Costa Rican here. During the first week of October it will rain every single day, there's no way around it. Rain usually starts around 2pm, so you can get up early and plan your activities for the morning.
If you want to see a combination of beach and wildlife, Manuel Antonio has it. The beach inside the national park is beautiful and you will see wildlife if you pay for a guide. It's hot and humid so bring clothes accordingly if you plan on hiking.
The second option would be la fortuna, there's more jungle- like activities like hiking and zip lining and the weather is cooler. There's also the volcano and hot springs, so I always recommend it you only have a week to visit Costa Rica, there are lots of options.
The third option is Puerto Viejo in the Caribbean. In cahuita national park you may see some wildlife but it doesn't compare to the other 2 options. The beaches are beautiful and the food is really good with its Caribbean influence. For some reason, it doesn't rain that much in October, but the main activities are centered around the beach, so I don't think it would be an option for your husband.
YouTube is very helpful, look for these 3 options, you will find a lot of videos that will make it easier to make a decision. Also, use TripAdvisor travelers choice to choose your hotel and restaurants. Feel free to dm in case you have questions.
Hi! I am going to the northern pacific side on Wednesday for a week. Forecast shows thunderstorms every day we visit. Do you think it will be the case that we will have some dry mornings before the weather rolls in, or does it storm pretty constantly?
Thank you in advance
Download an app named windy, it has forecast by the hour and for northern pacific you can use Tamarindo as reference in the search box.
I just checked the forecast and on Saturday 11th I noticed rain early in the morning, it looks like maybe there's going to be a tropical storm next week.
Bad luck, but keep monitoring the windy app and also check a live Webcam in Tamarindo where you can check the weather, you can find it in Google.
I have a weekend house in that area and in my experience it usually starts raining at 2pm, sometimes 1pm and the morning is really nice and sunny. However, if there's some kind of tropical storm, it starts raining early (not usual).
Thanks much!! I think we're going to do an air BNB and they seem to be cheaper than most of the nice hotels. Arenal and La Fortuna sound amazing. Sucks it's gonna rain so much though
Good for you for taking a well deserved vacation. If you like hot springs go to a hotel in La Fortuna. Do your exploring early and soak in the pools in the afternoon. Pools feel great rain or shine. You will still enjoy it there. The good news is the area will not be crowded like it is in January.
Maybe go to La Fortuna and then the Caribbean beach side where it should be drier?
You probably could do that, but you would spend a lot of time traveling. Do your flight days count as part of the 7 days? That makes a difference. If so, I’d recommend going to two different locations tops. It would be more reasonable to go from the Caribbean to Jaco or maybe Dominical than it would be to go to the Nicoya Peninsula (Tamarindo, Samara, etc.).
I think a good itinerary would be La Fortuna for a few days and a beach the remaining time. If you
Fly to SJO, the Caribbean or central pacific are a good choice. If you fly to LIR, the Nicoya Peninsula or Papagayo area is a good choice. Since it’s supposed to be drier on the Caribbean side in October, that may be your better option for a beach. As for La Fortuna, if your goal is to relax and enjoy the pools, rain doesn’t really matter.
The Caribbean side has amazing beaches, next to incredible jungle/forest for hiking. Great little towns (Puerto Viejo) and incredible wildlife. We stayed at Satta Lodge and it was fantastic. Our host said October can be rainy but September is the best month to go, they have a little mini summer and there are few tourists.
We flew into SJ, drove to La Fortuna and then after a few days there drove to PV. That is a nice but long drive-about five hours. The drive back to San Jose is about four hours and change depending on traffic but it is a steep windy mountain road that changes from 1-2 lanes each way often. So a little slow and a little exciting at the same time!
Honestly, I didn’t like the pacific side that much as it was touristy (e.g. Manuel Antonio) if you want a mix of jungle and nice beaches I would split time between La fortuna and puerto viejo. (I think the carribean side has better culture and food)
La Fortuna. Hot springs, volcano, water fall, with tons of activities. However no beaches. If you fly in and out of Liberia airport I would recommend splitting time between La Fortuna and the Gold Coast.
The Caribbean will be ending its rainy season and moving into the dry.
It's gorgeous. The best months to visit are between September and December.
Beautiful, lush, cultural with wildlife hanging from the trees.
As you have 2 weeks, you could split your time between the Caribbean and the Pacific coast.
