If you’re planning a trip to Central America, you may be debating between two popular destinations: Costa Rica vs. Belize. While both these countries offer gorgeous beaches, memorable inland adventures, and unique cultural experiences in North and Central America, if you only have time to visit either Belize or Costa Rica during your vacation — it’s essential to choose the country that matches your travel style best.
That said, here is an overview of both Belize and Costa Rica — including the similarities they share and unique differences — to help you choose the perfect destination for your vacation.
Overview & Quick Facts
Before we dive into our analysis, here are some basic facts and key information to know about Costa Rica and Belize.
Costa Rica is located in the center of Central America and can be found right here on a map!
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is located between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, offering two unique coastlines on each side of the country and 300+ beaches to explore. Overall, Costa Rica offers more inland attractions than Belize, so it is best for thrill-seeking travelers who want to embark on adventures like kayaking, hiking, four-wheeling, white-water rafting, and surfing.
Capital City: San José
Official Language: Spanish
Currency: Costa Rican Colon
Most Popular City: Tamarindo
San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, is a colorful city with plenty of culture, history, and attractions.
Belize
Overall, Belize attracts fewer international tourists than Costa Rica. It’s much smaller in size — just shy of 9,000 square miles compared to the 20,000 square miles to explore in Costa Rica — however, Belize is one of the top diving locations in the world, so visitors looking to encounter sea life will be drawn to this destination.
Capital City: Belmopan
Official Language: English
Currency: Belize Dollar
Most Popular City: Belize City
Belize may be a smaller country than Costa Rica, but the capital city, Belmopan, is still filled with plenty of things to do, as you can see here.
Beaches & Water Sports
Belize is a better destination than Costa Rica for snorkeling, diving, and swimming. However, the stunning white-sand beaches (and sheer quantity of beaches!) in the tropical paradise of Costa Rica simply can’t be beaten.
Belize
Belize is home to the Belize Barrier Reef — the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere and second in the world only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
This barrier reef off the coast of San Pedro Town is teeming with marine life! Snorkeling at the Coral Gardens, Ambergris Caye, or Caye Caulker Marine Reserve is a great way to encounter angelfish, manatees, turtles, rays, dolphins, eels, and coral. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even go scuba diving with reef sharks at popular dive sites like the Blue Hole National Park.
You can see tons of tropical fish while snorkeling in Belize in the Belize Barrier Reef.
Costa Rica
While Belize is known for its abundance of marine life and calm waters for snorkeling and diving along the Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica is better known for its fabulous surfing along the Pacific Ocean in popular beach towns like Santa Teresa and Nosara.
However, if you’re still looking for a diving adventure in Costa Rica, you will be satisfied with the diving around the Bat Islands and Catalina Islands in Guanacaste. You can swim with bull sharks and giant manta rays on these islands for a memorable diving experience.
You can also snorkel on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast at Cahuita National Park — the only coral reef in Costa Rica.
Attractions & Adventures
Both Costa Rica and Belize offer plenty to see and do (besides beachy activities) during your vacation. However, when it comes to history, Belize has the upper hand, whereas Costa Rica is the capital of Central America for wildlife spotting and thrilling adventures!
Costa Rica
Compared to Belize, Costa Rica is a much better destination for eco-tourism. Nearly 30% of the country’s tropical rainforests, beautiful beaches, and mountain terrains are protected in national parks. In these parks, you can encounter an abundance of wildlife and spot sea turtles, monkeys, red-eyed tree frogs, humpback whales, tropical fish, and more!
Did you know that 30% of Costa Rica’s gorgeous landscapes, like the tropical rainforest pictured here, are protected in national parks?
Arenal Volcano National Park — a mountain rainforest filled with scenic hiking trails, hot river swims, and wildlife — is one of the top national parks to visit in Costa Rica. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is a tropical jungle at a high altitude that is another popular spot to visit in Costa Rica for hiking, ziplining, and canopy tours.
Belize
Did you know Belize offers insight into ancient Mayan history? During your trip to Belize, you can visit the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins and Cahal Pech Archeological Reserve in San Ignacio and other ruins around the country to gain insight into what was once a thriving civilization.
The Mayan Ruins in Belize are one of the biggest cultural draws to this country vs. Costa Rica.
In Belize, you can also do some jungle touring through the lush forests, including the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, or take a dip in the clear, blue waters of St. Herman’s Cave — once believed by the Mayans to offer a path to the underworld.
Food & Drinks
Costa Ricans and Belizians are united on one front — they know how to cook! You can find Central American fare in both countries, but in Belize, you’ll tend to find a “tropical” spin on dishes, especially near the coast. In contrast, Costa Rica tends to adhere to more traditional dishes bursting with complex flavors and spices.
