Spending Christmas in Costa Rica is a dream vacation for many people but it requires a bit more extra planning.
If you plan to visit Costa Rica over the winter holidays, here are some very important things to know about visiting Costa Rica during Christmas and New Years.
Costa Rica is a Catholic country so Christmas is very much celebrated here. Christmas is mainly spent on the night of December 24th at church or at home with family and then December 25th is the day to go out, party and hang out with friends.
In touristic destinations, everything is open on December 24th and December 25th. As December 25th is a holiday, government institutions will not be open (banks, etc.). Many establishments may have limited hours on December 24th (they usually close early).
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Know About Costa Rica Before You Go
- Costa Rica is 8-12 degrees from the equator.
- Sunrise and sunset is roughly the same all year round, with a difference of around 15 minutes. Sunrise is generally 6 AM with first light around 530 AM and sunset is 530 PM, dark by 6 PM.
- Costa Rica uses 110 V and drives on the right hand side of the road.
- Local currency is called the colón. Exchange rate ~500 CRC to 1 USD.
- Spanish is the main language.
- There are two main international airports: Guanacaste Airport and Juan Santamaria International Airport
Costa Rica is Very Expensive During Christmas and New Years
First and foremost, the Christmas and New Years holidays are the most expensive times to visit Costa Rica. Flight prices are very high, I’ve seen them double the price compared to normal high season months.
Hotels that normally cost $100 USD a night may cost $250 USD a night over the winter holidays. Car rentals that are normally $50 USD a day may increase to $150 USD a day for the week of Christmas and New Years.
If you are visiting Costa Rica during Christmas, you will need to have a bigger budget.
If you’re traveling on a very strict budget, then I would personally recommend to reschedule to a cheaper time or book super super early to lock in cheaper prices (like a year out). T
he cheapest time to visit Costa Rica is the low season months of May, September and October.
Find out how to save money traveling in Costa Rica here.
Book Everything At Least 4-5 Months Out. Do NOT Wait Until Last Minute
Availability goes SUPER fast during Christmas and New Years in Costa Rica. I know some vacation rentals and hotels that book out out a year in advance.
This is especially true for beach towns in Costa Rica for the nights of the Dec 24th, 25th and 31st.
By September, many popular hotels in the main tourist destinations will have already booked their Christmas dates. If you’re staying at an all-inclusive resort, luxury boutique hotel or luxury vacation rental, reserve at least 6 months out to save your rooms and get the best price.
Car rental availability is the same and since these price fluctuate, booking earlier is better. If you wait until the week before your Christmas vacation to rent a car, availability will be extremely slim pickings. You may find that the only choice you have are the big premium, super expensive cars.
Maybe you can find a 4wd or sedan, but it will be super expensive regardless. It also may not be with a reputable company.
Make sure to read our tips for renting a car in Costa Rica post to help you book with a reputable company and get our Costa Rica car rental discount and extra benefits here.
Then for tours, availability is also slim. Book any tours you know you want to do as soon as possible to guarantee your space. This is especially important for private tours, animal rescue centers that run tours like Jaguar Rescue Center and popular parks such as Sky Adventures, La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park, Diamante Eco Adventure Park, Tabacon Hot Springs Resort and Hacienda Guachipelin.
Booking tours? Check out our Costa Rica tours discount here!
The longer you wait, the less choices you will have and the more you will pay.
Everything is Open During the Christmas Holidays
As Christmas is such a big holiday in Costa Rica and December 25th is typically the day that families and friends hang out outside, everything is open like restaurants, tours, etc. However, public services will not be open on that day nor on January 1 as it’s a national holiday.
Since December 24th is the day that families get together and churches have night services, many things close early on December 24th.
This is very important to keep in mind in case you are landing in the late afternoon or at night on December 24 – there may be very limited restaurants and services open, even supermarkets will close early. Same for December 31st.
In the touristic destinations like Jaco, Manuel Antonio, Tamarindo, Puerto Viejo and Playas del Coco, things are always open during Christmas and New Year.
Check Cancellation Policies as Some Policies are Different for Christmas
Some places have different cancellation policies and booking policies during Christmas and New Years. For example, their normal cancellation policy may be 24 hours in advance but over Christmas, it may be 15 or 21 days in advance.
