Home
Costa Rica
PLAN MY VISIT
Costa Rica Destinations HotelsThings to do Transport Maps Vacations Team
  • Top Destinations
PLAN MY VISIT →
  1. Home
  2. Costa Rica
  3. Travel Guides

Holidays in Costa Rica

The holiday season in Costa Rica includes Christmas, New Year’s, and Semana Santa, which extends across the week leading up to Easter. During these holidays, there are more travelers (both international and national) in Costa Rica. Hotels fill up months in advance and larger crowds descend upon beaches. If you want to visit Costa Rica during any of these holidays, start planning early.

Flag of Costa Rica

Team Anywhere Costa Rica designs awesomepersonalized vacations  using local knowledge and decades of experience.

Holidays in Costa Rica are great—where else can you spend Christmas surfing perfect waves or lounging along a white-sand beach? There are serious perks to spending holidays in Costa Rica, but there are also some drawbacks. Holidays are the peak season for international travelers and locals alike. More people head to the country’s Top Destinations, most notably the Pacific coast beaches. That means you’ll have more competition for towel space at the most popular beaches. Roads can also become congested during holidays (especially smaller 2-lane roads), which makes overland travel slower than usual.

Since more people vacation in Costa Rica during the holidays, it’s recommended to book hotels well over three months in advance. This ensures you with the best choices for rooms and lodging. Hotels are, however, more expensive during the holiday season. Major holidays occur during Costa Rica's high season (December through April), when hotels are pricier than other times of the year; but during the holiday season, prices go up even further.

Video: Weather in Costa Rica

What can you expect when you visit during this time of year? Christmas is family time for locals and most celebrations are private affairs. Restaurants and bars, however, stay open but may close a few hours earlier than usual. Things can get rowdier during New Year’s, especially in touristy areas. Bars, restaurants and hotels often throw New Year’s parties replete with music, drinks, and dancing. These can be a lot of fun.

Semana Santa takes place the week before Easter. It’s a big, long holiday in Costa Rica; schools go on vacation and some businesses close. During this week, certain municipalities restrict the sale of alcohol in restaurants and grocery stores. In the past, there was a countrywide ban on alcohol from Wednesday morning until midnight on Friday. That’s changing now, especially in places where tourism is important. In small towns like Naranjo, or in more traditional places like San Ramón, alcohol will likely be unavailable. However, in more touristy areas like Arenal and Tamarindo, alcohol can be purchased throughout the week. If you do end up staying in a small town during Semana Santa and want alcohol, stock up a few days in advance.

Holidays can be a ton of fun in Costa Rica. The atmosphere is festive and the climate is perfect. Swimming in crystal-clear water on Christmas day, or staying up dancing until 2 AM on New Year’s Eve, make for wonderful memories. If you do want to visit Costa Rica during the holidays, plan ahead and book your hotel several months in advance. You’ll be glad you did.

