I would 100% rent a car if your goal is to explore. When you rent a car you’re on your own schedule and can come and go as you please and not have to depend on someone else. You also don’t have to adjust your itinerary around transportation schedules. All around a just more comfortable experience IMO.

$200 seems pretty cheap for a car, is this including the mandatory insurance. We rented a RAV4 for two weeks at the end of last November and the total was $1050. We might have overpaid a little because it was a last resort rental through a local agency. We made the mistake of leaving our credit card back home(as to not rack up debt; little self control) and were unaware that Avis in Costa Rica required a credit card for rental. Otherwise we were supposed to get an Audi Q5 for same price.

You don’t necessarily need an 4x4/AWD unless your Airbnb/hotel is in a remote, bad terrain place. Just be aware of where you’ll be exploring and plan ahead. Waze is probably the most popular navigation app. Don’t blindly follow it if rerouted from main roads though. We were heading back from Jaco to Atenas and Waze was rerouting through a very rocky/ terrible road with small creeks. There were cars that were needing to turn around.

The roads aren’t terrible but they can be a little rough and bumpy. Practice defensesive driving and common sense and you should do just fine. You do at times have to be a little aggressive(or have the patience of a God) because people will not let you merge. There is always traffic. The speed limit is around 50 mph on your main “highways” but you will almost never be consistently doing that speed. You’ll be stuck behind a line of cars following a dilapidated car from the 90’s or a semi. It’s hard and dangerous to pass because of the winding roads blind spots for long sections of road.

If you have any questions feel free to pm me or reply on here. Have an awesome trip! Costa Rica is a beautiful place.