These are normally for high demand places such as Tabacon Hot Springs in La Fortuna.
Always ask what the cancellation policy is for Christmas and New Years. You should ask for cancellation policies whenever you travel regardless if it’s Christmas or another time of year.
If You Plan to Visit a National Park, Buy Your Park Ticket Early!
Many popular national parks in Costa Rica require visitors to purchase park tickets online before their visit.
These are Manuel Antonio, Tenorio Volcano, Rincon de la Vieja, Tortuguero, Chirripo, Irazu, Isla San Lucas, Carara, Tapanti and Poas. You can not purchase tickets for these parks upon arrival.
Manuel Antonio National Park, Tenorio Volcano National Park (Rio Celeste) and Poas Volcano National Park are three of the most popular national parks in Costa Rica and visitors must purchase their park tickets beforehand in order to enter.
Make sure you do this as soon as you can because the parks have a maximum capacity and they will sell out for Christmas and New Years days in advance.
Costa Rica Christmas Weather is Usually Very Nice
Christmastime normally has really nice weather in Costa Rica. December is the beginning of dry season, right during the transition time between rainy season to dry season.
The rains will start letting up and by the end of December, normally the skies are clear and sunny.
As for temperatures, it’s usually around 85° F to low 90s° F (29° – 34° C) on the coasts. In the Central Valley, country side and mountains, it’s around 75° F (24° C).
However, in rainforest areas or mountains, they may still have some on and off rains in December so make sure you still pack a rain jacket.
Get our Costa Rica packing list here!
Something else to know about visiting Costa Rica during Christmas is that it is very windy. This is normal, in Costa Rica we call them vientos navideños (Christmas winds).
You will need to be careful if you plan to do any ocean activities (surf, sail, etc.) or hike up mountains because it does get extremely windy.
Read more about Costa Rica weather here.
Beach Towns are VERY Crowded
As you can imagine, most tourists want to go to the beach for Christmas in Costa Rica. This also applies to the locals so during Christmastime, city Costa Ricans flock to the coasts.
Popular beach towns like Jaco, Tamarindo, Flamingo, Manuel Antonio and Playas del Coco are packed.
And it is not just December 24, 25 and 31st that are very busy. The Costa Rican school summer vacation starts around mid December and many locals will take the last two – three weeks of December off.
Likewise, many families from the US, Canada and Europe will spend their entire 2 week winter vacation in Costa Rica.
As Costa Rica is a Catholic country, December 24th is usually spent at home or church with family. Christmas day is usually spent outside. December 31st is party day. January 1st is the tending-to hangovers-and-getting-ready-to-go-back-to-work-day.
On the other hand, usually the cities are empty because all the city Costa Ricans left for vacation.
So if you’re interested in visiting San Jose, Christmastime and New Years is a good time. However, some things may not be open on December 25th or January 1st, so just check hours and plan accordingly.
If you visit over Christmas or New Years to popular beach towns, expect to have a more “Cancun” like experience. Beaches will have concerts, raves and parties all night long.
On December 31st, you’ll be able to see fireworks on the beach.
Public Buses Get Packed
If you’re taking the public bus in Costa Rica, you need to get there at least 2 hours in advance to purchase tickets and save your spot for cross country routes that don’t allow you to buy tickets beforehand.
This is especially important if you are traveling on a Friday or the weekend. All the buses will be packed with locals going on vacation, particularly to the coasts.
Some bus routes let you purchase tickets the day before. If you can, do it. If you can purchase your bus ticket online, do it. Some bus companies allow you to buy tickets online in advance.
Plan for Longer Driving Times
If you’re landing in San Jose International Airport and heading to the beach towns like Puerto Viejo, Jaco, Manuel Antonio, Tamarindo or the Guanacaste coast, plan for much longer driving times. See what the drive from San Jose to Tamarindo is like here.
Since all the city Costa Ricans are also on vacation and majority go to the beach (specifically Guanacaste, Jaco, Manuel Antonio and Puerto Viejo), double your driving time if you inconveniently land on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday and are driving during the day.
Use Waze as your GPS and bring plenty of snacks and drinks in the car. Fill up on gas before you leave to make sure you start your journey with a full tank.
Pack your patience and switch drivers every couple hours. The normal 4 trip from SJO Airport to Tamarindo may well turn into 10 hours (no joke).
Immigration and Customs Will Take a Lot Longer…
…Especially if you are landing on the weekend around noon. Many international flights land at the same time so immigration and customs at SJO and LIR Airport will take a longer time. I know people that took 2-3 hours to get through immigration and customs when they landed on the Saturday before Christmas.
Therefore, if you are taking a shared shuttle, local flight or the public bus, make Plan B and C in case you get stuck in immigration and won’t make it.
This is one of the advantages of booking a private shuttle service in Costa Rica as the driver will wait for you until you exit the airport even if it takes a long time.
If you rented a car and your flight is delayed or canceled, make sure you notify your car rental ASAP. If you don’t, they may cancel your car rental since you will be considered a *no show* and give your car away.
Petty Theft and Pick Pocketing is More Common During Christmas in Costa Rica
If you’re going to be out partying, please do take extra care of your valuables and belongings. Pick pocketing and petty theft increases a lot during this time of year, as thieves take advantage of inebriated and unaware tourists.
Do not leave ANYTHING in your rental car, always roll up windows and lock your doors, keep your belongings close to you where you can see them and never let your credit card out of sight when paying.
Read more tips on staying safe in Costa Rica.
Stock Up on Groceries
If you’re staying at a vacation rental and plan to do a lot of cooking, as soon as you can, head to the supermarket and stock up on groceries.
We live near Tamarindo and always stock up on groceries right before the influx of tourists because the supermarkets are always crazy busy during the winter holidays.
There have been times when there weren’t any toilet paper, paper napkins or local produce because there were SO many people. To avoid long lines and empty shelves, go shopping early in the morning right when the market opens or right when it’s closing.
Supermarkets will be open on Dec 24, 25 and 31 but most likely with limited hours. Normally they close earlier on Dec 24th and the 31st.
Read more about grocery shopping in Costa Rica here.
Please Don’t Forget to Pack Your Patience
In the end, if you’re visiting Costa Rica for Christmas and New Years, please pack your patience. You may need to wait in a very long immigration and custom line, it may take longer to pick up your rental car, there may be a long line to check in to your hotel, you might need to wait awhile to get gas.
That is the reality of visiting Costa Rica for the winter holidays as it is our busiest time of year. You will still have an amazing time, just make sure to have a bit more patience and understanding.
In case you want to visit during a less busy time, check our post for best times to visit Costa Rica!
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
- Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels and our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
JD says
This is so useful – thanks for sharing this info! I’m wondering if the buses run on Christmas Day (as well as 24th&26th) – specifically between Manuel Antonio and the park? Or is the no / reduced service?
Sammi says
Hello JD, we’ve sent you an email with info already but yes, the buses will be running normally on the 24, 25 and 26 to the national park.
Ann Bonfoey says
Hi Sammi,
Thanks so much for your blog! I really appreciate all of the useful tips and information. We’re traveling to Costa Rica (Monteverde and La Fortuna) during Christmas week. Would you advise making dinner reservations in advance for the length of our stay? We already have dinner plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas, but not the other days.
Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Ann, the only nights that really are recommended for reservations is Dec 24, 25 and the 31st. Other days shouldn’t be too bad but it will still be busy. In case you have any other restaurants you really want to go to and don’t want to miss, I’d make reservations.
Pallavi Raviprakash says
I am thinking of flying in LIR (Dec 19) and flying out of SJO (Dec 25) the plan is LIR-Playa Hermosa-Monterverde-Arenal-SJO but could skip the beach (if it’s too crowded). I could do it the other way too (fly into SJO and fly out of LIR) based on Christmas crowds…Is La Fortuna more crowded just before Christmas? Or Monteverde?
Sammi says
Hi Pallavi, you can do either depending on which beach you want to go to. It’ll be crowded everywhere, usually the beach tends to be more crowded than the rainforest inland areas.
Pallavi says
Thanks for your response. We will skip the beach then and only do Arenal and Monteverde. Will La Fortuna be slightly less crowded Dec 19-21 than Dec 22-25 (closer to Christmas)?
Sammi says
Its going to be crowded either way, but the week of Christmas and New Years is the most crowded
Steven Lewis says
Hi, such a helpful blog! We are currently planning our trip for next Christmas, and at the moment we are staying on the Osa peninsula just before Christmas. We need to make a journey from there to La Fortuna, and were wondering if traffic will be lighter on 24th December (since you mentioned this is an indoors/family day), or on 23rd December? Google thinks the journey is 6.5 hours at the moment – what should we allow for on the above days? Is there anywhere you would recommend staying on our route up the country if we do decide to break up the journey (other than Manuel Antonio, which we will have stayed at prior to Osa)?
Thanks!
Sammi says
I’d say the 24th is lighter since most people celebrate the 24th at home, but things will close earlier on the 24th so you will need to carefully plan for that.
Marlene says
Thanks so much for all the valuable information on this site! We were in Guanacaste from Dec 20 – Jan 5, and maybe it was an unusual year, but I’m happy to report that things (shops, parks, restaurants, the airport) were not particularly crowded. Nothing was empty, mind you, but we didn’t have problems. We’d mostly booked accommodations in October, with a combination of lodges/hotels and Airbnb. More things were closed on New Year’s Day than on Christmas Day, for what that’s worth.
Sammi says
Yes they said Christmas 2023 was a bit lower since it seems we have more influx of people Jan/Feb/March instead. Glad you enjoyed it.
Daisy says
Your post is super timely as we are starting to think about our 2024 Xmas holiday! We just came back from Tulum and are scarred by the level of crowds there. So what if we land on New Year’s Eve or new year day and then take a two weeks holiday from that point? We will need to take a lot more holiday from work in this case but are happy to do so should this really makes a difference when it comes to crowd. As first timers, we want to cover Arenal, Corcovado and manuel Antonio. Perhaps add a beach location in between too if you think this won’t rush the trip too much.
Sammi says
After the holidays goes back to the normal high season (Jan 2). The biggest crowds will be done by then, as the busiest time is the week of Christmas to New Years.
Louie says
Saludos!
Excellent travel blog, you’ve made an instant fan out of me! I have a question, my wife and I are traveling to Puerto Viejo early January 2024, shortly after New Year’s. We were planning to take MEPE but are always concerned about safety; in your experience, is it better to use them or to book a share shuttle? Time’s not an issue, but safety is for sure.
Kind regards,
Sammi says
Hi Louie, that route is a very popular bus route for tourists but for taking the public bus, just be aware of your surroundings and don’t put your backpacks or any belongings in the overhead or under your seat. Any backpacks/bags/purses, keep them in your lap or touching your feet. If you put luggage in the bottom compartment, the driver will give you a ticket and you can’t lose it – you have to give him the ticket back to get your luggage. Don’t accept anyone’s offers to watch your luggage or help you with your luggage and be super aware as you are getting off the bus (sometimes travelers are sleepy/waking up/confused and people may take advantage of that).
Marina says
Our other travel plans fell through, and I just saw surprisingly reasonably priced flights to CR around Xmas time. The days we are considering Dec 17 to Dec 27/28. Since this is very last minute, where in the country do you think we would have the most luck finding lodgings that are relatively available and not astronomically-priced? We are of course prepared to pay more, but we also want to avoid insane crowds. We are with two kids 6 and 9. Last trip we went to La Fortuna, Samara and Playa Hermosa near Liberia. Wondering if the Caribbean around Puerto Viejo sees a little fewer tourists than the Pacific around xmas? Should we be concerned about the the Caribbean’s finicky weather in December? We are also open to other slightly-less touristy destinations
Thank you
Sammi says
Everywhere except the Central Valley will be very busy for CHristmas so you can check out the small city towns like San Ramon, Atenas, Grecia or head to San Jose and the GAM.
Kathleen Carrara says
Hi, we will be leaving Nosara on Christmas Day. Flying out of SJO at 2:30. We can fly Sansa from Nosara to SJO 2 flight choices arriving at SJO at 8 am or 12:40. Can we arrive on the 12;40 and safely get our international connection? Or do we need to get there at 8am?
Sammi says
Definitely earlier the better especially during Christmastime and you should be at the airport 3 hours before international departures
Kathleen Kennett says
Hi there,
We are arriving San Jose Airport on Sunday December 25th and plan on a rental car to get to our destination near Uvita. I’ve read that the average travel time to that area from the San Jose Airport takes approximately 2 1/2 – 3 hours. Should we really plan on 4/5 hours to get to our rental? I was hoping we’d arrive before dinner time. Our flight lands at 1:20pm, here’s hoping!
Sammi says
Hi Kathleen, yes, you are landing on Christmas which is the busiest time of year and you are also landing midday which is the busiest time at SJO Airport so I would plan at least 1 hour at the airport for immigration/customs and although they try to work as fast as possible, it may take longer to get your car too so even though I cannot guarantee exactly how long it will be (could be fast, could be slow, we do not know if the airport plans to hire more people or put in a new process to streamline immigration/customs), I would give yourself at least 1-2 hours more at the very least for the entire travel time from touchdown to getting to your rental. And then also you need to consider the traffic in the country, not just San Jose but the entire country is on vacation and with most highways being only one lane, it gets incredibly congested and backed up.
Greg Hall says
Great info. We follow your advice and make use of you travel deals.
Keep up the good work
JJ says
Are grocery stores and restaurants closed in Playas del Coco on Christmas Eve, December 24? We arrive on the 24th and are concerned about being able to get provisions and food.
Thank you.
P.S. Great blog!
Sammi says
They’ll be open – maybe with limited hours like they’ll close early but it’ll be open for at least part of the day
Lorena says
How is transportation from one town to the other during the Christmas season? We are planning to go for winter 2022. We would land Saturday December 24th around 1pm and are hoping to obtain some form of transportation to La Fortuna. Is this feasible?
Sammi says
Yes it’s perfectly doable
Suzanne says
Hi Sammi,
Any thoughts on what Samara will be like? Is it a little less crowded? I’m thinking of staying about a month or a little longer there, starting around late November. I can’t book anything just yet because of some things being up in the air in my life. But given the crowds maybe I’ll book an airbnb that I can cancel, if need be. Thanks for any advice you can give!
Sammi says
I don’t know exactly how Samara will be but it is a popular tourist beach town so I’m sure it’ll be busy.
Todd says
Even busses will fill up fast, so arrive early or, if it’s ticketed, get a ticket early. While hitchhiking is uncommon in Costa Rica, around the holidays you will see quite a few hitchhikers as busses are often filled to capacity. Traffic is rough too. Even in the weeks after New Years, Ticos are still often taking vacations. Double your guidebook’s normal travel times as the roads are often clogged.
Donna says
Hi
We have been researching a possible Costa Rica travel adventure during Christmas break and your site has been extremely helpful. I am getting concerned that our experience will be tainted by crowded parks and beaches, poor service, and lack of tour availability. We would like to visit Manuel Antonio, Bijagua, and then one more beach location for beginner surfing like Tamarindo or Samara. The things we want to do on this trip with our 12 and 14 year old boys are: beginner surf lessons, snorkeling, sport fishing, waterfalls, zip lining, hiking, and of course, see some cool animals.
We are now wondering if we would be better off pushing this trip off until their spring break which is at the end of March. Would that time of year be less crowded? If we stick with Christmas break, are there areas that would be less crowded than others to do the things we want to do?
Thanks so much for your input and your valuable website!
Sammi says
Hi Donna, my advice is that if you plan to visit over Christmas, to book everything right now. Availability is already going fast. Manuel Antonio and Tamarindo/Samara are very popular for city Costa Ricans so if you want to come for Christmas, start booking your hotels and everything now.
Bijagua is a small town but as a more rural area, there are not as many hotels so you will also need to book your hotel there asap and plan accordingly if you want to go to Rio Celeste.
March is also our high season and Easter week is April 10-16 which is the second busiest time of year since Easter is a big holiday here. Last week of March will be busy but like normal high season busy. If it coincides with Easter week, then that is pretty much like Christmas time here.