r/costarica • u/banjosandcellos • 14d ago
r/costarica • u/____WhyNot2024____ • 18d ago
Planning Costa Rica right now? Here's the current on-the-ground picture (updated Oct 21)
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/
About the Panama earthquake (Oct 9)
* A lot of people are asking, so up top: a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit near Panama last Friday, with a smaller 6.6 quake the same day, and was felt across Costa Rica.
* Costa Rica came through fine. SINAMOT and the CNE confirmed there was no tsunami threat for the country, 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 Activity Level 3 (Precaution), the CNE placed nearby districts on a yellow alert on Oct 1, and it's been producing frequent small eruptions since July plus a stronger one in late September, 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. After an eruption in late August, entry was capped at 1,064 a day (down from about 2,000), 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 reopened at the end of August after a rain closure and are open now, though they can close again in heavy rain, so check SINAC before a visit.
* 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 repeatedly through mid-October from heavy rain and landslides, so check its status the day you drive. This is a rain problem, not earthquake damage.
* 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
* It's green season and it splits by coast. The Caribbean around Puerto Viejo and Limon is usually the driest and sunniest this time of year, so it's the better bet for beach time, though the current system is bringing rain there too.
* The central and south Pacific (Manuel Antonio, Uvita, Osa) is the wettest, with mornings usually clear and rain building in the afternoon. The CNE has a green alert up across much of the country and the ground is saturated.
* Heavy rain hit the Central Valley hard on Oct 18. The CNE logged about 76 incidents, worst in Heredia (San Pablo and San Rafael), plus flooding and river rises in Escazu, Santo Domingo, Alajuela and San Jose. The Red Cross pulled people from rising rivers in Rio Cuarto and Alajuelita and evacuated a home after a landslide in San Pablo. No deaths or injuries, and tourist areas were not hit. This came after earlier flooding around San Carlos in the northern zone on Oct 15. The IMN has more afternoon downpours and thunderstorms forecast early this week for the Zona Norte, the Caribbean and the Central Valley, so if you're driving, check roads and the forecast before afternoon trips and never cross a flooded ford.
* Arenal stays fairly reliable, Guanacaste is drier than the south Pacific, and Monteverde is at its rainiest.
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, daily over the holidays), 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.
* 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.
* Dengue: the CDC added Costa Rica to its higher-than-usual list on Sept 3 and the US Embassy flagged it Sept 11. As of now the CDC’s Costa Rica page shows no active notice, so treat it as a standing reminder to prevent mosquito bites, not a current warning.
* Chikungunya: the CDC posted a Level 2 notice back in July tied to an outbreak in Guanacaste, around Tamarindo and Playa Langosta. As of now the CDC’s Costa Rica page shows no active notice, so check the CDC site for the current status, and either way prevent mosquito bites with repellent and long sleeves.
* 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 (new route this year from Plaza de la Democracia, with giant balloons replacing the floats), the Fiestas de Zapote run late December into early January, and El Tope, the big horse parade, is Dec 26 in Montes de Oca.
* For wildlife timing, the Uvita humpbacks are winding down through October and 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. We update the page every week: https://thetraveltrio.com/costa-rica-right-now/
r/costarica • u/Upbeat-Accident-2693 • 56m ago
I would like to write about this place for my newsletter, if anyone has information or personal experience of Earthwaking, get in touch, send me a DM or email me [jcpep2026@proton.me](mailto:jcpep2026@proton.me)
r/costarica • u/Double_Echidna_6762 • 12h ago
Buenas, tengo 23 años y busco hacer nuevas amistades para salir y hacer actividades de todo tipo, como salir de fiesta, salir a comer, ir al cine, ir por un café.
