What do Costa Rican travellers need to know about Morocco?

For Costa Rican travellers, Morocco's entry side is generally smooth: holders of a Costa Rican passport usually enter visa-free for stays of up to 90 days, provided your passport is valid for at least six months beyond arrival and has blank pages for the stamp. You complete a short arrival card on the plane and clear immigration on landing. As I tell all my Costa Rican guests, do confirm the current requirement with the Moroccan consulate or an official source before booking — entry policy can change, and the official channel is the one to trust over any blog, this one included.

Flights from San José all involve a connection. The most reliable routings hop first to a hub — Panama City or San Salvador — then cross the Atlantic, either onward to Casablanca via Madrid with Iberia and Royal Air Maroc, or via Paris, Lisbon or Istanbul. From the South American side you can also route through São Paulo for Royal Air Maroc's nonstop to Casablanca. Plan for a long travel day, ideally with a relaxed layover or overnight in Europe rather than a tight connection. Casablanca is the main gateway; from Europe you can often fly straight into Marrakech and skip a domestic leg.

On money, the dirham is a closed currency you can't buy in Costa Rica, so plan to draw it on arrival. Land with a small backup of US dollars or euros and use a bank ATM at the airport or in town for the bulk of your cash, where the rate easily beats the exchange booths. Costa Rican Visa and Mastercard cards are accepted in city hotels, restaurants and larger shops; bring one with low foreign-transaction fees and let your bank know you're travelling so it isn't declined. Out in the desert, the mountain routes and the souks, it's cash only — carry small dirham notes for taxis, tips and stalls.

Culturally, Costa Ricans tend to take to Morocco warmly, and your Spanish genuinely helps in the north around Tangier and Tetouan, with French covering most other interactions. A few notes: tipping is customary but modest, just a few dirhams; haggling in the souks is the friendly ritual it appears to be, so enjoy the back-and-forth; and dress a touch more modestly away from resorts, with shoulders and knees covered, which earns warmer welcomes. Accept the mint tea when offered — it's heartfelt hospitality, and the easygoing, pura-vida pace you bring travels well to a slow Moroccan afternoon in a riad courtyard.