What you need to know about visiting Costa Rica in rainy season

Costa Rica welcomes rainy season (also called the “green season”) like a parched traveler reaching an oasis after a long, dry desert-crossing. Dry season dust is gone and Costa Rica’s landscape springs back to life with lush green vegetation, carpets of blooming flowers, and new animal life.

Costa Rica in general has two major seasons – “summer,” or the dry season from December to April, and rainy season from May to November. Mornings during rainy season are almost always sunny, with showers in the afternoons or evenings, which thankfully cool the temperature. And there may be many days when it does not rain at all. The exception is that the Costa Rica Caribbean Coast is rainy most of the year and has its Caribbean Summer from about mid-September to mid-November – when the rest of the country is soaked.

Those “in the know” about traveling to Costa Rica know that rainy season means good deals, lower rates in hotels, and fewer crowds. Besides, if you are going to visit a rainforest or a cloud forest, you should expect rain and clouds some of the time!

12 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT VISITING COSTA RICA IN RAINY SEASON:

• Rainy season paints the landscape lush, verdant and colorful – a real jungle!

• Mornings are almost always hot and sunny. Rain usually falls for a few hours in the afternoon or at night.

• Rain helps bring the temperature down.

• Sea turtles come to nest on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts during this period, making it “turtle season”.

• Discover the two-week “mini-summer” that happens in July.

• Rain fills the rivers making it the best time for whitewater rafting.

• Remember to carry an umbrella when you go out for the day or in the afternoon. Invest in one of those huge golf umbrellas while you are here; you will understand why.

• Plan your day to do all activities – tours, sightseeing, errands, shopping – in the morning and leave the afternoon for indoor pastimes like museum visits, visiting with friends, reading, emails, naps, etc.

• You may not want to get up early on your vacation, but think again. You want to do all tours in the morning during rainy season, when it is dry and sunny and pleasant. The earlier in the morning, the cooler the temperature and the more wildlife you see. Hiking or ziplining through a rainforest in a torrential downpour is definitely a memorable experience, but is not very comfortable.

• Be sure to rent a 4x4 vehicle in rainy season, when unpaved roads turn to muddy bogs.

• Skip off to the Caribbean Coast in October for Costa Rica Caribbean Summer.

• You can find better values in rainy season on vacation packages, hotels, tours and transport.

See why rainy season is a great time to travel to Costa Rica on vacation. Design your Costa Rica holiday with Horizontes Nature Tours. The travel agency in Costa Rica has 31 years of experience creating Costa Rica nature holidays, Costa Rica family trips and Costa Rica beach vacations.

Article by Shannon Farley

Bird watching in Costa Rica

If bird-watching is your passion, then you definitely want to add Costa Rica to your “Top 10 list of places to go birding.” The small Central American country is home to more than 870 bird species – more than in all of the United States, Canada and Mexico combined – and is a bird-watching hotspot. A single day of bird-watching in this enchanted corner of the globe can earn sightings of up to 85 to 150 different species.

Costa Rica’s strategic location in the tropics bridging North and South America, and rugged topography with numerous mountains, valleys and microclimates, offer optimum conditions for high biodiversity. The country protects more than 25% of its territory in national parks and private reserves, allowing access to intensely diverse habitats for widely varied bird-watching.

Scarlet and Green Macaws, Toucans, Oropéndolas, Resplendent Quetzals, Crimson-Collared Tanagers, Harpy Eagles, and Violet Sabrewing Hummingbirds are just some of the species you may see in this birding paradise.

The best way to go birding in Costa Rica is on a bird-watching tour. For instance, the eight-day Bird Watching in Costa Rica by Valle Dorado Tours takes you to Sarapiqui, the Arenal Volcano, and the cloud forest of the Central Highlands by the Juan Castro Blanco National Park.

Valle Dorado’s 11-day Costa Rica Nature Adventure that explores the Tortuguero National Park, the Arenal Volcano, Monteverde cloud forest, and beaches of the Manuel Antonio National Park, also would be a good choice for birding

.