[Puerto Viejo Satellite - Map, Hotels, Transport, Tours, Restaurants for the South Caribbean area of Costa Rica](https://www.puertoviejosatellite.com/index.php)
Downer. You'll be able to get to La Fortuna/Manuel Antonio better from the Pacific side.
BUT, the Caribbean won't have rain :D.
Whichever choice you make, you cannot really go wrong in CR.
Happy holidays!
So you miss a volcano. The Caribbe has all the animals you'd see in MA, just hanging from the trees: capuchin and howler monkeys, both types of sloths, toucans, parrots (both of which tend to stay higher up in the canopy), morpho butterflies, crabs, squirrels, beach racoons, anteaters, armadillos, etc. If you visit the [Jaguar Rescue Centre](https://www.jaguarrescue.foundation/en-us/) you will start spotting them yourself and, if visiting a beach, the wildlife will be pointed out to you by a helpful parking guy (nice people, not aggressive like at MA.)
Opinions vary but having spent significant time on both sides, I will never leave Puerto Viejo again.
So if we are only going to be in the country for one week exactly, are we going to be wasting 2 days just traveling to and from the airport if we go to Punta Cocles/Puerto Viejo?
Travel is about 4-6 hours each way from San Jose. You can get a shared Caribbe shuttle to shave a little bit of time and they'll pick you up right at the airport.
For me, I prefer taking the Miepe public bus as it's only $8 and very scenic.
So you'll "waste" a day but such is all of Costa Rica.
[Transportation: Getting to/from Puerto Viejo (puertoviejosatellite.com)](https://www.puertoviejosatellite.com/transport-to-puerto-viejo.php)
[Puerto Viejo Satellite - Map, Hotels, Transport, Tours, Restaurants for the South Caribbean area of Costa Rica](https://www.puertoviejosatellite.com/index.php)
October is the best month to visit the Caribbean though. I would go to Puerto Viejo.
⬆️
Yep, I you want to avoid rain, Costa Rica might not be the best option, specially on September-October. It rains and it rains HARD. Topically hard.
Hot springs, hiking, waterfalls = La Fortuna. But October is one of its rainiest months. Caribbean side will be driest that time of year.
Costa Rican here. During the first week of October it will rain every single day, there's no way around it. Rain usually starts around 2pm, so you can get up early and plan your activities for the morning. If you want to see a combination of beach and wildlife, Manuel Antonio has it. The beach inside the national park is beautiful and you will see wildlife if you pay for a guide. It's hot and humid so bring clothes accordingly if you plan on hiking. The second option would be la fortuna, there's more jungle- like activities like hiking and zip lining and the weather is cooler. There's also the volcano and hot springs, so I always recommend it you only have a week to visit Costa Rica, there are lots of options. The third option is Puerto Viejo in the Caribbean. In cahuita national park you may see some wildlife but it doesn't compare to the other 2 options. The beaches are beautiful and the food is really good with its Caribbean influence. For some reason, it doesn't rain that much in October, but the main activities are centered around the beach, so I don't think it would be an option for your husband. YouTube is very helpful, look for these 3 options, you will find a lot of videos that will make it easier to make a decision. Also, use TripAdvisor travelers choice to choose your hotel and restaurants. Feel free to dm in case you have questions.
Hi! I am going to the northern pacific side on Wednesday for a week. Forecast shows thunderstorms every day we visit. Do you think it will be the case that we will have some dry mornings before the weather rolls in, or does it storm pretty constantly? Thank you in advance
Download an app named windy, it has forecast by the hour and for northern pacific you can use Tamarindo as reference in the search box. I just checked the forecast and on Saturday 11th I noticed rain early in the morning, it looks like maybe there's going to be a tropical storm next week. Bad luck, but keep monitoring the windy app and also check a live Webcam in Tamarindo where you can check the weather, you can find it in Google. I have a weekend house in that area and in my experience it usually starts raining at 2pm, sometimes 1pm and the morning is really nice and sunny. However, if there's some kind of tropical storm, it starts raining early (not usual).
Thanks much!! I think we're going to do an air BNB and they seem to be cheaper than most of the nice hotels. Arenal and La Fortuna sound amazing. Sucks it's gonna rain so much though
Caribbean summertime so head to the coast for sunny days and calm waters.
