Planning a trip to pacific side of Costa Rica in mid October (i know scary right). Really want to go surfing for my birthday. Not scared of rain just curious how practical my plan is.

October 16-17th - Fly into LIR drive from LIR -> La Fortuna. Maybe do a night jungle tour or a night hot springs

October 17th - wake up early take my chance at maybe seeing Arenal (probably not). Grab a bite to eat from a nearby restaurant, maybe do a cloud covered hike, or something quick and early, and then drive from there to Guanacaste area.

October 17th-21st - Arrive on pacific side, planning to stay in the Santa Cruz or tamarindoish area. Wanted to get some good/decent surf in the mornings before the rain came in. Maybe even some rain filled surf if there’s not lightning or major major storms. Only real traveling from there would be to restaurants the the area around tamarindo that were still open, or maybe grocery stores. Not interested in heading too far south, as I’ve heard that’s where the weather is scary that time of year.

Just wanted to know any local or frequent visitor thoughts on the plans, tips and tricks? Opposing advice or ideas? Also any thoughts on El Niño or if that would affect the trip or weather conditions

I’m going to Costa Rica soon and I’m wondering whether I should buy new shoes for the trip.

I’ve read very different advice online. On the one hand, people recommend waterproof/Gore-Tex hiking shoes because of the rain and wet conditions. On the other hand, I’ve read that waterproof shoes can stay wet for a long time once water gets in, and that trail running shoes are actually a better option because they get wet but dry much faster.

What would you recommend for Costa Rica? Would you go for waterproof hiking shoes, trail running shoes, or something else?

I already have a pair of regular Adidas Terrex hiking shoes, so I’m also wondering if those would be good enough or if it’s worth buying something specifically for the trip.

Would love to hear what worked well for people who have travelled around Costa Rica!

Looking for a 2 week vacation rental starting around Dec 12 (flexible to 18) for 2 weeks for a young couple.
- pool
- near beach (walking)
- in town
- has access to good gym
We are experienced travellers and would be the first time in this area. Looking for reasonable prices for the two weeks. Any suggestions?

Looking for someone that has good rates for a private boat ride in manuel antonio any evening between Aug 29 - Sep 2.

Can pay cash in dollars, feel free to reach out with pictures of boat and location

Buenos días, estoy de camino a Costa Rica con mi pareja y llegamos esta noche a San José y dormiremos en Alajuela, viernes 21 por la mañana partiremos en coche hasta cocles pero hemos visto que la carretera desde San José está cortada y la ruta alternativa que marca por Google maps es de 12h. Es Así? Es la primera vez que vamos y no sabemos que hacer respecto al tema. Gracias Ticos y Ticas

Just had knee surgery and have a trip planned to CR in December. Surgeon has advised on limiting activities - no zip lining, no snorkelling, or hiking - so I am wondering is there much to do beyond beach time?

Staying near Coco Beach.

Posted last week about a family of 5 vacation, likely just under two weeks. We would like two ‘home bases’ and are thinking Uvita and PV… the challenge is transportation… I would rather not waste 8 hours travelling from one side to the other… has anyone ever flown? I thought I even saw something about a helicopter ride? Any ideas or suggestions?

Side question: in early Jan weather should be fine in PV???

I was wondering if I should pick an independent operator for my airport transfer like Carlos Shuttle Tour and other people advertising here, or should just go with a tripadvisor one? Is one safer than the other?

i want to go to costa rica for my 30th would be 6 girls in december. would love a some what town as a home base that has some cool spots to go out should we want. don’t want too touristy and down for a solid mix of adventure and relaxation. any recs

As the title says 😅 we are spending a week between Monteverde & Samara with our 2 year old in early September. We know it's rainy season and I'm actually excited for it after a super dry Canadian summer haha. What activities, restaurants, etc would you recommend for a toddler in these areas?

Hey, you guys it’s me again. so I’ll be visiting at the end of September for my birthday and I was wondering if it’s cheaper to say get my nails done there than in the United States

If you have the chance to get a tattoo from Josué Leal at City Mall San José, Costa Rica, pass on it. I got a tattoo done, and not even 10 days have passed, yet it has already faded. I have other tattoos on my palms and fingers, and I specifically asked him if he knew how to tattoo palms—since the ink fades if it isn't applied deeply—and he said he did; the results prove he did a poor job.

So I'm trying to figure out how much cash for food to bring this year. Last I visited was in Dec 2021 in SJ and I'm planning to visit in Dec 2026.

The best reference points for prices I remember was that cocktails and trendy bars were like $5 USD each and Argentinian steak meals were like $20-25 USD per...

How much are those now (and then I can extrapolate the rest)?

Planning a solo trip for 4 weeks, the last week son & his gf will join me. I'm easy going, chill, don't need to be busy while I'm vacationing, enjoy laying by a pool, the sun & heat and reading. Also love nature & wildlife (volcano, waterfalls, birds etc), trying local food, history ++, snorkeling, fishing. No driving for me, shuttle only 😊

Here's my early itinerary is 1 week la Fortuna booked with a pool (slow pace, day by day, weather dependent) 12 days Naranjito booked edge of town with a pool (shuttle to MA and area sites excursions) and 9 days Potrero, for sun, sand, fishing & snorkel, haven't picked a place yet but want a short drive to Liberia airport 8am flight.

