Costa Rica in July and August: where to go, and how to avoid the crowds
“Rainy season”, “too many people”… The truth is it’s not that bad, but you need to know how to move around so you don’t spend your holiday queuing or driving through torrential rain.
Rain or sun?
Don’t panic about the rain. In July there’s often the “veranillo de San Juan”, a short window of bright sunshine. The best plan is to focus on the Pacific, from Guanacaste to the Nicoya Peninsula, the driest area in the country. On the other hand, Raúl recommends avoiding the Caribbean in these months: that’s where it rains the most. Mornings are usually lovely and showers tend to come late in the afternoon.
Watch out for the “double” high season
In July, Costa Rican schools and universities are on holiday for two weeks. The best-known places are popular with locals too, so tourist sites are even busier than usual.
The whales, and Tortuguero
August marks the start of humpback whale season on the South and Central Pacific: not to be missed, but tours fill up very fast. Tortuguero is a very wet area, but it’s the only place where you’ll see the canals and turtles nesting. It’s intense, and worth every second.
Local tips to avoid the crowds
- Book early
- If you wait until you arrive to rent a car, you’ll probably get the most expensive option, or nothing available at all. In August, it’s first come, first served.
- Escape the crowds
- Manuel Antonio and La Fortuna are beautiful but very busy. For more peace and quiet, try the Nicoya Peninsula (Tambor or Paquera) or head down to Dominical.
- The car trick
- Even with a rental car, choose tours that include transport for some outings: you avoid driving through heavy rain on roads you don’t know.
- Get up early
- Here, life starts at 5 a.m. With tours at 7 a.m., you’ll see twice as many animals and avoid the afternoon heat and showers.
- Book park tickets ahead
- For parks like Manuel Antonio, buy your tickets online weeks in advance.
- Avoid the traffic jams
- Try not to travel to or from San José on Friday or Sunday afternoons. And in rural areas, rent a 4x4.
Want to do this trip your way?
Raúl goes over this itinerary with you and adapts it to your dates.
Raúl first published this itinerary on the Costa Rica comme un Tico Facebook page. Read the original post(opens in a new tab)