Costa Rican Food
The local cuisine is one of the most significant parts of Costa Rican culture. While you can find nearly any cuisine in tourist towns — from Italian to American — these are a couple of the country’s most popular regional dishes you must try:
Casado is a popular Costa Rican dish that features rice, vegetables, and meat like you see in this bowl.
Gallo Pinto — a breakfast dish with rice, beans, and tasty seasonings.
Casado — a popular dish with rice, beans, vegetables, and meat (chicken, beef, pork, or fish) served with fresh fruit and a tortilla.
Belizian Food
Belize also offers traditional Central American cuisine, but many dishes have a tropical flair. For example, beans and rice may be cooked in coconut milk, and meals are more likely to incorporate fresh seafood, like lobster, shrimp, conch, or sea bass, over fresh meat.
Though ceviche can be found in Costa Rica or Belize, it is more of a traditional dish in Belize thanks to the country’s location on the Caribbean Sea and “tropical” culture.
Ceviche — a dish made from fresh raw fish coated with fresh citrus juices, spices, and toppings such as red onions, cilantro, and other seasonings.
Fruit Cake — a delicious dessert that is made with caramel and served with rum.
Belize vs. Costa Rica: Which Is the Better Choice?
Only you can determine whether Costa Rica or Belize is the superior country to visit for your vacation. However, if you decide the stunning beaches, adventurous activities, and abundant wildlife are calling you to Costa Rica — we would love to host you in one of our vacation rentals!
Special Places is located within the beautiful coastal resort town of Flamingo, in the province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. With over 15 years of service dedicated to the rental and property management profession, we have an extensive list of rentals in the Flamingo, Potrero, Brasilito and Tamarindo Beach area. Whether looking to plan your next tropical vacation or searching for someone to manage your home, our goal is to provide our clients with the most efficient and personable service in the area.
** In accordance with public health recommendations, Special Places continues to work hard to keep our guests safe. These protocols include enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures for all properties under management **
We are very proud of our professional maid service staff, who provide regular cleaning for some 150 properties — and do it with a smile. A half-dozen maids provide full-time service at a single house, but all the rest rotate among a wide variety of properties from Matapalo to Playa del Coco.
Maids are responsible not just for cleaning but for staging the house, with everything in its proper place, and keeping track of inventory (so that, for example, new clients don’t check in and find there’s no toilet paper). At times, say on Jan. 2, there are so many checkouts and check-ins that the maids bring their sisters, brothers and mothers to get all the work done.
Full-time maids assigned to a single property assist clients with shopping, cooking and laundry, and they often form close bonds with clients. It’s no surprise that our clients often want to take their maids home with them.
Special Places of Costa Rica employs two full-time maintenance men who service all our properties, plus a handful of caretakers dedicated to a single property each.
These men will fix just about any problem that arises — leaks, electrical and plumbing issues, a door that scrapes on a floor, a noisy ceiling fan… you name it. They also paint homes and provide roofing maintenance.
Our maintenance staff are available 24/7 for emergencies like a burst pipe that causes a flood. Special Places of Costa Rica also enjoys a network of qualified subcontractors to handle swimming pool service, gardening / landscaping and repairs to air conditioning units & kitchen appliances.
Steven, from Potrero, is a rental agent for Special Places. He processes rental inquiries, checks on property availability, makes reservations and helps with check-in and check-out info.
Steven has worked at three hotels: as a bellman at Casa Chameleon in Las Catalinas, as a receptionist in the Sugar Beach Hotel near there, and as a receptionist at Jardín del Edén in Tamarindo. He has a bachelor’s degree in teaching English from the Universidad Latina in Santa Cruz, and someday he hopes to teach English at his old high school in Cartagena.
Steven likes to ride his Kawasaki 250 dirt bike in the Potrero Hills, around Las Catalinas and in Tempate. He’s also interested in cars and mechanics, and he’s skilled at repairing motorcycles.
Quote: “I think work is a very important tool that helps us to fulfill ourselves as human beings in life and to improve on what we already know.”
Rebeca is an accounting assistant at Special Places, processing invoices and accounts payable and monitoring vehicle fleet expenses.
Originally from San José, she studied accounting at two institutions there and spent years working in accounting for two international shipping firms.
She currently lives in Santa Cruz, where she is married and has dogs and cats. She is a big fan of the Saprissa soccer team and also likes going to the beach and the movies.
Quote: “Haz bien y no mires a quién,” meaning, “Do good without considering to whom.”
