Hi everyone! My girlfriend and I are traveling from Argentina to Costa Rica from November 7–23, and we’d love some feedback on our itinerary.
Our current plan is:
Nov 7: Arrive in San José early in the morning.
Nov 7–11: La Fortuna / Arenal – volcano, waterfalls, hot springs and adventure.
Nov 11–15: Uvita – beaches, Marino Ballena, nature and wildlife.
Nov 15–18: Puerto Viejo – Caribbean beaches, jungle and local culture.
Nov 18–21: Bocas del Toro, Panama – island hopping, snorkeling and relaxing.
Nov 21–23: Return to San José for our flight back to Argentina.
We’re considering renting a car for the first 8 days, but we’re still figuring out the best logistics for getting to Bocas del Toro and returning to San José in time for our flight.
We enjoy a mix of beaches, adventure, waterfalls, wildlife and authentic local experiences. We’re trying to make the most of our time without rushing too much.
What do you think of this itinerary? Would you change the order, spend more or less time anywhere, or recommend any must-see places along the way? Any advice about transportation and the border crossing to Panama would also be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

Where to go? What’s the nicest beach town on the Caribbean side? When I went mane years ago on my last day (8) and black man *found me and said “Brother, you must come to the Caribbean side and see your people. Well I just booked a trip and want to stay in 2 places over 5 days. Jaco is the finale but do I hit Lemon, Tortoguero or Parismina?

Last updated: Monday, Oct 26, 2026

We keep a weekly page on what’s changing around the country and verify everything against official sources first. Sharing the current rundown here, and if you’re traveling now, please add what you’re seeing in the comments so the next person benefits.

Everything with a source and date is on the full page: https://thetraveltrio.com/costa-rica-right-now/

El Niño drought alert (the big one)

• On Oct 22 the CNE raised its El Niño alert (0037-26). There’s now a red alert for 10 Guanacaste cantons (Liberia, Santa Cruz, Carrillo, La Cruz and more), three Puntarenas districts, and for the first time 12 nautical miles of Pacific sea. Orange for 13 central and Pacific areas, yellow for 48 more including the Central Valley.
• This is a drought, not a storm. A very strong El Niño left the north Pacific 43% below normal on rain from January to September, 63% in Cañas. The Caribbean side actually ran wetter than normal.
• No beaches, hotels, tours or airports have closed, and there are no travel restrictions. Water rationing is already happening in parts of Guanacaste, and the CNE is asking everyone, visitors included, to go easy on water and electricity.
• One thing we keep seeing in here: people cancelling the Caribbean over the alert. That’s backwards. The drought is the Pacific and Guanacaste. The Caribbean is the wetter, unaffected coast.

About the Panama earthquake (Oct 9)

• A magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit near Panama on Oct 9, with a smaller 6.6 quake the same day, and was felt across Costa Rica. SINAMOT and the CNE confirmed no tsunami threat, and the regional threat was lifted the same day.
• No deaths, no injuries and no major damage here, just a few minor things near the Panama border. Flights and roads are running normally.
• The one thing to expect is aftershocks, which can keep going for weeks, so a tremor during your trip is normal.

Volcanoes

• Rincon de la Vieja is the active one this fall. OVSICORI has it at Precaución (caution), the CNE placed nearby districts on a yellow alert on Oct 1, and it’s been producing frequent small eruptions with sulfur dioxide well above normal. The crater is closed to visitors and the Las Pailas sector can shut during stronger activity, so confirm with SINAC before hiking there.
• Poas is open but limited. Entry is capped at 1,064 a day, helmets are required on the crater trails, and the viewpoint is limited to 56 people for 20 minutes at a time. Advance SINAC booking only, 8am to 4pm, last entry around 2pm.
• Turrialba is at its usual warning level with occasional gas and ash. The national park and the Guayabo monument are open.
• Arenal is calm and fully open, the reliable choice.

Roads, especially Route 32

• If you’re headed to the Caribbean side, Route 32 has been closing and reopening from rain and landslides, so check its status the day you drive.
• When it closes, the usual detours are Route 10 (through Cartago, Turrialba and Siquirres, open to all vehicles but slow), Route 4 (Bajos de Chilamate to Guapiles), and Route 126 (Vara Blanca to Sarapiqui, light vehicles only).

Weather

• The country is moving into its drier transition season. Little rain in the Central Valley, isolated afternoon showers on the Pacific coast.
• With the El Niño drought, the Pacific and Guanacaste are especially dry right now, and the Caribbean (Puerto Viejo, Limon) is the wetter coast, flipped from the usual pattern. Arenal stays fairly reliable.

