Summer is the rainy season in Costa Rica, but that does not mean that it is not a good time to travel there! It’s the off-season so it’s not quite as crowded, but it also doesn’t rain all day. There are plenty of ways to get around the rain and make the most of your time.
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These are my top tips for Costa Rica travel in the summer:
Visit in July
If you can only travel during the summer and you are planning a trip to Costa Rica, plan it for July. It actually gets a little drier in July than it is in September and October, so that can make it a little easier to travel then. Costa Rica is very much a tourist attraction, but it is not the kind of place that gets swarmed with tourists specifically in July, so it is a great place to plan a July vacation.
Get up early
Costa Rica’s time zone does not seem to fit its sun schedule. The sun rises in Costa Rica around 6am year round and sets around 6pm. Coming from the Eastern time in the summer, Costa Rica was two hours behind us because they do not follow daylight savings time. Basically we just stayed on Eastern time and got up before 6 every morning and tried to go to bed before 10.
Getting up early is an important Costa Rica travel tip for two reasons. First of all, it allows you to make the most of your time while you are there. People don’t exactly travel to Costa Rica for the night life. Getting up early allows you to make the most of the sunlight hours.
Secondly, it is much less likely to be raining in the morning. I’m not saying it doesn’t rain in the morning. But it rains more in the afternoon. Which brings me to my next tip:
Plan more activities for the morning
Things open early in Costa Rica. Tourist attractions open early and you can go ahead and get started on your day’s activities before the heat and rain that comes in the afternoon. While it may be raining in the morning, it is often a lighter rain than you would experience in the afternoon.
Pack rain gear
It is still the tropics in the rainy season and you may even be visiting a rainforest. I would recommend two of these three items: umbrella, raincoat, and poncho. All of those three things can be very helpful in rain, but also take up valuable suitcase space. I would pick the two you prefer.
Bring shoes than can get wet
In addition to water shoes. I swear by my Tevas as water shoes. And hiking sandals. And like the most important outdoor footwear I own.
Shoes may get wet in the rain. You may have activities that lead you into boats. Bring something sturdier than flip flops that can get wet.
Follow the locals
If the locals start getting out their rain gear, follow suit. If they are just going about their business, there is a good chance it’s not going to be the worst rainstorm ever.
Talk to Costa Ricans
Costa Ricans (or Ticos as they call themselves) are so friendly and helpful. People in Costa Rica may have their own travel tips for you as you go! They seem genuinely happy to have tourists in their country and they are pleasant to chat with. Of course, knowledge of Spanish helps, but a smile and a few words of Spanish goes a long way. But a lot of people also speak English. It is the language of most tourists, and a huge percentage of the Costa Rican population works in the tourist sector of the economy.
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