<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Summary for travel to Costa Rica:
First, I would like to offer heartfelt thanks to everyone who responded to my request for information.  I am a confident GF diner in the US, but have no experience trying to do it abroad.  Like most, I don't want to go hungry, especially on vacation. As always the wonderfully generous advise from this group helped immeasurably in both practical and supportive regards! 

Many people wrote asking for this  summary.  My conclusion, for anyone GF or otherwise, is that I strongly encourage you to pack your bags and head to Costa Rica!  My experiences were entirely positive! I will start with a summary of the advice that was offered from the list and then move to my actual experiences.  

Several people wrote with the following basic information about the typical (tipico) food served in local sodas (diners) and restaurants:
All 3 main meals tend to include beans and rice, with eggs at breakfast or  with meat and veggies at lunch and dinner.  Fruit and fruit drinks are fresh, delicious and ubiquitous.  Any type of fillers were corn based. For all dishes is it best to double check whether tortillas will be flour or corn. Most restaurants do not offer gf menus. However, they really do not have much gluten in their kitchens, unless they have added items to cater to American tastes.  Many people offered this basic info, and this was my experience as well. 

Additional resources included:
-GF travel blog some posts from our latter trip (toward the bottom; click on the photo with the post title to get to the post).
- A fellow lister suggested, and I agree: Living in and Visiting Costa Rica: 100 Tips, Tricks, Traps, and Facts by Greg Seymour for a few bucks on my Kindle and it was VERY helpful. A few things pertain to those wanting to move there, but overall it was such a great little book to get a feel for the culture and the country! Best $3 spent on Amazon!

Language tips:
Note that Costa Ricans are generally super friendly, patient and deeply appreciative of any attempt at Spanish, put aside your fear of failure and give some Spanish a try!  
Gluten is the same in Spanish so you need food "sin gluten," without gluten.
At restaurants say that you are "Celíaca" and they will understand what it means. Roughly say, "Mi comida no puede tocar pan o gluten. Esta es MUY importante." 
 I would also tell them "no frito" nothing fried or asking "frito solo o con otras?" (asking if fried separate, like for tortilla chips, or with other things) and also know the words for wheat (trigo), bread (pan) and flour (harina) and would then tell them things that WERE (puedo comer ) okay: arroz, frijoles, etc.
If you are not in a tourist area, no one will speak English.  In the tourist areas, EVERYONE SPEAKS ENGLISH! 
One lister and myself very much agree that one of the best things about Costa Rican Spanish is their habit of saying "¡con mucho gusto!" (With much pleasure) instead of "de nada" (it's nothing), the usual response where English speakers say "you're welcome". It is refreshing and genuine! 

Specific places in LaFortuna/Arenal and Monteverde areas recommended by others:
-Nayara Gardens & Spas in La Fortuna/Arenal and they were absolutely amazing! The chefs went out of their way for her.
-Monteverde Lodge, they have a restaurant El Jardin that did a great job with gluten free -- they made fresh, hot, corn tortillas for me instead of bread and had an easy time doing breakfast. 
-Sabor Tico: SO good. one of her favorite meals, She had the arroz con cerdo twice. many locals eating there. 
-Don Luis:  this is one place she used a dining card as the server spoke very little English, but he understood and actually came back to let me one of my choices had some flour in it and wouldn't be safe. I had the chicken curry with rice and it was really good. 
-Restaurante De Lucia: had ceviche plate (so good!) and they brought out corn tortillas with guacamole, pico de gallo, etc to start the meal. 
-Beso Espresso for tasty frozen coffee drinks or cafe con leche, coffee is amazing in CR!
-Morphos: we did not eat there, but stopped in and they said they would have no problem accommodating me, we ran out of time! 
-Tree House: (built up in a tree) also did not eat there, but did stop in and same thing, said they had options

In Alajuela on the way in/out one lister stayed at the Marriott by the airport and had great breakfast options with their buffet and the nice lady made my eggs with cheese separately, the manager's wife has celiac. (I did say "Soy celiaca" a few times, but not everyone understood)

My own trip:
One the recommendation above, we stayed in the Alejuela Courtyard Marriott, right next to the airport one night on arrival and one night before departure.  We had one breakfast there, fast, easy and yummy (rice and beans with scrambled eggs).  Plus there was a Walmart in short walking distance--we picked up travel snacks there, and they even had a small gluten free section at the back of the store. We had an early flight going home so I also picked up a prepackaged bowl of cereal to eat in the airport. We had two dinners at the TaContento, also in walking distance.  Both times I had the vegetarian Huaraches (oval corn tortilla with rice, beans, veggies and cheese on top--yum!). 