Valle Dorado Tours offers customized Costa Rica vacations using their 20+ years of local experience in Costa Rica travel to ensure you receive only the best in accommodations, transportation, tours and activities. They design their travel packages as a suggestion, and their travel experts are happy to make any changes to custom fit the perfect Costa Rica Bird-watching Tour package for you.

Travel Tip: Download the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide, a full-featured birding field guide for Costa Rica, available on iTunes.

Article by Shannon Farley

San Jose lights up with holiday festivities 2013

Spending your Christmas holidays in Costa Rica and wondering what to do? The capital city of San José has a lot going on. So get your Santa hat and festive cheer ready, and let the rhythm of Christmas in Latin America dash you away!

Christmas in San José, Costa Rica, is a lively, fun time. The city is ablaze with huge lighted Christmas trees adorning the front of the Children’s Hospital on Paseo Colon Boulevard, in front of the Children’s Museum, by the National Gymnasium in the Sabana Park and in front of the National Museum, among many other locations.

Holiday season in San José really livens up with the 18^th annual Parade of Lights (Festival de la Luz) on Saturday, December 14. Starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Sabana Park, marching bands from all over the country, horse-mounted groups, entertainers and brilliantly-lit floats will perform their way down the Paseo Colon Boulevard to Second Avenue, ending at the Cultural Plaza.

Costa Rica’s National Theatre and the national youth ballet troupe will present the traditional Christmas ballet of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” on December 13 and 15.

The annual Fiestas of San José steal the scene starting Christmas Day through Jan. 5. This huge funfair, held in the neighborhood of Zapote, is famous for its bull riding and Costa Rican bull fights (the bull is not harmed; the humans, however, are another story). There will be carnival rides, games, food, shopping and live music concerts and other entertainment. Parking is usually a nightmare, so it’s best to go by taxi.

On the day after Christmas, or Boxing Day, thousands of horses and riders from all parts of Costa Rica will converge on San José for the famous Horse Parade, or “Tope.” From 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Dec. 26, the parade will prance down Second Avenue and Paseo Colon Boulevard to Sabana Park.

Don’t miss these holiday attractions in San José, Costa Rica. You can arrange your San José hotel, tours, transportation, etc. with Valle Dorado Tours. Using their 20+ years of local experience in Costa Rica travel, Valle Dorado Tours offers customized Costa Rica vacations.

Article by Shannon Farley

Costa Rica culture shines all year in festivals

One thing about Costa Rica is the country loves a good party! Costa Ricans are known for being gregarious and fun-loving and their enthusiasm is contagious when the country celebrates its numerous fiestas, festivals and horse parades.

Plan your travel to Costa Rica during these cultural events and experience first-hand the country's rich local traditions, tasty cuisine, vibrant music, and sense of fun. Make new friends and have a grand time! Costa Rica's summer season definitely is jam-packed with fiestas; besides the main festivals, every town and community has its own "turno" (a town festival or country fair) to enjoy. However, there are plenty of cultural events and celebrations during Green Season too.

Team CRT – Costa Rica's vacation experts – can help you design your Costa Rica vacation to fit in any of these cultural celebrations. Team CRT knows the best of the country, what to do and see, and they personalize it for you. Team CRT offers vacation packages, beach destinations, nature tours, adventure tours, relaxation vacations, family vacations, honeymoons, Fly & Drive packages, sport fishing trips, golf vacations, along with holiday packages to neighboring Panama and Nicaragua.

Here's our list of main festivals and cultural events in Costa Rica throughout the year. (Note: All bullfights in Costa Rica avoid harming the bulls; there is no bloodshed.)

January

• New Year's Day — National holiday.
• Fiestas Palmares (first 2 weeks of January) — Located in Palmares, near San Ramon in the Central Valley, these fiestas are some of the largest in the country. Featuring: a huge horse parade, bullfights, rodeo, live music concerts, dancing, rides and games, local foods, shopping.
• Fiestas Santa Cruz (week of Jan 15) — Set in Santa Cruz on the Nicoya Peninsula, these fiestas follow the Guanacaste cowboy traditions with bullfights, rodeo, a horse parade, and a party with food, concerts and fireworks.
• Copa del Cafe (Mid-January) — Week-long international youth (under 18) tennis tournament at the Costa Rica Country Club in Escazu (San Jose).

