Stay connected with local messaging apps, curated for travelers visiting Costa Rica.
WhatsApp is the one messaging app a visitor is most likely to use in Costa Rica.
The practical contact channel for many Costa Rican stays, tours, shuttles, guides and restaurants.
Hotels, small lodges, tour operators, shuttle companies, guides and restaurants commonly publish a WhatsApp number for directions, confirmations and day-of-travel changes. Save the accommodation and transport contacts before departure, include the country code +506, and keep the original booking reference available offline. A WhatsApp message is not proof that the sender controls the business. Current travel-booking fraud can include the real hotel name, dates and reservation number, while a local regulator continues to warn about malicious messages designed to obtain credentials or financial information.
If a message changes the account, payment method, deposit, pickup point or cancellation terms, stop and verify through the original booking app or a phone number independently taken from the property's official site. Do not use the link or number supplied inside the suspicious message. Never share a one-time verification code or card PIN. Turn on WhatsApp two-step verification, review linked devices, and limit who can add the account to groups.
For a driver or tour, send only the information needed for that service. Avoid sharing a passport photo in an ordinary chat unless the recipient's identity and legal need are established. Download essential tickets and instructions because a WhatsApp thread is not an offline backup. For emergencies, use Costa Rica's 9-1-1 service rather than expecting a hotel or tour chat to coordinate urgent assistance.
WhatsApp is the top-rated messaging app in Costa Rica. The practical contact channel for many Costa Rican stays, tours, shuttles, guides and restaurants.
Bento recommends one messaging app in Costa Rica, checked in 2026.
These apps need data
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