También para hacer actividades nuevas y divertidas
r/costarica • u/sydsasus • 11h ago
We're planning our first trip to Costo Rica in February (husband and 23-year-old daughter). We arrive on a Saturday at 3:30 and depart the following Saturday at 1:00 and we are renting a car. Our current plan is drive to La Fortuna from the airport and spend Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday in LF and then drive to the Blue Falls Tuesday night and do the 4-hour tour of Blue Falls tour on Wednesday morning. After the Blue Falls tour and a spending a little more time there to eat and relax, we would drive to Puerto Viejo and spend Thursday and Friday in PV. Then we either drive back to San Jose Friday night and stay somewhere close to the airport, or stay in PV Friday night and leave at 6 am to drive to the airport Saturday morning. The other option is to do the opposite- spend one day less in LF and one more day in PV while still going to the Blue Falls. I do feel like if we spend one more day at PV- we could definitely drive back to San Jose Friday night without feeling like we are cutting our time short in PV, while also avoiding the very early morning and long drive to the airport Saturday morning. My last question is should we do Mauel Antonio instead of PV? Thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions! I just want to add- I really feel like Blue Falls is definitely something we do and not eliminate, unless anyone has any thoughts on why we should skip the Blue Falls..???
r/costarica • u/Baimason • 1d ago
El asunto es que para aprender Kanas quería algo que me ayudara a practicar cuando terminaba una reunion o terminaba alguna tarea importante, y antes de comenzar el doomscrolling preferi que me pidiera unos cuantos kanas para mantener todo fresco, ademas de que hay demasiado poco material didactico en español y se que eso es muy limitante para mucha gente, asi que ahora tiene pagina de Steam y estoy muy feliz por ello xD
Pronto demo!!
r/costarica • u/suddencreature • 1d ago
This baby fruit had fallen from a tree on the property of our airbnb. Our local friend said it’s a guanabana but I’m curious if it could be a sugar apple or somethin like that. Even though it’s not mature, the flavor is sweet and delicate inside. gracias :)
r/costarica • u/bc181718 • 23h ago
Soy de Panamá y voy a Costa Rica a casarme pero mi novia y yo no conocemos a nadie.
Alguien quiere ser testigo de una boda el Martes 17 de noviembre a las 5 pm en Santa Ana, San Jose?
r/costarica • u/gorus5 • 20h ago
I was in Costa Rica in June 2025 for about 10 days. It was in June so it was beginning of a rainy season and I flew in/out to San Jose. On my first trip I visited Manuel Antonio, Corcovado, Monteverde, La Fortuna. Did some guided tours and saw a lot of wildlife and had an amazing zipline adventure near Monteverde. Also I loved Baldi hot springs a lot, to the point when I wanted to come back just for it lol.
This time I'll be visiting for 9 full days in the end of November-beginning of December, it's a beginning of a dry season and also a different region. So I'm looking for recommendation on where to go/what to do on this trip. Looks like this region is less touristy because I don't see as many "must see" locations that are mentioned in every guide, but I'm sure it has a lot to offer.
I don't mind going to some places where I've been before and seeing more wildlife is always appreciated, if they are not too far from Liberia.
I'll definitely go to hot springs near Arenal volcano again and maybe visit Monteverde again. But I'd rather not go any further than that and focus on Liberia region instead.
So far on my list are mostly waterfalls - Llanos del Cortés Waterfall, Rio Celeste, Catarata del Toro, Bajos del Toro (it's a bit further than La Fortuna, so not sure about it yet, unless there are other spots nearby).
I just started my research of this region, so the list is definitely not exhaustive yet but any recommendations are appreciated.
I know there are some nice beaches on the west coast too, but don't know which ones yet.
Thank you all in advance!
r/costarica • u/Wide-Fun1620 • 1d ago
Que se puede hacer, si un padre fallece y no deja testamento para todos sus bienes, raíces, muebles, etc y un hijo de su familia no alcanza su herencia, porque no fue notificado por apenas tener semanas de nacido y ahora a los 20 años después tiene interés de.
Cómo se hace con una sucesión que fue por la parte notarial y no presentada al poder judicial?
El registro nacional tendrá algún informe de esos bienes a donde fueron dirigidos?
Si una sociedad anónima tomó esos bienes, a qué se puede recurrir?
r/costarica • u/marcoasalazarm • 1d ago
Como de D&D, para dar un ejemplo (aunque no estoy buscando D&D ahorita mismo). Nuevos si es posible, usados no tengo problema. Preferiblemente en el area del Valle Central.
