The most popular time for Costa Rica vacations is the holiday peak season around Christmas and New Years but the best time to visit may be a couple of weeks later after the crowds thin. The rains end in December but the forests remain lush into the new year while dry sunny weather prevails on … [Read more...]
Travel
Practical travel information like transportation options, driving, safety, health, packing, lodging, holidays, festivals, money and much more. Includes a section on weather, seasons, crowds and pricing to help you decide the best time to visit
Current Storms in Costa Rica
current storms | forecasts to avoid | useful forecasts | historical storms NOAA predicts that heading into 2020 precipitation will be normal in Costa Rica. The Pacific side rainy season tapered off before the New Year. The weather should be very dry in the northwest and dry along the central and … [Read more...]
January in Costa Rica
The last three weeks of January is one of the best times for a Costa Rica vacation. New Years is also great from the perspective of weather but it's crowded and peak season surcharges make it one of the most expensive weeks of the year. All the best tours and activities are going full blast and … [Read more...]
February in Costa Rica
Best Time to Travel? Select Month January February March April May June July August September October November December or see when to travel summary February might just be the best time there is for a Costa Rica vacation. The weather is hot and dry in the most beach popular … [Read more...]
March in Costa Rica
Select Month January February March April May June July August September October November December or see best time to travel summary Early March is definitely a good time for a Costa Rica vacation (see our favorite routes). The most popular destinations have hot dry weather and many … [Read more...]
April in Costa Rica
Select Month January February March April May June July August September October November December or see when to travel? Our favorite time to travel is when it's cold up north and many of our "Best Trips Ever" were in the first part of the year. The tropical beaches are a sure cure … [Read more...]
May in Costa Rica
Select Month January February March April May June July August September October November December or see when to go summary May can be fantastic. The low season is kicking in, there are no crowds, prices are down and although the rains start in May it's usually nothing like the … [Read more...]
June in Cost Rica – Best Time to Travel?
Select Month January February March April May June July August September October November December or see when should we go? If you want to get a head start on summer June is a great time to visit Costa Rica. Popular destinations have shed their crowds and you can enjoy some of the … [Read more...]
July in Costa Rica
Best Time to Travel - Low Season? Select Month January February March April May June July August September October November December or see when to travel in Costa Rica A few years ago only insiders traveled to Costa Rica in July, but the secret is out so we've started … [Read more...]
August in Costa Rica – The Best Time to Go
Select Month January February March April May June July August September October November December or see best times to visit August is probably our personal favorite month for traveling around Costa Rica. It's "winter" on the Tico calendar but a tropical beach fits perfectly into … [Read more...]
No Driving After Dark in Costa Rica
"The Arenal volcano tour ends with a sunset mirador at 5:30 p.m. so we'll just pack and drive up to Monteverde for dinner then..." More like breakfast if you're lucky. Although a few km of modern highway are added to Costa Rica's road system each year driving at night on most routes is … [Read more...]
Timing the Tides
You cannot account for all the possible variables when choosing the best timing for a Costa Rica vacation - rainy vs. dry season, micro-climates, weekend beach traffic, school vacations (both in Costa Rica and at home), turtle nesting and hatching seasons, flight schedules and costs, and many more - … [Read more...]
September in Costa Rica – Best on the Caribbean
Select Month January February March April May June July August September October November December or see when to go summary You have to be a little choosy to find the best things to do in September and unless you know where to look the wildlife might be hidden away trying to escape … [Read more...]
October in Costa Rica – Best Time for the Caribbean
Select Month January February March April May June July August September October November December or see best time to visit Costa Rica The typical rainfall patterns are inverted this month some of the top itineraries to the Pacific resort areas get washed out. It's the perfect time … [Read more...]
November in Costa Rica – Could be Great
A good friend of ours is a Costa Rica wedding planner and when she scheduled her own beach ceremony for November we thought she was nuts. Every bride wants everything perfect and she must have led a charmed life indeed because it turned out perfectly despite the fact that it's one of the most … [Read more...]
December in Costa Rica – Best Time to Visit?
December starts out with lower prices and occupancy during the tail end of the rainy season. By Christmas the dry season is starting up, most hotels are sold out at for Christmas and New Years and the trails, zip-lines and white-water rivers are flowing with tourists. If you're considering a … [Read more...]
Uber in Costa Rica – Okay? for Travelers
Uber in Costa Rica is worth a try but tourists cannot rely on it yet and will also need other transportation. service area | violence | airport ban | other rides | best transportation | sample prices Unlicensed private taxi services are not legal in Costa Rica. Despite this Uber has been operating … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Holidays & Fiestas
One of the most colorful and dramatic Costa Rican celebrations is the Festival of the Little Devils in February. The Boruca put on masks representing devils and do stylized battle with the invading Spanish. Select … [Read more...]
Costa Rican Code of the Road
It doesn't take long to realize that there is a different code of the road in Costa Rica - at least if you want to survive it better not take too long... Traffic Lights, Yield and Stop Signs Check out a few cars at a few corners and you soon catch on that traffic controls carry one less level of … [Read more...]
Navigation & Drive Time
Getting where you want to go can be challenging but these tips should help. The best advice, use a free GPS app on your phone for turn by turn directions (but don't be a lemming). Also consider a good map for the overview, and ask for help early and often (our nifty waterproof roadmap has … [Read more...]