The village of Monteverde has 4G from ICE, but the cloud forest reserves themselves — Monteverde and Santa Elena — have no signal from any carrier once you are past the entrance stations. Download offline maps and trail info before you go.

The interior of Corcovado is a dead zone on all carriers. Puerto Jiménez and Drake Bay have LTE from ICE, but once you are on the trails — Sirena, San Pedrillo, Los Patos — you will have no service until you return to the ranger stations.

Tortuguero village has intermittent 3G from ICE. The canals and trails inside the national park have no signal. If you need to stay reachable, plan on Wi-Fi at your lodge rather than cellular.

Waze uses around 5–10 MB per hour of active navigation. If you are driving daily, checking WhatsApp, and streaming occasional music, 3–5 GB covers a week comfortably. Add another gigabyte if you are uploading photos or video-calling home.

Yes. WhatsApp voice and video calls work over the eSIM's data connection on ICE, Movistar, and Claro networks. Quality is solid in cities and beach towns, but expect dropouts in mountain zones and national parks where LTE thins to 3G or disappears.

Yes. Waze is the standard navigation app in Costa Rica because street addresses barely exist outside San José. The eSIM gives you live data for routing, traffic updates, and landmark-based directions. Download offline maps as backup for zones like Monteverde and Corcovado where signal drops.

Both ICE and Movistar deliver solid 4G in Manuel Antonio's beach zone and along the main road. ICE has slightly better reach on the trails inside the national park, but both carriers thin out once you are deep in the forest. Claro also works well in town.

ICE is the only carrier with reliable LTE south of Puerto Jiménez. Claro and Movistar drop to 3G or lose signal entirely as you head toward Corcovado. If you are staying in Drake Bay or Carate, ICE is your best option.

Yes. Uber operates in San José and the Central Valley. The eSIM gives you live data for requesting rides, tracking drivers, and paying in-app. Outside the metro area, Uber coverage thins; you will rely on local taxis or rental cars in beach towns and national parks.

SINPE Móvil is Costa Rica's instant-payment system, and it works over the eSIM's data connection for sending money between local bank accounts. You will need a Costa Rican bank account to use it; most travelers rely on credit cards or cash instead.

An airport SIM from ICE or Movistar costs roughly the same as an eSIM and gives you identical network access, but you lose 20–30 minutes at the kiosk, you need to swap your physical SIM tray, and your home number goes offline for two-factor codes. The eSIM installs in two minutes, keeps your home number reachable, and you are online before you leave the terminal.

Yes. Route 32 from San José to Puerto Limón has continuous LTE from ICE and Movistar. The old parallel route through Braulio Carrillo National Park has long dead zones, so stick to Route 32 if you need uninterrupted connectivity.

Yes. Tamarindo has solid 4G from ICE, Movistar, and Claro during high season. The beach zone, town center, and main roads all hold steady LTE. Coverage thins on dirt roads leading to remote surf breaks and nature reserves.

Spotify and Apple Music use around 50–70 MB per hour at standard quality. If you are driving several hours a day, download playlists on Wi-Fi before you leave to save data, especially on routes through Braulio Carrillo or the Osa Peninsula where signal is patchy.