A Current Snapshot of Sustainable Development in Costa RicaATVs and the EnvironmentCosta Rica AirBnBCosta Rica MoneyCosta Rica's FoodCosta Rica WeatherCulture of a Peaceful NationHolidays in Costa RicaIs Costa Rica Safe?Medical Tourism in Costa RicaRenting a Car and Driving in Costa RicaSea Turtles: Promises and Threats
Excellent!
Trustpilot Rating
Based on 705 reviews
Trustpilot
Anywhere Designed a Fantastic Itinerary
The travel route was designed with great precision and it was a seamless experience from start to finish. Yahaira unders...
Dec 03, 2022
– JKen R
Trustpilot Rating
Will use them again!
Communicative, helpful and honest. They stuck to my budget and accommodated my changes. My kids and I had such a good ti...
Dec 01, 2022
– Kayla C.
Trustpilot Rating
100 Stars!!
If I could give 100 stars, I would wholeheartedly. All the booked activities were excellent and pricing was unbeatable. ...
Nov 30, 2022
– Ravi D.
Trustpilot Rating
Stress Free Vacation
Everything on our itinerary went according to plan. This saved anxiety about transportation and allowed us to experience...
Nov 29, 2022
– Catherine.
Trustpilot Rating
Best Travel Experience Ever!
Working with the Anywhere team was the best experience I have ever had with a travel agency. Every person we interacted ...
Nov 25, 2022
– Aaron B.
Trustpilot Rating
5 STAR service
All the planning, communication and ability to offer on the ground assistance was spot on, responsive and helpful. Could...
Aug 23, 2022
– Jessica H.
Trustpilot Rating
Everything was Perfect!
Our agent (Harold) was amazing. He was incredibly responsive, worked hard to make our honeymoon perfect, and even adjust...
Aug 22, 2022
– Maya & Ka.
Trustpilot Rating
We loved every minute of this trip.
Leonardo was great at tailoring our experience to suit our needs, temperaments and budget and the process of planning th...
Aug 04, 2022
– Andrew M
Trustpilot Rating
Friendly and Very Responsive
My kids think this is the best trip ever (we travels a lot as a family, so this is definitely a big compliment)
Jul 19, 2022
– Emily Y
Trustpilot Rating
Travel with Ease
Every aspect of our trip was well designed to make travel easy and fun. I will recommend Yahaira and this company to any...
Jul 17, 2022
– Maureen V.
Trustpilot Rating
Trip of a lifetime for my family
The task was to plan an exceptional experience for my complete family to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. My expe...
Mar 28, 2022
– Claude Ca.
Trustpilot Rating
Third time using Anywhere Costa Rica
I am writing to thank you for all of your help and expertise in assisting us, once again, in putting together a beautifu...
Mar 14, 2022
– Betty Kni.
Trustpilot Rating
Kudos for Anywhere
Harold was an amazing trip advisor. We had a complicated itinerary, and Harold managed to find us the right places and c...
Mar 13, 2022
– Julia B.
Trustpilot Rating
Anywhere.com is the Best!!!
We booked our trip to Costa Rica with Anywhere.com and it was nothing short of perfect! We told Harold the primary desti...
Jan 07, 2022
– Taylor Ka.
Trustpilot Rating
Amazing Costa Rica Vacation
Harold built a wonderful 11 day trip for my friends and I in Costa Rica. Between the hotels (Arenal, Monteverde, and Man...
Mar 07, 2022
– Christoph.
Trustpilot Rating

Let's Dream Together

Share your bucketlist to get inspiration and local connections.

We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.

Costa Rica Vacations
  • Adventure
  • All-inclusive
  • Beach
  • Budget
  • Eco-tourism
  • Family
  • Group
  • Honeymoon
  • Luxury
  • Nature
  • Private
  • Rainforest
  • Romantic
Highlights
  • Top Destinations
  • Beaches
  • Rainforests
  • Cloudforest
  • Volcanoes
  • Waterfalls
  • Surfing
  • Leisure
  • Off the Beaten Path
  • Airports
Costa Rica Travel
  • Maps
  • Safety
  • Weather & Climate
  • Sustainability
  • Holiday Season
  • Currency
  • Driving & Car Rental
  • Getting Around
PLACES TO GO
  • Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs
  • Monteverde Cloudforests
  • Manuel Antonio Beach & Jungle
  • Tamarindo Beach
  • Santa Theresa & Malpais Beaches
  • Puerto Viejo Beach
  • Nosara Beach
  • Jaco Beach
  • Tortuguero Rainforest
  • Corcovado Rainforest
  • Rincon de la Vieja Volcano & Waterfall
  • Nicoya Peninsula
  • Guanacaste Beaches
  • Osa Peninsula
THINGS TO DO
  • Hot Springs
  • Zip Lines
  • Suspension Bridges
  • Horseback
  • Rappel
  • Wildlife
  • Hiking
  • Chocolate Farms
  • Whitewater Rafting
  • Coffee Farms
  • Butterfly Gardens
  • Surfing
  • Sport Fishing
  • Birdwatching
  • Scuba Diving
  • Catamaran Cruise
  • Indigenous Culture
  • Yoga
  • Wellness
  • Cave Exploration
Trustpilot 5 of 5 rated service
Trustpilot "Excellent"
Plan My Visit→+1 (888) 456-3212
MessengerContact AnywhereWhatsapp ContactCall USA: +1-888-456-3212

© 2023 Anywhere Inc. All rights reserved.Privacy Policy