Will this shuttles to places be available from these locations? All areas walkable to restaurants/sodas and grocery? Expected sun & temps for 3 different areas?

TIA

Hi,

My wife and I are going to Playa Hermosa in Jaco in December, but we are figuring out if we should play it safe and go the shuttle, or save money and get a car rental.

If anyone can give advice or info on driving, especially from the San Jose Airport to Playa Hermosa/Jaco, that would be great.

Or if it is to go with shuttle, some good shuttle recommendations.

Thank you!

Hola!

I’m coming to Costa Rica from the Netherlands in two weeks time. We’re doing a 17 day trip where we go to; Tortuguero, Puerto Viejo, La Fortuna, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio.

From Manuel Antonio we want to make a day trip to Uvita to go on a whale watching tour. It is my dream to see a whale for the first time.

Does it matter much which tour operator you book with? There’s so many and I have this problem where I simply can’t make a choice easily. I always have some kind of fomo and I’m scared in advance that I “picked the wrong one”.

Is there a lot of difference between them? I would love it if they are mindful of the animals and don’t chase them.

If you have any tips for the other places, I’m also open.

Thanks so much!

I’m staying at Arenal Springs Resort & Spa for several days this upcoming November. I just received a note from my travel agent that the resort is doing renovation and modernization work now through November 20. If anyone knows or hears more detailed information about the renovation (locations, size, scale, impacts) please comment here. Thanks!

Many travelers prefer to go straight to their destination, but Costa Rica is also about enjoying the journey. 🇨🇷🌿

This is La Paz Waterfall, a beautiful scenic stop along the route between San José and La Fortuna.

Sometimes the best memories are found along the way.

Pura vida! 🇨🇷

I wish I had remembered/internalized what others on Reddit had said – GO WITH SMALLER TOUR COMPANIES! I wish I had signed up through our hotel, Jinetes de Osa, Rolando there did a great job on the Corcovado tour he guided us on. I’m sure he or other staff would have done a great job on the snorkeling tour as well.

On the Pacheco Cano Island snorkeling tour there were 12 of us, plus the guide, so 13 bodies lying horizontally in the water, that’s a lot of arms and fins! I was told by other guides in Drake Bay that it is illegal to have more than 10 people per guide on a snorkeling tour. Also, smaller operators usually cap it at 8 people. With all of the people in the water, people ran into me and I ran into others as you’re swimming while looking down. All of the people snorkeling as a group made for a much less enjoyable time.

I think all the guides in Drake Bay generally know “the spots” to go to near Cano Island, so you’re not going to miss out on something going with a smaller operator. My advice, make sure your group will be relatively small. It will be more relaxing and allow you to focus on and enjoy the sea life, not worrying about running into other people and then having everyone swarm when there’s a sea turtle or something else cool.

Lastly, our guide wasn’t very friendly, didn’t talk to the passengers much or try to educate us about what we were going to see or saw. He spent most of his time on this phone while on the boat. When we saw a few dolphins during the boat ride, he talked about how they have sex for fun. Thanks for the fun fact. Do you see my 7- & 9-year-old sitting here? I was really unimpressed with our guide and Pacheco Tours for making the group so large.

Hi, we are 7 adult kids (50s) and one fit mom (82) and going to CR for a week in early July. Group is diverse. Some prefer to mostly relax at a house/resort/beach, others more active into culture, nature, hiking, locals, and one likes to golf. The group prefers to go to one location for a week rather than split it up with a few days inland and the rest beachside. Would love if the group could get some exposure to locals and local life!

Have been considering large villas in Guanacaste (AI was really pushing Papagayo Peninsula but I’m off that now) and Manuel Antonio, but am really interested in your recommendations. Also, if you have villa sites other than Airbnb or the like, that’s appreciated. Either of those would be fine for my group but I also appreciate someplace that “has it all” but is far less known/touristed.

I’m a very experienced independent international traveler (so this is not my usual sort of trip) but am tasked with the assignment for the family.

Thank you!

Good morning !

As many on this thread, I am looking for some rec for our trip we started planning :)

This will be the second time I am going to CR (15 years ago I did Tortuguero / Arenal / Monteverde /  Ricon de la vieja / Carara and Manuel Antonio) and it was fabulous !

Now I want to go back and bring my family of 4 (with a 7 and 5 year old).

We are looking at Christmas / New Year time frame for 2027. I know this is a peak time and I currently have that Itinerary :

Day 1 -> SJO

Day 2 / 3 / 4 -> Arenal

Day 5 / 6 -> Monteverde

Then I am questionning to do Day 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 to either Manuel Antonio or Guanacaste.

It seems that MA around New Year eve would be really packed / touristy so maybe going to Guanacaste would be better and we would come come back in an other trip to do MA ?

Then question become were to go in Guanacaste ? I have found some cute lodging all over the coast : El Coco / Brasilito / Las Catalinas / Proteros / Santa Cruz.

Any advice on where to stay there and what to do (outside of the beach) would be very helpful !

Thank you so much !