Rincón de la Vieja National Park
Park on the slopes of an active volcano, with fumaroles, bubbling mud pools, waterfalls and forest trails. Hot springs outside the park boundary are a popular add-on to a visit.
Guanacaste (Tamarindo and Pacific beaches)
Liberia international airport gives direct access to this sunny Pacific province, which has surf towns and resort beaches.
Attractive locations
Las Baulas National Marine Park
Protected beach and sea area at Playa Grande, near Tamarindo. Leatherback turtles come ashore here to nest, and guided night visits are the only way to watch the nesting.
Playa Conchal
Beach on the north Pacific coast whose sand is made largely of tiny crushed seashells. The calm, clear water makes it a pleasant place for swimming and snorkelling.
Palo Verde National Park
Wetland park beside the Tempisque River where seasonal floods draw huge numbers of waterbirds. Boat trips on the river also pass crocodiles, monkeys and other wildlife.
Barra Honda National Park
Park with forest trails and an underground world of limestone caves. Guided trips go into some of the caves to see the rock formations formed over thousands of years.
Santa Rosa National Park
Large dry-forest park with the historic La Casona farmhouse, wildlife trails and remote Pacific beaches where turtles nest. Its coast is also known to surfers.
Airports
Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport LIR
It is about 24 km in a straight line from Guanacaste (Tamarindo and Pacific beaches).
Nosara Airport NOB
It is about 58 km in a straight line from Guanacaste (Tamarindo and Pacific beaches).
La Fortuna Arenal Airport FON
It is about 90 km in a straight line from Guanacaste (Tamarindo and Pacific beaches).
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Costa Rica page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan27.1 °C4 mm
- Feb28.0 °C3 mm
- Mar29.1 °C4 mm
- Apr29.9 °C29 mm
- May28.7 °C222 mm
- Jun27.2 °C226 mm
- Jul27.2 °C165 mm
- Aug27.4 °C222 mm
- Sep26.9 °C317 mm
- Oct26.2 °C359 mm
- Nov26.0 °C163 mm
- Dec26.3 °C17 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Mar. Wettest months: Jun, Sep, Oct.
Costs
Prices here are about 59% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
911 for all emergencies.
local government
Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT)
Helps with: Costa Rica's national tourism institute. Its site links to complaint channels, including a form for complaints against tourism companies. The page gives the main office number but no tourist helpline.
Who qualifies: Visitors and others dealing with Costa Rica's tourism sector.
Phone: +506 2299-5800
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Costa Rica
Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Costa Rica since 1954. It works on migration management and crisis response, including support for migrants seeking to regularise their status.
Who qualifies: Migrants in Costa Rica and government or other partners. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: (506) 4052 3500
Address: Sigma Business Center, Costado Oeste del Mall San Pedro, Torre C, Piso 1, San Pedro, San José, Costa Rica
local government
Emergency number 911 (police, ambulance and fire)
Helps with: Reaches the police, ambulance and fire services in Costa Rica. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 911