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Arenal Volcano

Travel guide · Pura vida

Travelling to Costa Rica

Volcanoes, cloud forests, sloths, turtles and beaches on two oceans: pura vida. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • Best time: from December to April
  • Where to eat: the soda (a local eatery)
Photo: Unsplash

Costa Rica in 30 seconds

  • The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Costa Rica are from December to April. If you can, avoid from August to October (green season (rains), hurricane season).
  • Uber is limited outside San José.
  • To eat like a local: the soda (a local eatery). Don’t leave without trying: Gallo pinto, Casado, Ceviche.

Costa Rica in November

You can go, with a few caveats: hurricane season, green season (rains). Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.

  • November

    Hurricane season

    Hurricanes can form from June to November; August, September and October are the riskiest months. There are almost always days of heavy rain and humid heat.

    What to do: Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.

  • November

    Green season (rains)

    From May to November it rains almost every afternoon; September and October are the wettest months on the Pacific side (the Caribbean works the other way round).

    What to do: Do excursions in the morning; in September and October, the Caribbean side (Puerto Viejo, Tortuguero) is usually better.

More destinations for November

When to travel to Costa Rica

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Costa Rica are from December to April. If you can, avoid from August to October (green season (rains), hurricane season).

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May with warnings
  6. Jun with warnings
  7. Jul with warnings
  8. Aug with strong warnings
  9. Sep with strong warnings
  10. Oct with strong warnings
  11. Nov with warnings
  12. Dec no warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in January · where to travel in February · where to travel in March · where to travel in April

  • from May to November

    Green season (rains)

    From May to November it rains almost every afternoon; September and October are the wettest months on the Pacific side (the Caribbean works the other way round).

    What to do: Do excursions in the morning; in September and October, the Caribbean side (Puerto Viejo, Tortuguero) is usually better.

    Best time: December to April

  • from June to November

    Hurricane season

    Hurricanes can form from June to November; August, September and October are the riskiest months. There are almost always days of heavy rain and humid heat.

    What to do: Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.

    Best time: December to April

What to see in Costa Rica

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • San José

    San José

    The capital, in the Central Valley, with the National Theatre and the gold and jade museums.

    • National Theatre of Costa Rica
    • Pre-Columbian Gold Museum
    • National Museum of Costa Rica
    • Metropolitan Cathedral
    San José guide
  • La Fortuna
    North · Arenal

    La Fortuna

    At the foot of Arenal Volcano, with hot springs, a waterfall and hanging bridges.

    • Arenal Volcano
    • Río Fortuna Waterfall
    • Mistico Hanging Bridges
    • Lake Arenal
    La Fortuna guide
  • Manuel Antonio
    Pacific · Manuel Antonio

    Manuel Antonio

    Rainforest that reaches the sea, with monkeys, sloths and white-sand beaches.

    • Manuel Antonio National Park
    • Manuel Antonio Beach
    • Espadilla Beach
    • Punta Catedral
    Manuel Antonio guide
  • Monteverde

    Monteverde

    The cloud forest: mist, mosses, hummingbirds and bridges among the treetops.

    • Cloud Forest Reserve
    • Hanging bridges
    • Zip lines
    • Night tour
    Monteverde guide
  • Tamarindo

    Tamarindo

    A surf town in Guanacaste, with sunsets over the Pacific.

    • Tamarindo Beach
    • Playa Grande
    • Tamarindo Estuary
    • Playa Conchal
    Tamarindo guide
  • Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

    Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

    The Afro-Costa Rican Caribbean: reggae, palm-lined beaches and rainforest.

    • Playa Cocles
    • Punta Uva
    • Cahuita National Park
    • Jaguar Rescue Center
    Puerto Viejo de Talamanca guide
  • Tortuguero

    Tortuguero

    Canals in the Caribbean rainforest and a turtle-nesting beach, reachable only by boat or light aircraft.

    • Canals
    • Turtle nesting
    • Tortuguero village
    • Cerro Tortuguero
    Tortuguero guide
  • Santa Teresa

    Santa Teresa

    A surf and yoga village on the Nicoya Peninsula, with wild beaches.

    • Santa Teresa Beach
    • Playa Hermosa
    • Cabo Blanco
    • Tortuga Island
    Santa Teresa guide
  • Montezuma

    Montezuma

    A bohemian village with waterfalls that tumble almost into the sea.

    • Montezuma Waterfall
    • Montezuma Beach
    • El Chorro Waterfall
    • Cabo Blanco Reserve
    Montezuma guide
  • Liberia

    Liberia

    The gateway to Guanacaste, with an international airport and volcanoes nearby.

