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Best Hostels in Costa Rica (By Region & Budget)

Updated: Mar 12

Best hostels in Costa Rica for solo backpackers, the key to making Costa Rica accessible without breaking the bank.


Person relaxes on a palm tree by a tropical beach. Text: The Best Hostels in Costa Rica. Bright, sunny scenery with clear water.

Costa Rica is a backpacker’s paradise, offering everything from beachside party hostels to eco-lodges in the jungle. Costa Rica is not cheap but that does not mean you have to sacrifice a good time and with some careful selection you can have the best possible time without breaking the bank. For that reason we are going to cover the best hostels across Costa Rica by region and budget.



-- How to Choose the Best Hostel in Costa Rica --



With so many hostels to choose from, finding the right one depends on your travel style, budget, and expectations. The amazing thing about backpacking is the wide variety of personal agendas. Some people love to party, some love nature and never want to step near a bar, some (like me) are architecture tourists. But that can all bed and flex depending on where you are. Costa Rica for example is far more about nature than it is about the nightlife, where as Nicaragua and Guatemala have wild night life scene. So here are our tips for selecting the right hostel:


1️⃣ Location, Location, Location

2️⃣ Social vs. Quiet Atmosphere

3️⃣ Amenities & Comfort

4️⃣ Hostel Reviews & Vibe



-- The Best Hostels in Costa Rica --



Which brings me onto the best hostels in Costa Rica by region. Lets do this explorers.


🌆 Best Hostels San Jose; the gritty capital

🌋 Best Hostels in La Fortuna, volcano & hot springs

🌳 Best Hostels in Monteverde, cloud forest

🏄 Best Hostels in Tamarindo, surf and party

🏖️ Best Hostels in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

🦜 Best Hostels in Corcovado National Park

🏖️ Best Hostels in Santa Teresa



-- Costa Rica on the Map --



Check out the Backpackers Blueprint map to discover the best of Costa Rica, we constantly update these maps so keep you eye on them 😉





-- Final Thoughts --



Costa Rica offers some of the best hostels in Central America, starting from San Jose you can build yourself a fantastic ring circuit of the country to experience all Costa Rica has to offer. Its a paradise for nature lovers, eco lovers beach lovers, hikers and everyone in between, but its is also not the cheapest of countries to backpack around. If you are on a budget hostels have got your back and are really the key to success. You can meet people looking to share experiences, generally its also a pretty darn safe country to backpack around. In fact Costa Rica is one of the few countries in the world that is demilitarised! But is still does have some safety things you need to consider when heading to Costa Rica, you can find those in my blog post,



Find more about Costa Rica there and make sure to subscribe at the Backpacker's Blueprint homepage. Until the next one have fun in Costa Rica explorer and do not forget to grab a Costa Rica Travel Map, even in an age of digital there is something so good about having one of these in your bag.


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