫. Still finding blooms and pink buildings helps. ❤️•
•
•
•
•
•
#springfashion #reservedfashion #springbreak2022 #springclothes #floraldress #reservedclothing #floralsspring #pittsburghblogger #pablogger #stripdistrict #springinbloom #pittsburghinbloom #springflowers #reservedforme
Forever a sneakers and skirt kinda girl! I’ve ho Forever a sneakers and skirt kinda girl! I’ve honestly had these white sneaks from @justfabonline for years! I’m wondering if I should level up to the chunky dad sneaker look but I’m scared 🤣🤣🤣 what do you think of the trend?! •
•
•
•
•
•
#springfashion #fashioninsp #skirtoutfit #justfab #justfabinfluencer #shopltk #ltkspring #bloggerfashion #springskirt #justfabpartner #justfabshoes #everydaystyle #floralskirt
  • About Me

Copyright © 2022 Chic & Cheap Lifestyles · Theme by 17th Avenue