February

• Ash Wednesday — Given Costa Rica's strong Catholic faith, this is a sacred day throughout the country.
• Puntarenas Carnival (last week of February) — A week of local celebrations in the Pacific port town of Puntarenas: street fairs and fiestas, music, dancing, food and sporting events.
• Liberia Fiestas (last week of Feb) – Biggest Guanacaste fiestas with a horse parade, bullfights, rodeo, musical concerts, dancing, food, rides and games.
• Monteverde Music Festival (February-March) – Top Costa Rican musicians and artists perform various concerts from the end of February to the end of March.

March

• Oxcart Parade, San Antonio de Escazu (2^nd Sunday of March) — A traditional parade of beautifully handmade and painted oxcarts, with their oxen teams and "drivers" in traditional costumes; food and dancing; blessing of the animals. In Escazu (San Jose).
• St. Joseph's Day (March 19) — St. Joseph is the patron saint of the capital city, San José; banks, schools and businesses are typically closed. Special Catholic services are held across the country. Namesake towns celebrate with fiestas.
• National Orchid Exhibition (Mid-March) – Celebration of the country's national flower and 1,200 orchid species; held in San Jose.
• Fruit Festival (Mid-March) – A huge open-air fruit market and festival in Orotina (on the way to the Pacific Coast from San Jose).

April

• Holy Week (Semana Santa) — Holy Week is one of the biggest holidays in Costa Rica. Most businesses are closed the entire week, but Holy Thursday and Good Friday are national holidays. There are masses and processions leading up to Easter Sunday. Most Costa Ricans in the San Jose metropolitan area vacation at the country's beaches this week.
• International Arts Festival (first 2 weeks of April or end of March depending on Easter) – Top international artists and national performers give performances in San Jose and other locations throughout the country (concerts, dance, theatre).
• Juan Santamaría Day (April 11) — Commemorates Costa Rica's national hero, Juan Santamaria, who died defending Costa Rica against William Walker's forces at the battle of Rivas in 1856. It is a national holiday; the majority of activities are held in Alajuela (parade, street fair, concerts).

May

• Labor Day (May 1) — National holiday celebrated with parades, marches and traditional food. This is also the day for the "state of the union" address from Costa Rica's President to Congress and the people.
• St. Isidro Labrador Day (May 15) — This holiday kicks off Spring and is celebrated all over Costa Rica honoring the patron saint of farmers with blessings of animals and crops. There are street fairs and parades with music, dancing and traditional food.

June

• Father's Day (3^rd Sunday in June) — Father's Day in Costa Rica.
• St. Peter & St. Paul Day (June 29) — Namesake towns throughout Costa Rica hold processions and masses, and town fairs.

July

• Virgin of the Sea Festival (Saturday closest to July 16) — The Festival of the Virgin of the Sea is held in Puntarenas with a procession of colorfully decorated fishing boats carrying a statue of the city's patron saint, "La Virgen del Monte Carmelo". The secular celebrations include a week of parades, dances, regattas, and fireworks.
• Guanacaste Day (July 25) — Celebration of the annexation of Guanacaste from Nicaragua in 1824. It is a national holiday featuring school marching bands in parades, street fiestas, folk dancing, horse parade, bullfights, rodeos and cattle shows.

August

• Day of the Blessed Virgin of Los Angeles (Aug 2) — A national holiday honoring Costa Rica's patron saint with a nationwide pilgrimage and religious processions to the Basilica in Cartago for a special mass.
• Mother's Day (Aug 15) — Mother's Day in Costa Rica is a national holiday; all banks, schools and most businesses are closed.
• San Ramon Day (Aug 30) – Street fair, parade and religious processions in the town of San Ramon to honor their patron saint.