Born in Samar Province in the Philippines, Phem has a two-year degree in computer science from the Asian Institute of Computer Studies. She came to Costa Rica at age 19 to work for her aunt, who owned the Mariner Inn in Flamingo. She later worked for House of Rentals, then Special Places of Costa Rica when the companies merged. As a concierge, she books tours, rental cars, chefs or whatever clients need to make their stay enjoyable. “Whatever they request, you do it,” she said.
She enjoys “having a connection to people, meeting different people, helping people.” Her proudest accomplishment was moving from the Philippines to Costa Rica to explore better opportunities. She recommends that visitors to Flamingo try an ATV tour, a catamaran cruise, rappelling or whitewater rafting.
Quote: “I love Potrero. I live in Surfside. It’s quiet, safe, and people there are very accommodating, nice, friendly, always willing to help you. They’re open to anyone. I like that community. And the bars are within walking distance.”
Pascale, Kenny’s mother and business partner, is the head accountant at Special Places. She is responsible for all the accounting, billing and taxes, managing the maid service, setting work schedules and procuring cleaning products.
Pascale is from Antwerp, Belgium, where she and her husband had a food-service business specializing in poultry. But they often traveled to the Caribbean and Central America, and in 2009 decided to move to Costa Rica.
“We thought it was time to follow some dreams, so we sold the business and came to Costa Rica,” she said. They traveled to every corner of the country, but they fell in love with Guanacaste and decided to settle in Flamingo. They couldn’t find a house that satisfied Pascale’s handyman husband, so they built their own on the hills above Potrero in Pacific Heights.
She says her proudest accomplishment is “bringing two beautiful sons into the world.”
Quote: “The way we raised them, they were very independent. We taught them to work also. Of course, school came first. To us it’s white and black, and the gray doesn’t exist. It’s good or bad.”
Norlyng coordinates the maintenance of all Special Places properties, and she’s also in charge of Human Relations and is an assistant to Kenny Segers.
Born in Limón but a longtime resident of Matapalo, she previously worked as a receptionist at the Best Western Seis Playas Hotel. She also spent six years at the Wyndham Tamarindo, working as head of reception and as an administrative assistant.
Norlyng studied law for a year and a half at the University of Costa Rica in Liberia, but currently she is more focused on tourism. She is married and has two daughters, ages 9 and 2. Her interests include reading (the Bible, inspirational works and finance) and going to relaxing places.
Quote: “My philosophy of life is to live in the present and try not to worry about the future, to have clear objectives, to try not to stress too much and to act in the present.”
A native of Brasilito, Karolayn has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Universidad Latina in Santa Cruz. She is responsible for the billing, accounting and filing at Special Places.
She enjoys hiking and swimming, and her favorite local places are Playa Danta and Playa Conchal. Asked what activity she would recommend to visitors, she said riding a Banana Boat, an inflatable, banana-shaped boat towed behind a speedboat.
Quote: “The working environment here is very nice, very tranquilo. We get along really well, the management, the coworkers, and also the maids and maintenance people. Also, in my job I’ve learned a lot of things that in university classes they don’t teach. It gives you the opportunity to learn and grow.”
A native of Antwerp, Belgium, Kenny emigrated to Costa Rica in 2008. Having graduated from high school in Belgium, he studied economics and business administration in Costa Rica. Eager to go into business, Kenny left university to work as a property manager for House of Rentals in Flamingo, which he acquired not long after starting the job. House of Rentals grew into Special Places of Costa Rica, currently represented by offices in Playa Flamingo and Playas del Coco, and known as one of the leading agencies in the area.
Kenny speaks and writes fluent Spanish, English and Dutch. He is the proud father of a Costa Rican son, Khael, who was born in 2016.
Passionate about his growing vacation rental and management business, Kenny is always looking for investments and opportunities. Hotel Pitaya Lodge (formerly Kakaos Lodge) is also under his management.
In 2020, he began building the first of several homes as part of a newly launched project development/construction company.
Juan Carlos works as a rental agent, attending to any questions about renting a property, explaining the options available, answering any questions and supporting the concierge team in extra services like tours or transport.
Juan Carlos was born in San José and currently lives in Potrero. He has worked for some 15 years in sales or customer service at hotels, including the Hotel Barceló in San José, the Hotel Parador in Manuel Antonio and the Lagarta Lodge in Nosara.
He also studied English at the Instituto Norteamericano in San José, earning a C2 certification in English. He has also taken several courses in administration.
Juan Carlos likes walking on the beach (“so I’m definitely in the right place”) with his French bulldog. “They’re very mischievous but very sweet, very good company.”
