Hello samsangela!

Thank you so much for your interest in DIY Costa Rica!

In my opinion, you’re doing everything right. The problem is likely due to COVID. A lot of Costa Rican companies are either still closed, are only just beginning to reopen, or are operating only a fraction of their tours/activities/excursions because of the pandemic. Back in March of 2020, when COVID first hit the region, Costa Rica acted aggressively and closed its borders to international travelers. It also put many restrictions in place that (temporarily) closed many businesses, including tourism businesses. The borders only reopened to all tourists last fall, but some tourism companies have decided to stay closed or limit their tour offerings because there aren’t enough tourists in the country to financially support reopening. This is because far fewer people are traveling right now due to many countries’ international travel bans. Prior to COVID, the majority of reputable tourism companies in Costa Rica offered an option to book tickets and services online, so many websites were in fact designed to take these kinds of online reservations. If you’re having trouble making a reservation online, my best guess is that the company you are trying to book through is either still closed or currently isn’t offering the particular tour/activity/excursion you are trying to book. If you are finding that happens a lot, it’s probably because tourism in Costa Rica is currently only a fraction of the operation it was pre-COVID.

As for your concern about speaking Spanish (no problem!), fortunately, most reputable tourism companies in Costa Rica have English-speaking reservation staff, so it normally isn’t a problem when foreigners need to speak to someone in English. That being said, if you’re struggling to find companies that are accepting online reservations right now, you may also find that some companies aren’t answering their phones right now either. 🙁 I’m not sure if that will be the case if you do end up calling several companies, but that’s a possibility to be aware of.

I wish I could be of greater assistance to you right now. Your frustration is certainly shared by many, including the Costa Ricans who can’t wait for the pandemic to pass so they can get back to attending to kind and willing travelers like yourself. 🙂

Stay safe and pura vida!