September

• Independence Day (Sept 15) — Costa Rica gained independence from Spain on the same day as the rest of Central America in 1821. The nationwide celebration starts on Sept. 14 with the arrival of the Freedom Torch in Cartago (brought from Guatemala across Nicaragua by relay runners). At 6:00 pm, everyone in the country stops and simultaneously sings the national anthem; later in the evening, children carry small lanterns through their towns. On the 15^th, there will be parades, traditional dancers and street parties in nearly every town in the country. This is one of Costa Rica's biggest celebrations.

October

• Carnival / Cultural Day (week of Oct 12) — Week-long "Mardi Gras-style" party in Límon on Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast, celebrating Columbus' "discovery" of Costa Rica.

November

• All Soul's Day (Nov 2) — A religious day observed throughout Costa Rica with Catholic masses and family visits to cemeteries to remember loved ones.

December

• Festival of Lights (2^nd Saturday in December) — Traditional Christmas parade in San Jose with large brightly lit and wondrously decorated floats, dancers, performers, and marching bands from across the country.
• Christmas Week (Dec 24-31) — Dec. 25 is an official holiday, but most businesses and all government offices are closed during Christmas Week. Most residents of the San Jose metropolitan area go out to the beaches.
• Horse Parade ("Tope") (Dec 26) — Costa Rica's most distinguished horse parade on San Jose's main boulevard, Paseo Colon, where riders wear traditional costumes and horses are vividly decorated. Riders and horses come from all over the country to show off their equine traditions and the unique Criollo breed.
• Desamparados Carnival (Dec 27) – "Mardi Gras-style" festival through the streets of San Jose.
• San Jose – Zapote Festival (Dec 25-31) – A huge festival in San Jose's neighborhood of Zapote with the largest rodeo and bullfights of the country, rides and games, musical concerts, entertainment, food, shopping.
• Festival of the Little Devils (Dec 31 – Jan 2) — Indigenous of southern Costa Rica's Boruca region re-enact a battle between the bull ("El Toro," representing Spanish troops) and the little devils ("Los Diablitos," representing the Boruca Indians), showing how the Boruca people were never defeated as a tribe by Spanish conquistadors. The three-day cultural event features traditional costumes, artisan crafts and cuisine. It takes place in the village of Boruca, near Perez Zeledon.

By Shannon Farley

Green Season Begins in Costa Rica!

I don’t know about you, but I’m doing a happy dance this week along with the rest of nature in Costa Rica. The rains have returned! The land here welcomes the beginning of “Green Season” like a parched traveler finally reaching a watering hole after a long dry desert-crossing.

 

My gardens are thrilled … if I can get a little anthropomorphic. The flowers seem to stand straighter, as if to drink in the rain even better. After just 3 afternoons of rain this week, already millions of tiny fluorescent green grass shoots are springing up everywhere. Birds are singing and delightedly swooping through the air feasting on hatching insects. The dust is gone and colors are more vibrant.

Living in Costa Rica now going on 12 years, people always ask me, “When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?” I always respond, “Well, that depends on what you’re looking for.”

Located within the tropic zone between 8˚ and 11˚ north of the equator, Costa Rica experiences two major seasons – “Summer,” or the dry season, that lasts from December to April with little to no rain in most of the country; and “Winter,” or the rainy season, which has now been re-branded as the “Green Season,” lasting from May to November.

 

The climate during the dry season is generally hot and sunny with very little rain. That’s great for enjoying the beaches and Costa Rica’s myriad outdoor activities, especially if you are visiting from a cold snow-covered country and all you want is sun and more sun. However, the sunny season is peak tourist season, which means higher prices, crowds, harder-to-get reservations, etc. Lack of rain means the landscape eventually turns dry and brown, fewer flowers bloom (until the spring March explosion of flowering trees), and the hot earth turns to dust. During the dry season, strong trade winds blow, making it even dustier and drier, especially in Guanacaste, along the Pacific Coast, and the Central Valley.