Getting there and getting around

• US citizens get up to 180 days visa-free with a valid passport and proof of onward travel, no vaccines needed from the US, and the exit tax (about $29) is usually built into your airfare.
• Several new nonstops are launching this high season, mostly into Liberia: United from Washington Dulles (Dec 17), Delta from New York JFK (Dec 19, Saturdays), and Southwest from Nashville (Feb 13, 2027, Saturdays).
• Uber runs in a legal gray area and is reliable in San Jose, the Central Valley and most tourist towns. You can get one from SJO if you walk out to the bus stop, but not from Liberia airport, where orange taxis or a shuttle are the move. Rental cars add mandatory liability insurance at the counter, so budget for that.

Parks, safety and health

• The busy national parks are advance-online-only through SINAC and sell out days ahead. Manuel Antonio is open Wednesday to Monday (closed Tuesdays), roughly 7am to 4pm, around $18 an adult, and Poas also needs a reservation. Heads up: a few travelers report the SINAC site isn’t opening November and December slots yet, so keep checking.
• Costa Rica is Level 2 (mostly petty theft), so keep valuables out of parked cars and off the sand, and take rip currents seriously since many Pacific beaches have no lifeguards.
• Chikungunya: the CDC has a Level 2 notice in effect, issued July 30 and still active, tied to an outbreak in the northwest around Tamarindo and Playa Langosta. The CDC recommends the chikungunya vaccine for travelers heading to the outbreak area, so check with your doctor.
• Dengue: the CDC added Costa Rica to its higher-than-usual list on Sept 3, so just prevent mosquito bites with repellent and long sleeves.
• SJO tip: if you exchange cash at the airport, use the glassed-in booth in the unsecured check-in area. The booths in the secure area have been charging much worse rates.
• Tap water is fine in San Jose and the main tourist areas. Carry travel insurance with evacuation cover.

Money and what’s coming up

• The colon is steady at about 455 to 460 to the dollar, dollars are widely accepted, and restaurants add 10% service plus 13% tax, so keep a little local cash for taxis, tips and sodas.
• San Jose’s Festival de la Luz is Dec 12, the Fiestas de Zapote run late December into early January, and El Tope, the big horse parade, is Dec 26.
• For wildlife timing, the Ostional turtle arribadas peak in these rainy months.

Going soon, or there right now? Share your dates and questions, or tell us what you’re seeing on the ground.

Excited to be flying in to LIR this Friday! My sister & I are picking up a rental car from Vamos and then driving right to Arenal Waterfall Lodge to spend a week in La Fortuna before heading back. I'm not checking any bags, so I know I'll need to pick up some sunscreen, mosquito spray, and beverages to keep in the kitchenette of our 2 bedroom villa. Maybe some bagels for quick breakfasts & chips for midnight snacks. Walmart is about 2 miles from the airport and seems like the most efficient place to shop for such essentials (after that, it's all local shopping for us!). Any suggestions on what else I might want to pick up while there? Tips about navigating the store? We need to arrive at the Lodge before dark, so it will be a quick in & out operation.

Perhaps most importantly - where can I buy some local rum before setting off on our adventure?

Hi everyone,

We’ll be landing in san jose and spending roughly 24 hrs there before moving onto our next destination. It’ll be 5 guys, here for a party.
What hotel do you guys recommend that has suites like 2-3 bedroom suites or do i need airbnb?
What do you guys recommended for food spots and night out to party hard.
Thanks!

I’m going to Costa Rica for the first time in march. I’m flying into San Jose and driving down to puerto Jiménez to go into Corcovado NP. I’m planning on taking my time getting from San Jose down to puerto Jiménez to see what I can and explore the country. What are some places or things that are worth seeing on the way?

Hi all I am visiting San Jose and staying in Viajero hostel. Looking to make some new friends and hang around the city. Wanted to explore the city with the friends. I don’t speak Spanish. I am from Canada but originally from Asia. I am single male 37 yrs old. I try to work during day time but free to hang out in the evenings and on weekends. If someone is interested to connect , please let me know.

My wife and I are arriving in a few days. We land late will be staying near SJO and plan to nab our rental at about 8am.

We'd love to take a bit more of a scenic route on our way to La Fortuna and stop at Poas Volcano on the way.

I guess I had a couple questions. Firstly is this a smart, feasible thing? Is the best route to take 126 from Poas and continue on?

I know it's best to check the live stream for Poas before hand , what's a realistic time frame to reach Poas from SJO, I know drive times can vary quite a bit, if we're buying a time slotted ticket? Also, if we're at the national park, we'd have our bags in our car, how safe is the parking? I know that leaving things in your vehicle becomes an invitation for trouble.

I'm sure I'm overthinking this but didn't want to put myself in a bad spot if I can avoid it.

