Charging the iPad Mini when planning a trip to Costa Rica

A guide showing you how to power the iPad Mini with a Costa Rican power outlet using a Lightning Apple cable and a 2 pin Type A power adapter and recharging the iPad Mini using a 3 pin Type B power adapter.

Costa Rican power outlet

Varying different region codes and voltages can all lead to confusion when planning to visit another country for the first time traveller. This guide has been written to stop you having to worry if you'll be able to charge your iPad Mini when staying in Costa Rica.The following guide tells you exactly what you'll need to charge the iPad Mini when you're visiting Costa Rica using the types B or A 120 volt 60Hz plug outlets, Type B plug outlets will be used by a majority of Costa Ricans. Power sockets differ depending on which area you are visiting therefore please read the travel power supplies page for a complete list of regions and countries. If the iPad Mini does not power up or charges slowly when visiting Costa Rica from a different country then check that it is compatible with a 110 volt power supply. Devices which originated from another country which use a higher voltage such as 240 volts can take longer to charge or won't turn on, so check the device is a dual voltage device (you'll find these are normally marked with 100-240 volts) otherwise you may need to use an additional transformer to ensure proper use. If you plan on travelling to a Costa Rican city like San José or Limón please read the Wikipedia.org web page about Costa Rica [1] for more indepth information. These instructions assume that you have installed Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPad Mini.

Charging the iPad Mini in Costa Rica

Can you use the iPad Mini in Costa Rica?

You can use the iPad Mini in Costa Rica by using a power adaptor.

What is the best travel charger for recharging the iPad Mini in Costa Rica?

If you are travelling with more than your iPad Mini the best international travel adapter for Costa Rica is a multiple USB port charger which includes swappable plugs such as a 4 port USB travel charger. There are two standards of plug sockets in Costa Rica (B and A) and bringing this ensures that you are covered for type A.

As these chargers come with interchangeable pins and can handle 100 volts to 240 volts will mean you can travel to multiple countries around the world just by switching the included heads. If your iPad Mini can support Fast Charge (note that not all USB devices can) then you'll benefit from faster charging times by using one of these types of travel chargers, plus additional support for certain power hungry devices.

Unlike other adapters this will allow you to charge multiple devices at the same time without needing to pack multiple power adapters. Only needing a single USB travel charger will keep the weight and size down, making it perfect to store in hand luggage while travelling and on hand for recharging your iPad Mini at an airport or on the plane. Due to their space saving flexibility these types of power adapters can be used at home so when you’re not travelling they can sit overnight charging multiple tablets, phones and e-readers using just a single power outlet.

For those travelling to Costa Rica we suggest buying this type of versatile power adapter online; the travel adapter illustrated is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been tested successfully with multiple USB devices in numerous different countries around the world on a daily basis.

Alternative travel adapter for Costa Rica

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from around the world wanting to charge devices using USB, but for those also wanting to use their domestic plugs the following power strips provide larger but more versatile solutions. All 3 power converters offer surge protection which is useful for travellers to counties with unstable power supplies to prevent damage to any connected devices from voltage spikes. These travel adapters are supplied with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs covering both Costa Rica and over 150 destinations:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK travel converter has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the best selling compact power converter for travellers originating from North America visiting Costa Rica.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Likewise having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the travel adapter from Orico is also aimed at travellers originating from America using type B plugs and offers practically the same functionality as the BESTEK with 1 less AC outlet for almost half price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has 2 AC outlets but offers 5 USB charging ports. This versatile power strip is compatible with both American plugs and popular plug types A, D,E/F, G, H, I, L and N making it suitable for most travellers from around the world visiting Costa Rica. [8] [AD]
What is the best travel charger for recharging the iPad Mini in Costa Rica?

Powering the iPad Mini with a Costa Rican power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type A USB adapter

A guide showing you how to power the iPad Mini with a Costa Rican power outlet using a Lightning Apple cable and a 2 pin Type A power adapter.

  1. To charge your iPad Mini from the Costa Rican power outlet you will need to use a Type A USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] - this USB cable is normally already included with the iPad Mini.
  2. Insert the Type A USB power plug adapter into the Costa Rican power outlet. You can identify the power outlet by the two slots adjacent to each other.
  3. Plug in one end of the Apple power cable into the bottom of the USB mains adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Mini. The iPad Mini lightning connector is situated at the base of the iPad Mini.
  4. Turn on the Costa Rican power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right hand corner of the tablet will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPad Mini is powering up taking roughly 60 to 240 minutes to fully recharge to full capacity. [AD]
Powering the iPad Mini with a Costa Rican power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type A USB adapter

Powering the iPad Mini with a Costa Rican power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

A guide showing how to charge your iPad Mini with a Costa Rican power outlet using the USB Lightning Apple cable and a Type B USB charger.

  1. To charge the iPad Mini from a Costa Rican power outlet you will need to use a Type B USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5], the USB cable is normally already included with the device.
  2. Start by inserting the Type B USB power plug adapter into the Costa Rican power outlet. You can recognise this plug supply by the 2 thin slots parallel to each other where the short two plug outlet blades sit with a single hole below for the slightly long ground pin.
  3. Then connect the USB end of the USB Lightning cable into the bottom of the USB power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Mini. The iPad Mini lightning connector is found at the base of the iPad Mini.
  4. Switch on the Costa Rican power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right corner of the tablet will display a charging icon to indicate that the tablet is recharging, typically taking between one-four hours to recharge. [AD]
Powering the iPad Mini with a Costa Rican power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Wikipedia.org web page about Costa Rica
  2. Apple - official iPad user guide
  3. iec.ch - Type A power outlet
  4. Type A USB power plug adapter - With its two-blade, ungrounded design, the Type A USB power plug adapter offers a straightforward way to convert electrical outlets in countries like the United States and Canada into USB ports for easy device charging..
  5. USB to Apple Lightning cable - The Apple Lightning cable is a charging and syncing cable for more recent Apple devices and connects compatible iPhones and iPads to a USB port.
  6. iec.ch - Type B power outlet
  7. Type B USB power plug adapter - A Type B USB power plug adapter conforms to the NEMA 5-15 specifications, featuring 2 parallel flat blades and an extended grounding pin. Rated at 15A and 125 volts, suitable for use in the United States and Canada for converting domestic outlets to USB..
  8. 4 Port USB Wall Charger - A 4-port USB wall charger is an electrical device that provides simultaneous charging for up to four USB-compatible devices. It often includes interchangeable international plug adapters for global use..