 

In the rainy season, Costa Rica’s countryside springs back into life. The rain creates lush vegetation and carpets of blooming flowers, hence the moniker “Green Season”. Baby animals are being born everywhere. The air is fragrant and humid. Mornings during Green Season are almost always sunny, with showers in the afternoons or evenings, which delightfully cool things off to a pleasant temperateness. And there may be many days when it does not rain at all. Rains start gradually in April-May, with a “mini-summer” break for a few weeks in July, building to a downpour crescendo in September and October over most of the country; then the rain tapers off in November-December.

The caveat to all of this is Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast, especially south of Limón, where you can count on rain year-round, especially during “Hurricane Season” in July and August. The area gets less rain in September and October, which works out perfectly since the rest of the country is usually deluged this time of year.

 

Those “in the know” about traveling to Costa Rica know that Green Season means cheaper rates in hotels and on tours, great deals, lower airline fares, plenty of reservation space, and less crowds. For me, the Green Season – especially April-May, July-August and early December – is the best time to visit Costa Rica. Besides, if you are going to visit a rainforest or a cloud forest, you should expect rain and clouds some of the time!

If you are thinking about a trip to Costa Rica during the Green Season, don't let the thought of weather stop you. Come discover Costa Rica’s “secret” travel season. Find great Green Season deals with Costa Rica Special Deals, a dependable online travel service company based in Costa Rica. Their main goal is to give you excellent, professional customer service and assist you with reserving hotels, tours, transportation, local flights, car rentals, and any other services you may need during your visit to Costa Rica. They use their 20 years of collective experience to get you great vacation deals in Costa Rica and the most competitive rates online.

Top reasons to visit Costa Rica in Green Season:

• Better values in off-peak season on vacation packages, hotels, tours, and transport.
• No tourist crowds (or at least a lot less) on tours and at attractions.
• Mornings are almost always hot and sunny. Rain usually falls for a few hours in the afternoon or at night.
• Sea turtles come to nest on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts during this period, so many also call this time “turtle season”.
• Rain makes the rivers full and whitewater rafting is at its best.
• Green Season is so named because the landscape everywhere turns lush, verdant and colorful.
• It is always warm in Costa Rica, no matter the season.
• There is usually a “little summer,” lasting a few weeks with little or no rain, in July.
• Airfares are generally lower and some great deals can be found.

By Shannon Farley

ATV Tours Mix Fun and Adventure in Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s greatly varied terrain, from beaches to jungle to rugged mountains, makes for a fun playground for ATV tours.


Officially known as All-Terrain Vehicles, or “Quads” in North America and “Quad Bikes” in England and Australia, ATVs can be an exciting way to access Costa Rica’s beautiful landscapes where other vehicles can’t travel. You also can cover more ground and see more than hiking. Some of Costa Rica’s best places for ATV riding include the Arenal Volcano, Manuel Antonio, Jacó, and Tamarindo on the Guanacaste coast.

Costa Rica travel agency Team CRT offers an ATV tour on the Arenal Volcano portion of their fun 13-day and 12-night Family Educational Tour. While in Arenal, travelers stay at the Las Cataratas Eco Lodge.

The Quads Adventure ATV tour in Arenal is a great combination of adventure and fun. Off-road trails take you through pastureland at the base of the Arenal Volcano, giving you fantastic views. You’ll ride to the picturesque Lago de los Lirios (Lily Lake), and then continue on through the rainforest to a beautiful lookout point with one of the best views of the volcano. A naturalist guide will tell you about the volcano’s history and characteristics.
When choosing any ATV tour, be sure the company is reputable and has a clean safety record. Guides should be trained and professional, and should give all riders a complete safety instruction before beginning the tour. All riders should wear helmets, be aware of your surroundings at all times, and follow all safety precautions.