    • Rincón de la Vieja
    • White city
    • Río Celeste
    • Guanacaste beaches
    Liberia guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From San José

From La Fortuna

From Manuel Antonio

From Monteverde

From Tamarindo

From Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

From Tortuguero

From Santa Teresa

From Montezuma

From Liberia

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What to eat in Costa Rica

To eat like a local: the soda (a local eatery), and order casado or gallo pinto for breakfast. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Gallo pinto

    Rice and beans with coriander, the national breakfast.

  • Casado

    Rice, beans, ripe plantain, salad and meat or fish.

  • Ceviche

    Made with sea bass, lime and coriander.

  • Olla de carne

    A beef soup with vegetables and root vegetables.

  • Caribbean rice and beans

    Cooked with coconut milk, in Puerto Viejo.

  • Coffee

    High-altitude coffee, among the best in the world.

The typical dish of Costa Rica, at home

Gallo pinto
Photo: C T Johansson · CC BY 3.0

Gallo pinto

Costa Rica’s breakfast: rice and black beans stir-fried with onion, pepper, coriander and Lizano sauce, served with egg, ripe plantain and natilla.

  • Serves 4
  • 25 min

Ingredients

  • 400 g cooked white rice from the day before
  • 300 g cooked black beans with a little of their liquid
  • 1 onion
  • 1 red pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 bunch of coriander
  • 2 tablespoons of Lizano sauce (or Worcestershire sauce with a pinch of cumin)
  • Oil and salt
  • Eggs, fried ripe plantain and soured cream to serve

How to make it at home

  1. Fry the chopped onion, pepper and garlic in oil.
  2. Add the beans with a little of their liquid and let it reduce.
  3. Add the rice and stir-fry until it takes on the colour of the beans.
  4. Add the sauce and the chopped coriander and season with salt.
  5. Serve with a fried or scrambled egg, ripe plantain and natilla (soured cream).

The trick: Cold rice from the day before: it separates better and doesn’t go stodgy.

The typical food of each city, with a recipe

Curious facts about Costa Rica

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • It abolished its army in 1948.
  • It has around 5% of the planet’s biodiversity in a very small country.
  • More than a quarter of its territory is protected.
  • “Pura vida” is used to say hello, goodbye and thank you, and to say that all is well.
  • Addresses are given by landmarks: “100 metres north of the church”.
  • Almost all of its electricity comes from renewable sources.

Traditions of Costa Rica

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • Pura vida

    The national philosophy: calm and good humour.

  • March Oxcart Drivers’ Day

    A parade of painted oxcarts, on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

  • Christmas Zapote Festivities

    Tico-style bullfighting, where the bull isn’t killed, and a funfair.

  • July to October (Tortuguero) Turtle nesting

    Green turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on the beach.

What not to do in Costa Rica

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t feed the animals: not the monkeys, not the raccoons.
  • Don’t swim at beaches with currents, or without asking first: there are plenty on the Pacific.
  • Don’t walk in the rainforest at night without a guide: snakes and insects.
  • Don’t drive at night: the roads are unlit and full of potholes.
  • Don’t leave anything on show in a parked car.
  • Don’t underestimate the rain in the green season: bring a rain jacket.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Frequently asked questions about Costa Rica

What people search for most before travelling to Costa Rica.

What’s the best time to travel to Costa Rica?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Costa Rica are from December to April. If you can, avoid from August to October (green season (rains), hurricane season).

What to see in Costa Rica in a week?

The essentials of Costa Rica: San José, La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio, Monteverde and Tamarindo. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Costa Rica?

Gallo pinto, Casado, Ceviche, Olla de carne, Caribbean rice and beans, Coffee. To eat like a local: the soda (a local eatery).

What is the typical dish of Costa Rica?

Gallo pinto. Costa Rica’s breakfast: rice and black beans stir-fried with onion, pepper, coriander and Lizano sauce, served with egg, ripe plantain and natilla.

What should you not do in Costa Rica?

Don’t feed the animals: not the monkeys, not the raccoons. Don’t swim at beaches with currents, or without asking first: there are plenty on the Pacific. Don’t walk in the rainforest at night without a guide: snakes and insects.

Is it worth travelling to Costa Rica in November?

You can go, with a few caveats: hurricane season, green season (rains). Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Unsplash. San José, Bogdan Migulski (CC BY 2.0). La Fortuna, ArquiWHAT (CC BY-SA 3.0). Manuel Antonio, No machine-readable author provided. Rauldmo assumed (based on copyright claims) (Public domain). Monteverde, Cephas (CC BY-SA 4.0). Tamarindo, Tamarindowiki (CC BY-SA 3.0). Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Jaimedelamata (CC BY-SA 3.0). Tortuguero, Leyo (CC BY-SA 2.5 ch). Santa Teresa, Christopher Crouzet (CC BY-SA 4.0). Montezuma, Hans Hillewaert (CC BY-SA 3.0). Liberia, Emw (CC BY-SA 3.0).