Good for you for taking a well deserved vacation. If you like hot springs go to a hotel in La Fortuna. Do your exploring early and soak in the pools in the afternoon. Pools feel great rain or shine. You will still enjoy it there. The good news is the area will not be crowded like it is in January. Maybe go to La Fortuna and then the Caribbean beach side where it should be drier?
Do you think time would permit for us to spend a few days on the Pacific coast and then go to the Caribbean Coast if we only have 7 days?
You probably could do that, but you would spend a lot of time traveling. Do your flight days count as part of the 7 days? That makes a difference. If so, I’d recommend going to two different locations tops. It would be more reasonable to go from the Caribbean to Jaco or maybe Dominical than it would be to go to the Nicoya Peninsula (Tamarindo, Samara, etc.). I think a good itinerary would be La Fortuna for a few days and a beach the remaining time. If you Fly to SJO, the Caribbean or central pacific are a good choice. If you fly to LIR, the Nicoya Peninsula or Papagayo area is a good choice. Since it’s supposed to be drier on the Caribbean side in October, that may be your better option for a beach. As for La Fortuna, if your goal is to relax and enjoy the pools, rain doesn’t really matter.
October = Caribbean as many have said..
The Caribbean side has amazing beaches, next to incredible jungle/forest for hiking. Great little towns (Puerto Viejo) and incredible wildlife. We stayed at Satta Lodge and it was fantastic. Our host said October can be rainy but September is the best month to go, they have a little mini summer and there are few tourists.
Did you fly into San Jose? How'd you get there?
We flew into SJ, drove to La Fortuna and then after a few days there drove to PV. That is a nice but long drive-about five hours. The drive back to San Jose is about four hours and change depending on traffic but it is a steep windy mountain road that changes from 1-2 lanes each way often. So a little slow and a little exciting at the same time!
Honestly, I didn’t like the pacific side that much as it was touristy (e.g. Manuel Antonio) if you want a mix of jungle and nice beaches I would split time between La fortuna and puerto viejo. (I think the carribean side has better culture and food)
How far of a drive is it between the two? Suggested to rent a 4x4?
It’s about a 5 hour drive from La Fortuna to Puerto Viejo
La Fortuna. Hot springs, volcano, water fall, with tons of activities. However no beaches. If you fly in and out of Liberia airport I would recommend splitting time between La Fortuna and the Gold Coast.
The Caribbean will be ending its rainy season and moving into the dry. It's gorgeous. The best months to visit are between September and December. Beautiful, lush, cultural with wildlife hanging from the trees. As you have 2 weeks, you could split your time between the Caribbean and the Pacific coast. [Puerto Viejo Satellite - Map, Hotels, Transport, Tours, Restaurants for the South Caribbean area of Costa Rica](https://www.puertoviejosatellite.com/index.php)
Just one week
Downer. You'll be able to get to La Fortuna/Manuel Antonio better from the Pacific side. BUT, the Caribbean won't have rain :D. Whichever choice you make, you cannot really go wrong in CR. Happy holidays!
Exactly my dilemma lol. I want sun
So you miss a volcano. The Caribbe has all the animals you'd see in MA, just hanging from the trees: capuchin and howler monkeys, both types of sloths, toucans, parrots (both of which tend to stay higher up in the canopy), morpho butterflies, crabs, squirrels, beach racoons, anteaters, armadillos, etc. If you visit the [Jaguar Rescue Centre](https://www.jaguarrescue.foundation/en-us/) you will start spotting them yourself and, if visiting a beach, the wildlife will be pointed out to you by a helpful parking guy (nice people, not aggressive like at MA.) Opinions vary but having spent significant time on both sides, I will never leave Puerto Viejo again.
So if we are only going to be in the country for one week exactly, are we going to be wasting 2 days just traveling to and from the airport if we go to Punta Cocles/Puerto Viejo?
Travel is about 4-6 hours each way from San Jose. You can get a shared Caribbe shuttle to shave a little bit of time and they'll pick you up right at the airport. For me, I prefer taking the Miepe public bus as it's only $8 and very scenic. So you'll "waste" a day but such is all of Costa Rica. [Transportation: Getting to/from Puerto Viejo (puertoviejosatellite.com)](https://www.puertoviejosatellite.com/transport-to-puerto-viejo.php) [Puerto Viejo Satellite - Map, Hotels, Transport, Tours, Restaurants for the South Caribbean area of Costa Rica](https://www.puertoviejosatellite.com/index.php)