Travel safely and securely in Costa Rica with Team CRT, Costa Rica’s vacation experts. Team CRT knows the best of the country, what to do and see, and they personalize it for you. You will get expert guidance and personalized service while their agents help craft your tailor-made Costa Rica vacation. Team CRT offers vacation packages, beach destinations, nature tours, adventure tours, relaxation vacations, family vacations, honeymoons, Fly & Drive packages, sport fishing trips, golf vacations, and holiday packages to neighboring Panama and Nicaragua.
By Shannon Farley

Costa Rica Offers Premium Medical Care in Guanacaste

Travelers to Costa Rica’s northern province of Guanacaste – home to outstanding tropical beaches, world-class all-inclusive resorts, volcanoes and beautiful tropical forest – can rest easy knowing that Guanacaste is also home to premium medical care services.

Costa Rica is an exceptionally healthy place to live, according to official information about the country. In fact, the United Nations has ranked Costa Rica in first place among other Latin American countries for the development of curative and preventative medicine. The United Nations also states that about 98% of Costa Ricans have access to healthcare with the country’s socialized medicine program.

Overall, Costa Rica maintains a high level of medical care and services for being a developing nation in Central America. In the two main cities of Costa Rica – the capital of San Jose and Liberia, which is considered the “capital” of Guanacaste – you can find many healthcare facilities, both public and private.

People who are used to medical care in North America will find the public hospitals to be older and may seem run down. Even though the hospitals may not look so attractive or organized, these public facilities are where many of the best doctors in the country work and the hospitals usually have good medical equipment. Additionally, certain facilities have the top cardiac, burn unit, and trauma specialists in the country.
Private hospitals are often referred to as private clinics and are newer. Private clinics charge for service. Usually only middle to upper income level Costa Ricans are able to use private clinics; however, for someone coming from North America or Europe, prices are usually much lower than prices paid in their home country.
In Liberia, Guanacaste, there are three main private hospitals/medical clinics.


The San Rafael Archangel Hospital and Medical Clinic is located in the center of Liberia. First opened in 2006 as a private clinic for all income levels in the Guanacaste area, demand for services led to a second-phase expansion of the clinic in 2008. To help meet growing health care needs in the area, a modern hospital recently finished construction and opened, significantly improving private health care coverage in the heart of Liberia, according to hospital information.


San Jose’s famous CIMA Hospital (in Escazu) opened a satellite mini-hospital in Liberia in 2012. The new private medical clinic possesses a laboratory, pharmacy, radiology department, a 24-hour emergency room, and operating rooms. The CIMA hospital serves the 270,000 permanent area residents and some 500,000 tourists who visit Guanacaste each year. It is a first class hospital with cutting-edge medical equipment, located in the Pacific Plaza commercial center in Liberia. CIMA has agreements with the U.S. Veterans Administration and affiliations with the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.


The internationally-recognized private Clinica Biblica Hospital of San Jose also opened an ancillary clinic in Liberia, Guanacaste. This branch has a full-time bilingual doctor who has access to some 35 specialties from its parent hospital in San Jose. The clinic also has a laboratory, pharmacy and insurance office.

Besides hospitals and medical clinics, just 15 minutes away from Liberia in the town of Sardinal, the private company Lifeguard International offers emergency medical care, ambulances and air ambulance service 24 hours a day. Lifeguard also offers services for chronic patients (diabetes, hypertension, etc.), pre-natal care, medical consultation, bilingual doctors and staff, U.S. style clinics (minor surgery labs), air-conditioned facilities, pharmacy discounts and alternative fee structures.

Good quality and affordable medical care is additionally available throughout the Guanacaste “Gold Coast” at a variety of pharmacies, dental offices and small medical clinics, and by reputable acupuncturists, naturopaths, massage therapists and chiropractors.
Travel safely in Costa Rica

Travel safely and securely in Costa Rica with Team CRT, Costa Rica vacation experts. Relax and let Team CRT do all of the work to plan your ideal Costa Rica vacation. Team CRT gives you expert guidance and personalized service while they help craft your tailor-made Costa Rica vacation. They also offer vacation packages to neighboring Panama and Nicaragua. Traveling with Team CRT ensures personalized service, professional guides, reliable transportation, and quality tours and accommodations.

By Shannon Farley

Costa Rica is favored by top airlines with new flights

For Costa Rica Tourism Minister Allan Flores, the news of more and more international airlines announcing new routes or more flights to Costa Rica shows the huge success of efforts by the Costa Rican National Tourism Board to attract more airlines and flights to the country from Costa Rica’s key international tourism markets.