Our first day we visited Zoo Ave (ave is Spanish for bird, this is not avenue in this context).  I had some ice cream there, and did not check out the two other food options in the park, but I remember one looked hopeful.  The ice cream immediately revolted in my system, and I felt lousy for the rest of the day.  However, I suspect poor food safety more than gluten, based on my history and symptoms.  I skipped dinner that night. If you have a little time in Alejuela, I recommend this zoo and rehab center as a great introduction or review of the beautiful native birds! 

The next day dawned happy and healthy in LaFortuna.  We stayed at the Casa Luna, with a package that included breakfast.  I had omelettes each morning.  The egg station had no obvious risk of contamination, but my wife ordered for me one morning and noticed that the chef's spatula was touching bread on another guest's plate. The chef willingly cleaned the area after being alerted to the issue.  
I also had one lunch there: fish tacos, very yummy! 

That night was dinner at the Tabacon Springs resort. The deal with our package included a buffet there.  It was huge!  Our tour group had alerted them that I was coming, the manager went through the entire buffet knowledgeably, and then offered to get me a meal from the kitchen, with options that included the delicious pasta primavera with red sauce that I selected.  Again, a wonderful meal!  

Lunch the next day was included in a horseback riding excursion (if any readers want suggestions for experienced riders, please contact me off list).  It was a restaurant that caters to locals to the degree that it was the only place we went that did not speak any English.  By then my Spanish was up to the job, but it wouldn't have mattered, we could have done fine, they understood celiac already.  Sorry, but I don't know the name of it.  

That night I had a salad in a pizza shop, that is all I wanted and it let my wife enjoy some gluten with her pizza. 

In Montverde we stayed at the Cloud Forest Lodge.  Breakfast was again included, and each day I had the tipico breakfast, described above at the start of this novel. It was delicious and filling.  That day for lunch, I was told there was little safe on the menu, and had a simple rice, beans and veggies dish (they offered some chicken, pork or beef too, but I usually stick with vegetarian and occasional fish).  Later we had a dinner there with a different waiter, who demonstrated a clear understanding of their food and of celiac, offered many more choices.  That night I was not as hungry, so opted for a bowl of squash soup--it was huge and superb! 

Other meals in Monteverde included a dinner and a lunch at Morphos.  Both times I had their signature coffee drink--much like a milkshake and simply divine! The lunch I had  was a fruit plate with yogurt.  I loved it, but was ready for the fact that their yogurt is less sweet and more tangy than ours.  For the dinner there I had the casada--a delicious configuration of rice, beans, veggies and avocado. And, I also had the casada at a place called Ticos y Ricos, equally good.  There were other options at both places that were or could easily be modified to GF, I just loved the casada plates enough to keep ordering them. Each place has their own twist on the casada combo keeping it interesting, healthy and delicious! 

While I really enjoyed the food, and ease of dining, the highlights of the trip were the fascination of the ecology and wildlife of Costa Rica, the joy of their people, and the sure footed wonder of their horses. We are not beach people, but I understand those are super too.  

As always, for resorts or hotels that you know you will be visiting, email them in advance to ensure the best experience.  But, I would say this is a great country to indulge in spontaneous choices, it will be hard to go wrong.  

Also, it seems that Celiac is a problem in the local population, which helps spread familiarity.  Several times I had Ticos (what the natives call themselves) tell me that they had a friend or family member with Celiac.  

The one thing I would do differently is that I would get one of the water bottles with a built in filter.  Finding bottled water was inconvenient and expensive.   I decided to avoid the water, as it upsets some American's systems as they get used to it.  I knew that could be inconvenient, and could add confusion as to whether I had gotten some gluten.  My wife and many Americans we traveled with did drink the water without any ill effect.  I drank more Coke than I normally would--corn syrup really does not agree with me, so I never drink it at home.  But they have the old fashions glass bottles of Coke made with sugar, so that was a treat.  

All of you who wrote wondering if you should go, I say without reservation, GO!!!

Deep appreciation to everyone on the list who so generously wrote long detailed messages of support and information!  This community is wonderful!  

Warm regards,
Melinda Freckleton, DVM
Firestar Farm
Catlett, VA 

Haymarket Veterinary Service
Haymarket, VA


*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC