Camping around Costa Rica is quite the experience. Whether you choose beach front with starry nights, at the base of a volcano, or within the cloud forest, camping in Costa Rica has a lot to offer. At most tourist destinations you will find camp sites that offer showers and bathrooms and sometimes covered kitchen areas with sinks and bbq pits. Most campsites charge $4-$10 but, traveling with this van means you don't have to limit yourselves to those sites but can enjoy an off the grid place with all the conveniences right there in your van. Most national parks offer camp sites which is a great way to be able to check a few national parks off the list.
We usually opt for more secluded spots when camping so that we can open the doors and have views and breeze from the ocean. Its sometimes easy to find a little space thats private as well, where you don't have to worry about showering with the curtain. The only reason it is somewhat uncomfortable to shower with the curtain is that depending on the direction of the wind, the curtain sometimes blows and sticks on you. Other than that its really nice to use as a changing room as well.
As far as toilet goes, our campervan has an emergency compost toilet and bin which can save you in a rainstorm from getting soaked outside, otherwise camping areas have bathrooms or the good old pop a squat in nature is always nice. Our campervan even comes with a small shovel.
Although it's nice to find some secluded spots, the sense of community found at campgrounds is really something special.
Traveling off the beaten path has its perks but so does being part of something larger. Parking it at a campgrounds allows for story sharing and recommendations from firsthand accounts. A lot of campgrounds even offer wifi. As a rule of thumb the closer you are to a big town or city the more we recommend finding a campground to park at. While at secluded beaches, wild camping is more recommended. We highly suggest the use of the App- iOverlander to find everything you need along the way. The app provides firsthand accounts on where to stay, where to shop, mechanics, and much more.
It is important to double check if campground have drinking water so that you are prepared after making a trek if its not somewhere close to town. Also coconuts are delicious and filled with electrolytes which actually hydrate the body faster than water.
