Costa Rica

A guide for a first visit

Cloud forest, volcanoes, and two very different coasts.

Pura vida is the local shorthand for hello, thanks, and don’t hurry. The country behind it is compact: coffee hills, a perfect cone of a volcano, dry forest, and rainforest that runs into the Pacific and the Caribbean. This page is what is worth your time.

Arenal volcano rising over green forest, its peak wrapped in a band of cloud.
Arenal, with the peak in cloud. Mornings are the clearer bet.

At a glance

The short version

Language
Spanish. English is common in tourist towns, and a few phrases go a long way everywhere else.
Money
The colón is the currency. US dollars are widely accepted at hotels, tours, and many restaurants.
Dry season
Roughly December to April on the Pacific: sunnier beaches and firmer roads.
Green season
May to November. Lusher forest, fewer people, and rain that often arrives in the afternoon.
On the road
Drive on the right. Distances on the map take longer once the road starts climbing.
Good to know
Costa Rica has had no standing army since 1948. Most international flights use San José (SJO) or Liberia (LIR).

Regions

Where people actually go

You do not need all of these in one trip. Pick a coast, a volcano, and one forest, and the week will already feel full.

Guanacaste

The Pacific northwest: dry forest, howler monkeys, and long beaches such as Tamarindo, Nosara, and the Papagayo gulf.

Good for sun, swimming, and surf

Arenal / La Fortuna

The cone of Arenal, hot springs, hanging bridges, and the La Fortuna waterfall. The most straightforward volcano stop in the country.

Good for a first volcano and an easy base

Monteverde

Cloud forest on the continental divide. Cooler, misty, and full of birds. A quetzal is possible with a guide and some luck.

Good for forest, canopy walks, and cooler nights

Central Valley

San José and the coffee highlands. Cooler evenings, coffee tours, and day trips up to the craters of Poás and Irazú.

Good for arrival, departure, and coffee

Central Pacific

Manuel Antonio and Quepos. A national park where monkeys, sloths, and a swimable beach sit a short walk apart.

Good for wildlife and beach in one stop

Caribbean coast

Puerto Viejo, Cahuita, and the Tortuguero canals. Afro-Caribbean food, a slower pace, and rain on its own schedule. Tortuguero is reached by boat.

Good for a different coast and canal wildlife

Osa Peninsula

Corcovado and primary forest at the end of the road. Remote, richer in wildlife, and better as the focus of a trip than a quick add-on.

Good for a wilder second visit, or a longer trip

Map

Recommended places

The same stops as the guide, in the country. Tap a pin for details and directions. Each pin’s icon and color show the kind of place, and the filter on the map lets you show only the kinds you want.

The map needs JavaScript and a connection to load.

Aerial view of dense green forest meeting a dark sand shoreline and the Pacific Ocean.
Forest running straight into the Pacific.

Weather

When it rains

The two coasts run on different calendars. On the Pacific side and in the Central Valley, the dry season runs from December to April and the rains come from May to November, heaviest in September and October. The Caribbean side gets rain all year, with drier spells around February and March and again in September and October, just when the Pacific is wettest. Tap a pin on the map for the current weather there.

Typical rain by month
Region JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Pacific and Central ValleyGuanacaste, Manuel Antonio, Osa, San José DryDryDryDryRainyRainyRainyRainyWettestWettestRainyDry
CaribbeanPuerto Viejo, Cahuita, Tortuguero RainyDrierDrierRainyRainyRainyRainyRainyDrierDrierRainyRainy

Sources: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional, climate regions of Costa Rica; daily precipitation at Limón. Current conditions from Open-Meteo.

What to do

Beaches, heat, animals, and lunch

Names and what to expect. Hours, fees, and trail conditions change with the season, so confirm them before you go.

Aerial view of a pale beach, turquoise surf, and forested headlands at Manuel Antonio.
Manuel Antonio, where the park trails meet the sand.

Beaches

  • Manuel Antonio. Short park trails that end at a guarded-feeling cove.
  • Guanacaste. Playa Conchal for swimming; Nosara and Santa Teresa if you want surf and a longer stay.
  • Puerto Viejo. Reef, surf breaks, and Caribbean food in town.

The sun is strong, and Pacific beaches can have rip currents. Swim where other people are, and ask locally that morning.

Volcanoes and hot springs

  • Arenal. Viewpoints, foothill trails, and hot springs around La Fortuna. The summit is closed to hikers.
  • Poás and Irazú. Crater visits from the Central Valley. Cloud often sits on the rim by late morning, so go early.
  • Rincón de la Vieja. Mud pots and hiking in Guanacaste.

Wildlife and parks

  • Manuel Antonio. White-faced monkeys, sloths, and easy trails.
  • Monteverde. Cloud forest, hummingbirds, and a chance of a quetzal.
  • Tortuguero. Canals, river life, and sea turtles in season.
  • Corcovado. Macaws, tapir country, and primary forest with a guide.

A guide is worth it. Dawn is when animals are moving.

Food and coffee

  • Gallo pinto. Rice and beans, usually at breakfast.
  • Casado. A plated lunch of rice, beans, salad, plantain, and fish or meat.
  • Coffee. Grown in the Central Valley highlands. A farm visit is an easy half day.
  • On the coast. Ceviche and fried plantain. Around Puerto Viejo, rice and beans cooked in coconut milk.

Before you go

So the week stays easy

Getting around

Shared shuttles are the straightforward way between the main tourist towns. Domestic flights help if you add Liberia, the Caribbean, or the Osa. A rental car is reasonable if you are comfortable on winding mountain roads in rain.

Keep transfer days free of big hikes. A night drive on a mountain road is slow, and the useful scenery is gone anyway.

Money

Cards work in towns. Smaller sodas (neighborhood restaurants), some park snacks, and tips are easier with cash. ATMs are in the towns on this route.

Ask which currency a price is in before you agree. Dollars and colones both show up on menus.

Packing

  • Light clothes you can layer, plus a rain jacket
  • Shoes with grip for wet trails
  • A swimsuit, reef-safe sunscreen, and insect repellent
  • A dry bag or zip bag for a phone
  • A photo of your passport, kept separate from the original

Evenings in Monteverde and the Central Valley are cool. The coast will not need the layer the cloud forest does.

A little Spanish

Hola
Hello
Por favor / gracias
Please / thank you
Pura vida
Hello, thanks, and “it’s all good”
¿Cuánto cuesta?
How much does it cost?
La cuenta, por favor
The check, please
¿Dónde está…?
Where is…?

Safety, plainly

Keep an eye on bags in San José and on busy beaches. Leave passports and electronics in the hotel, not in a parked car. Swim at spots people are already using, and treat rip currents as the thing to ask about.

In green season, heavy rain can slow or close mountain roads, so an unhurried transfer day is part of the plan. Tap water is treated in most towns; ask at a small lodge if you are unsure.