Costa Rica has two main seasons, the rainy and the dry season. The dry season commonly starts in November and goes until the end of April. Rainy season typically begins in May and goes until November.  The months that you can expect the most rain would be September and October.  Costa Rica does have tropical weather and during the rainy season, you can expect sunny mornings and afternoon showers that last about two hours before the sky clears again.  Because of the geography of Costa Rica, it has different micro-climates making it a destination that can be traveled year round.  The Guanacaste region is the driest of the country, making it a recommended area to visit during the rainy season.

The traveler that wants to be on the safe side should travel to Costa Rica between the months of December and April. During this time the weather is very nice throughout the entire country.  During the months of September and October, it is recommended to travel on the Caribbean side because on the Pacific side, a lot of rain is to be expected.   Don’t fear the rain.  Unlike in Europe, the rain is a lot more pleasant in the beautiful, warm country of Costa Rica.

Even in the rainy season, one can expect a heavy rain shower every day and the sun may disappear for short periods of the day.  Continuous days of rainfall are the exception to this rule, but are not common.

The best time to travel to Costa Rica would be the beginning of the rainy season (May) or the end of the rainy season (November).  This is the best time to take advantage of the low season rates and also the best chance during the season to have days of full sunny skies.

• High season goes from beginning of December to April 30th and the months of July and August
• Low season is from May 1st to June 30th and from September 1st to November 30th
• Peak season is the week of New Years, December 20th to January 6th, and Easter week.

Depending on the experience you are looking for, the length of your itinerary will vary.  However, in general, an 8 day program is the perfect amount of time to see the highlights Costa Rica has to offer.  10 day programs allow you to enjoy and have the real taste of the country while still having some to relax at the beach.

Beach front hotels are located right on the beach where as beach hotels are near or overlooking the beach and do not have direct access to the beach.  In Costa Rica, there are very few beach front hotels.  

Some recommended beach fronts hotels are:

• Tamarindo Diria in Tamarindo Beach
• Hotel Casa Conde Del Mar in Hermosa Beach Guanacaste
• Four Seasons in Papagayo Beach
• Doubletree Puntarenas in Puntarenas Beach
• Hilton Papagayo Beach Front Villas in Papagayo Beach
• JW Marriott Hotel Mansita Beach near Tamarindo

San Jose:

• Doubletree Cariari 5*
• Crown Plaza Corobici 5*
• Intercontinental 5*
• Country Inn & Suites 4*
• Rincon del Valle 4*
• Palm House Inn 3*

Arenal:

• Royal Corin 5*
• Arenal Kioro 5*
• Magic Mountain 4.5*
• Arenal Nayara 5*
• Gran Arenal 3*

Guanacaste (North Pacific Coast)

• Hilton Papagayo All Inclusive 5*
• JW Marriott 5*
• RIU All Inclusive 4*
• Tamarindo Diria 4*
• Tango Mar 4.5*
• Pueblo Dorado 3*

Manuel Antonio

• Arenal del Mar 5*
• Gaia 5*
• La Mariposa Hotel 5*
• Parador 4*
• Karahe 3*

Tortuguero National Park

• Mawamba Lodge 4*
• Pachira Lodge 4*

Without a doubt, Arenal Volcano area and Manuel Antonio are the perfect locations for all your rainforest and adventure activities.

The best surfing year round is Jaco Beach in the Central Pacific Coast and Sante Teresa Beach in the North Pacific Coast.

The only other all-inclusive hotel that is not located in Guanacaste is the Double Tree Puntarenas located in the Central Pacific Coast.  All other hotels offer European plans which includes lodging and breakfast only.