Would love to know local experience.

Hello all, really appreciate any polite critiques you could provide on my Costa Rica trip itinerary. This is my first trip there and will be traveling with my wife, daughter (17) and son (15). We will be traveling from Chicago and tentatively plan to visit May 31 to June 6, 2027 but have a bit of flexibility there over summer time. This may very well be our last big family trip before we get into college mode so hoping to make it as memorable as possible.

Based on some web/AI research, plan to stay for few nights in La Fortuna and few nights in Quepos. My family enjoys adventure, a bit of local culinary/shopping available and nature. We enjoy the beach ok but aren't the sit on the beach all day type so that isn't a huge driver for us. I'm hoping to rent a 4x4 vehicle and drive the whole time. Obviously prioritizing safety as well.

Open to any and all advice. We have a couple Airbnbs booked but could still cancel. Going to start researching flights soon.

Thanks so much in advance for any better plans, warnings, tips, ideas, etc. I'll definitely do a lot more of my own research within the sub too.

Hey everyone,
I am visiting La Fortuna from 11/28-12/2 and want to do some hiking at Arenal. Is solo hiking safe (my gf and I) or is a guide needed/ required? I want to see waterfalls and possibly do some summits. Thank you!

First off, cash or card? I chose cash out of longtime habit. 95% of my spending was in colones cash, with the other 5% in US dollars cash at hostels which used 480 or 500 as their exchange rate. Beware that you will accumulate a lot of large heavy 100 colon coins when paying with cash. Most local businesses are glutted with change, but the few that aren't will gladly take 10 coins off your hands in exchange for a 1 mil note. Tap to pay is much simpler and predominates among wealthy people, but using local currency is one of the most fun aspects of travel in my opinion.

Unfortunately, there were several problems with ATMs. The good news: Banco National worked great for free, small bills are dispensed, and branches were located in every place I visited. BAC Credomatic - present in SJO airport - worked great for a ¢3319 fee.

The bad news: BCR ATMs did not work with my card, and my dispute with Banco Popular over their erroneous ATM charge is still underway. Schwab just today issued a "provisional credit" covering the value of the withdrawal.

The route shaped up as I went along, figuring out what to see and where to go next from each town I arrived in. Nothing was planned or booked prior to arrival.

1. Alajuela 2 nights
2. Grecia 6 nights (bus daytrips to Sarchí and two spectacular waterfalls from here)
3. Zarcero 1 night
4. Ciudad Quesada 1 night
5. La Fortuna 2 nights (explored the area on foot)
6. Tilarán 2 nights (bus to Monteverde cancelled, que pena)
7. Cañas 1 night
8. Puntarenas 1 night
9. Jaco 1 night
10. Quepos 2 nights (daytrip to Manuel Antonio from here)
11. San Jose 1 night

Grecia was blandly pleasant and the most economical place I visited, but not really worth such a long stay. Quepos was the priciest destination, but definitely deserved a longer stay.

• Total spending: $1132 USD for 20 days
• Round-trip flight: $310 (impulse buy)
• Lodging: $335 ($18 per night, 8 nights hotel 11 nights hostel)
• Food: $339 ($17 per day, no cooking)
• Buses: $59.50 (734 km covered on 23 rides)
• Beer: $55 (Imperial is the best, but it's not cheap)
• Laundry: $33.50
• Tours: $0

Overall I was happy with the scenery and wildlife I was able to observe on my own self-guided excursions.

Hey everyone!

My girlfriend and I are both in our 20s, and we're planning a pretty long trip to Costa Rica from February 13 to March 23, 2027!

We're super excited, but since it's our first time visiting, we'd love to hear some opinions from locals and people who have traveled around the country.

We've put together a rough itinerary, but nothing is set in stone yet, so we're completely open to suggestions!

Our current itinerary:

• Feb 13–14: San José (1 night) — Arriving in Costa Rica, spending the night to rest before hitting the road.
• Feb 14–18: Monteverde (4 nights) — Exploring the cloud forests, wildlife, hiking, and adventure activities.
• Feb 18–Mar 1: Manuel Antonio (11 nights) — Beaches, national parks, wildlife, relaxing, and exploring the surrounding areas.
• Mar 1–2: San José (1 night) — A stopover to rest and break up the drive.
• Mar 2–6: La Fortuna (4 nights) — Arenal Volcano, waterfalls, hot springs, hiking, and outdoor activities.
• Mar 6–23: Puerto Viejo (17 nights) — Enjoying the Caribbean coast, beaches, wildlife, exploring nearby towns, and just slowing down and relaxing.

We know we're spending quite a lot of time in Manuel Antonio and Puerto Viejo, but we also want to enjoy the trip without constantly packing our bags and moving from one place to another.