Quote: “I always say, ‘It costs nothing to smile.’ I always like to convey that people should be happy no matter what.”
Juan Diego, who was born and raised in Villarreal, works as a concierge. That means he helps visitors arrange tours and transportation, rental cars, airport pickup and dropoff, and other services.
Juan Diego studied sustainable tourism management at UNED, the Universidad Estatal a Distancia, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 2013. He has worked as an admin for the Dream Chaser catamaran in Tamarindo, as a receptionist at the Hotel Pasatiempo in Tamarindo, and as a concierge at the Hotel Dreams Las Mareas in El Jobo.
Juan Diego enjoys watching HBO series and movies, riding his bike, going out with friends and watching the sunset on the beach.
Quote: “I like concierge work because I get to help a lot of people, fulfilling the dreams of tourists who visit a beautiful country like Costa Rica that’s full of nature.”
José does property inspections, check-ins and check-outs for Special Places, making sure that properties are in great shape for new clients.
Born in Limón, he currently lives in Cartagena. He went to high school at Liceo Experimental Bilingüe de Santa Cruz, and he spent seven years working as a waiter and bartender at the JW Marriotts in Hacienda Pinilla and Reserva Conchal.
He enjoys going to the beach, listening to music, watching movies and series, playing video games and spending time with family.
Quote: “If you’re afraid of dying, it’s better not to be born.”
A native of Nicoya who lives in Cartagena, Jhon works in accounting at Special Places, calculating reservation contracts, sales commissions and billing. He has been studying accounting at the Universidad Latina in Santa Cruz for a year and a half.
His goal is to have an accounting firm of his own. His favorite hobby is artisanal fishing, usually from a boat out of Flamingo, and he once caught a 70-pound mahi-mahi. He also has caught marlin in Tamarindo and Quepos.
His greatest pride is a nearly 2-year-old daughter named Elizabeth Aitana.
Quote: “I think the most marvelous thing that’s happened to me would be the birth of my daughter. That’s the thing I’m most proud of.”
Jason is a concierge and rental specialist with an interesting job — knocking on new clients’ doors to see if they need anything or would like to book any tours or other services.
Born in Limón and currently living in Huacas, Jason speaks flawless English. He has taken some university courses on websites and social media marketing. He is married, no kids, but has a cat named Kirara.
Jason previously worked as a database analyst at Western Union in San José, typically addressing charge-backs on credit cards and resolving other monetary issues.
Jason loves “adrenaline,” muddy offroad adventures, motorcycling, ATV, video games, surfing and skateboarding.
Quote: “You don’t have to be the smartest person to fulfill your dreams, all you need is to put in a little effort and be certain that you will achieve whatever you set your mind to.”
Gabriel joined Special Places as an accounting assistant at the age of 20. He was born in Liberia and currently lives in Filadelfia with his family.
He studied at the Colegio Técnico Profesional de Carrillo, with a specialty in accounting and auditing. He worked previously as an accounting assistant and secretary for a clinic in Palestina de Belén that serves disabled people.
Gabriel enjoys mountain biking, and for the past eight years he has volunteered at the Red Cross in Filadelfia, working mostly in strategic communication.
Quote: “We never have to give up on a dream just because of the time it takes to achieve it.”
Daniela works as an administrative assistant in Human Resources, helping with payroll, health benefits and insurance, as well as onboarding new personnel.
Born in Liberia, she now lives in Villarreal, and she not only has two dogs but also a horse. She adores animals and loves to go horseback riding in the country. She also likes listening to Latin music like cumbia and salsa.
Daniela has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Universidad Libre de Costa Rica (ULICORI). Before coming to Special Places, she worked as an HR assistant at the Occidental Hotel in Tamarindo, where she learned a lot about Human Resources in a real-world environment.
Quote: “Take risks, because everything good starts with a little fear!”
Carla works as an accounting assistant at Special Places and is also involved in property management.
She was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and raised in Ciudad Guayana, where she earned a law and accountant degree and worked as a lawyer and accountant. Since coming to Costa Rica, she has worked as a manicurist, masseuse, bartender, waitress and artist.
A gifted artist and something of a Renaissance woman, Carla also draws and makes earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Her varied interests include dancing, hiking, scuba diving, traveling and discovering new cultures.
Quote: “My motto is ‘I know that I own the weak and fragile body of a woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king.’ ”
Pricing Notice
This property is not managed by Special Places of Costa Rica.
Accordingly, rental rates and availability for this property might not be current. Please submit an inquiry and will be be happy to verify the details and assist you with your booking.