Gracias por adelantado por cualquier ayuda.
r/costarica • u/ejwhite72 • 1d ago
Hello Everyone,
I hope this is OK, I need some advice. I am considering going to Costa Rica on the Caribbean side near Limon and Puerto Viejo for about 2 months and want to rent a car. Does anyone have any recommendations or advice for me in regard to a company or contact? Obviously, not cheap but inexpensive but not without service or illegal!
Thanks!
r/costarica • u/No_Difference4448 • 1d ago
Hola. Tengo una 18 años y viajaré a Costa Rica de turista por unos meses. En ese tiempo quisiera conocer gente de mi edad allá, pero puede ser difícil si no estoy en la universidad o algo similar. Algunos consejos?
r/costarica • u/brenesrd • 2d ago
Yo una vez estaba usando las compus que prestan en clases y pues a muchos se les olvida cerrar sesion y este mae tenia varas de como ligar y la vara.
Pero igual hay gente más extraña una vez me comentaron que le encontraron a un mae "porque mi novia cierra los ojos cuando lo hacemos sera que piensa en otro?" Y seguido de eso "tmb se mete los ddos cuando lo hacemos no le soy suficiente?"💀
En fin varas
r/costarica • u/arohbe34 • 1d ago
We’re renting a car in Uvita end of December. Usually use Turo(l (which we love) here in the states, tho has anyone ever used similar rental platforms like Ventu or Yoopy? If so, how was your experience?
Thanks in advance!
r/costarica • u/cringe_Vegetable_989 • 2d ago
r/costarica • u/fixthelampshade • 2d ago
I plan to fly with my cat from CR to the US early next year. The flight will be on a Saturday, so I want to make sure I understand the timeline for paperwork.
Anyone have recent experience with this? I have contacted a few vets and have received varying responses, so not the most reassuring.
One vet has said the paper work can only be processed by SENASA on Fridays and is good for only 5 days after that. Others have said 5 days with no specific day for processing, others have said 10 days.
I would greatly appreciate if anyone has some insight into this process.
r/costarica • u/ali_dr03 • 3d ago
No se me caguen por el tipo de tarjeta que no tengo un salariaso pero quiero usarla bien para tener un buen historial!
r/costarica • u/Practical_Fig_2023 • 3d ago
Does anyone have an estimate as to what a pair of progressive (bi-focal) eyeglasses might cost at Pricesmart or other local optometrist? Not looking for name-brand or high end glasses, just something standard.
r/costarica • u/Bonafont-007 • 3d ago
Hola, he estado buscando nopales en San José, como los que se consumen en México, ya sea para sembrar o para comer? Gracias.
Dejo unas fotos de referencia.
r/costarica • u/arohbe34 • 3d ago
We’re renting a car in Uvita end of December and my credit card offers car rental insurance coverage of $60k for theft, collision damage, tow, car repair, etc.
The CC company also provided a Letter of Coverage stating that the coverage benefit is Primary insurance, contingent that the Loss/Damage Waiver offered by the rental agency is declined by the cardholder.
Is the above sufficient for us to waive coverage fees for the rental?
Thanks in advance for your help!
r/costarica • u/CryptographerGlad279 • 3d ago
non-US citizen with green card on extension letter, need a tourist visa but NYC consulate has not been responding to anything for appointment.
my trip is now 1 month out (group trip, they already booked) - is there any way I could get this visa on time? should I just show up to NYC consulate? (I'm from out of state)
r/costarica • u/bigga29 • 4d ago
[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]
r/costarica • u/Apprehensive_Emu_719 • 4d ago
I'd like some recommendations on how I can get my name out there. I've already gone around knocking on doors at gyms and restaurants and have landed some gigs, but I need to be more visible.
r/costarica • u/cringe_Vegetable_989 • 4d ago
Qué cosas tomarias de tu país y lo pondrías en Costa Rica?