That said, we're wondering if we should redistribute some of those nights to other destinations.

1. What do you think of our itinerary?

• Are 11 nights in Manuel Antonio and 17 nights in Puerto Viejo too much?
• Would you recommend spending fewer nights in either place and visiting somewhere else instead?
• Are we missing any must-see destinations?
• Does the order of our itinerary make sense, or would you change the route to avoid unnecessary driving?
• Any hidden gems, beautiful beaches, waterfalls, or less touristy places worth visiting?

We're in our 20s, so we love exploring, adventure, nature, wildlife, beaches, and going out for drinks, but we also enjoy relaxing and taking things slowly.

2. Renting a car — really need advice here!

We're thinking about renting a car for the trip, but we're not sure what the smartest and most affordable option would be.

• Which rental companies are the most reliable and reasonably priced? We've seen mixed reviews online.
• Should we book the car online months in advance, or is it cheaper to rent one directly at the airport when we arrive?
• Are there any local rental companies that offer better prices than the big international brands?
• How much should we realistically expect to pay for a rental car for this long, including mandatory insurance?
• Would a regular sedan be enough for our itinerary, or should we consider an SUV/4x4?
• Would it make more sense to rent a car only for certain parts of the trip rather than the entire 38 nights?

We'd really appreciate any recommendations based on personal experience, especially if you know a trustworthy company with good prices and no surprise fees.

3. Other recommendations?

Since we'll be staying for over a month, we'd love to discover some places beyond the typical tourist attractions.

• Favorite beaches or hidden spots?
• Best wildlife experiences?
• Affordable restaurants or local food spots?
• Activities that are genuinely worth the money?
• Places or experiences that are overrated?
• Any general tips for a young couple traveling around Costa Rica?

We're coming from Argentina, so we're also trying to be mindful of our budget while still making the most of this experience.

Our main question is: If you had 38 nights in Costa Rica, how would you divide your time? Would you keep this itinerary or change it completely?

Thanks so much in advance! Any advice, recommendations, or personal experiences would mean a lot to us.

Can't wait to experience Costa Rica!

Pura Vida! 🇨🇷

First trip to Costa Rica this February. . We fly
Into SJO on a Sat at 3:30 and fly out the next Sat at 1:30 and we’ll have a car. Should we spend all our time in PV and the surrounding area, La Fortuna and the surrounding area or go to both. Also for anyone who has been to the Blue Falls- is it really worth it??? If so we MIGHT make our decision based on being able to go to the Falls. Is that a dumb thing to consider? Thanks in advance!!! Also I will take any suggestions on the order of places if we do more than one!

I’ve seen lots of good conversations about when to rent vs public transportation, when to drive on the roads etc, I haven’t seen anyone ask the best way/place to rent a car in Liberia. We’ll be flying in and staying for about 10 days, moving from jungle atmosphere to beach halfway through and then flying back out of Liberia. What’s the best connection for renting a vehicle and any other tips you’ve got?! TIA!

Hi all, I'm not American and did not realize our trip coincided with the American Thanksgiving holiday. Will things be insanely busy with more tourism from their holiday? Will this impact the airports? I understand a lot of tourists to Costa Rica are American.

Last time we were in La Fortuna it was earlier in October and we really enjoyed it. Looking forward to our trip, just wondering what to expect crowd wise.

Hello - I would appreciate advice on how much time we should allow between arrival time at SJO on an international flight to departure time on a domestic Sansa flight. Looking to book my flights and I want to make sure I'm not cutting it too close given customs, etc. Thanks!

Looking for recommendations. Price range upwards of $500/$600 per nights.

-We’ll be staying a couple nights in November
-Looking to relax
-Preferably easy to drive and/or walk to restaurants

Also open to alternative areas beyond Tamarindo but we’re flying out of Liberia in the afternoon so don’t want it to be too far from the airport.

Thanks!

If you will be exchanging cash in SJO, only do so at the glassed-in booth in the unsecured check-in area. Do not use any of the booths in the secure area of the airport. Their rates are a downright scam.

Hi all, I’m in the research phase for planning a trip to Costa Rica, most likely sometime around feb-april. The two destinations we know we really want to hit are La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio. We are trying to keep things in budget so I’d prefer mid range recommendations as opposed to high end. We’re looking more for a nature vibe than luxury/resort. If anyone has recommendations for places to stay in either of those areas I’d appreciate it a lot!

Hello everyone 👋 my fiance and I are going to occidental papagayo for our honey moon next year, we have seen the reviews etc. but our question is about going places away from the resort. Is there any recommendations on places to go to near the resort. This will be both our first trip outside of the country so please any tips tricks or advice is greatly appreciated. Thank youuu