December to April is the dry season on the Pacific, and the beach towns fill up. May to November is the green season: the forest is full, and the rain usually holds off until afternoon. The Caribbean does not use that calendar. These guides are for the weather, both coasts, the towns, getting around, and daily life after you land.
Most Costa Ricans live here. Days are mild, nights cool, and the rain usually waits until afternoon.
From southern Nicoya to Panama: a national park, a surf town, a marina, and primary forest.
The driest beach coast. Hotels and second homes cluster at Tamarindo, Flamingo, and Papagayo.
The coast least like the Pacific. The rain does not follow the Guanacaste calendar.
A dry Pacific beach, rain on the Caribbean, and a cool night in the Central Valley can all be the same week. Butterflies cross the country. Rivers come down off the mountains. None of that stops for the month you picked.
Costa Rica has seven provinces. Use these pages when you want the administrative side, or a short overview of one province. Towns and regions are the path for planning a trip.
Costa Rica has 30 national parks. Tickets and rules are on the parks hub. The busiest parks sell tickets online, so book before you go.
A steaming acid lake above Alajuela. Book a morning slot and look from the rail.
The cone is the view, not the climb. Lava-flow trails and lake views west of La Fortuna.
The short Pacific park: monkeys, sloths, and a swim inside the gate. Closed Tuesdays.
The big lowland forest on the Osa. You go with a guide, by boat or a long beach walk.
Mud pots, fumaroles, and waterfalls an hour from Liberia. Las Pailas closes Mondays.
Wetlands on the Tempisque, full of birds from September to March. Gravel from Bagaces.
Canals, not a highway. You arrive by boat and stay the night for the turtle beach.
A reef you can walk to from town. Playa Blanca runs on donations.
Practical guides for planning a trip anywhere in Costa Rica: weather, getting around, costs, safety, surf, and more.
Beginner surf in Costa Rica starts at Tamarindo, Samara, or Jacó. Bigger waves are at Pavones and Salsa Brava, and both depend on the month.
The best places for yoga in Costa Rica are Nosara, Santa Teresa, and Monteverde. A class and a surf on the same day is easy to book.
The best time to visit Costa Rica is December to April on the Pacific. May to November is the rainy season, mostly in the afternoon.
Costa Rica has seven provinces: San José, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas, and Limón. The main airport is in Alajuela.
A tico is a Costa Rican. Pura vida means “pure life,” and people use it to say hello, thanks, and that things are fine.
Getting around Costa Rica takes longer than the map suggests. Compare a rental car, a 4x4, the bus, and a flight.
Costa Rica has no standing army. Voters elect a president and 57 deputies every four years.
Costa Rica covers about 51,100 square kilometers between two oceans. The useful map is volcanoes, national parks, and two coasts.
Costa Rica is generally safe if you leave nothing in a rental car and keep your bag closed in San José and on the beach.
A mid-range day in Costa Rica, without the flight, is often about $80 to $150 a person. May to November costs less than January.
A first trip is the Central Valley, Arenal, and one beach, in 7 to 10 days. The drives take longer than the map says.
Pack a light rain jacket, shoes that can get wet, and reef-safe sunscreen. Leave the heavy coat.
Manuel Antonio, Tortuguero, Corcovado, and Arenal are the parks people plan around. Go at opening, or you may not get in.
Leatherbacks nest on the Pacific from October to February. Humpbacks are offshore at Uvita from about July to October. A December-to-April sighting is reported some years.