“This news represents the basis to continue with marketing efforts, along with the government’s strong policy focused on increasing flight frequency, new flights and attracting airlines to the country,” said Flores in official comments earlier this year.



The Ministry of Tourism and Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) have been working hard over the past year to attract new airlines and increase the frequency of flights to Costa Rica. The endeavor is paying off. Seventeen international airlines currently fly into Costa Rica’s two international airports, not including occasional charter flights. New campaigns are in the works to attract tourists in the emerging tourism markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China.


Costa Rica has two international airports that receive flights from all over the world. The Juan Santamaria International Airport, or the San Jose International Airport as it is better known, sits just outside of downtown San Jose, the capital city. Costa Rica’s second international airport, the Daniel Oduber International Airport, or the Liberia International Airport, is located in Costa Rica’s northern Pacific province of Guanacaste. Situated in the provincial capital Liberia, this modern airport is fast becoming the arrival destination of choice for travelers looking to enjoy the beautiful sunny beaches of Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula.

In 2012, roughly 2 million tourists entered Costa Rica, 70% traveling by air. In just the first 6 months of 2012, the San Jose International Airport received 655,530 arrivals, and the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia welcomed 198,913 arrivals – a colossal increase of 26% in comparison with 2011 for the Guanacaste area. The majority of visitors came from the United States, Canada and Mexico, reports the ICT.


Five major international airlines announced plans to increase flights to Costa Rica in 2013. On April 13, U.S. mega-airline United Airlines will begin weekly direct non-stop flights between San Jose and its U.S. connection centers in Chicago and Washington-Dulles. These flights will complement the existing service between San Jose and the United Airlines distribution centers in New York and Houston.



JetBlue Airways plans to add daily non-stop flights between the International Airport at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Florida, and the San Jose International Airport, beginning June 27, 2013. JetBlue is working hard to outperform competitor airlines with spacious seats offering more legroom onboard, free entertainment monitors on every seatback, and free snacks and drinks. Most U.S. competitor airlines charge for all of these services. JetBlue operates flights between Orlando, Florida and San José and from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to Liberia in Guanacaste.


Beginning July 2, Delta Airlines will offer a new daily non-stop flight between Los Angeles and San Jose, Costa Rica. The new route, to be operated by a Boeing 757-200 with capacity for 180 passengers, will complement Delta’s two daily flights between San Jose and Atlanta, Georgia.


Canadians will have an easier time flying to Costa Rica with the launch of Air Canada’s new discount “leisure airline,” Air Canada rouge (spelled with a small “r”), beginning July 1. Departing from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport and Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport, rouge will service both of Costa Rica’s international airports at San Jose and Liberia.


Opening the European market further, Iberia Airlines announced that the Spanish airline is increasing its flight capacity between San Jose and Madrid in 2013, operating more flights with its largest aircraft, the Airbus A340-600, which has 342 seats. Iberia currently flies daily non-stop between San Jose and Madrid. Passengers from San Jose can connect in Madrid to 31 other Spanish cities, 27 European destinations and 13 in Africa and the Middle East.
U.S. airlines that fly into Costa Rica include United, American, Delta, US Airways, Frontier, JetBlue, Spirit and Sun Country. International airlines that fly to Costa Rica include TACA/Lacsa, Copa, Iberia, Air Canada, Aeromexico, Avianca, WestJet, KLM and Condor.
Travel to Costa Rica

Valle Dorado Tours is a top Costa Rican travel agency with the experience to handle all of your Costa Rica vacation needs. More than 20 years of experience in the Costa Rican travel business, and personal inspections by their professional team of all tours, hotels, destinations, transportation, etc., ensures that Valle Dorado Tours offers you custom-made Costa Rica vacations. Check out their extensive menu of one-day tours, destination tour packages, thematic tour packages, and custom vacation packages all over Costa Rica. Their expert travel staff can help you arrange your Costa Rica vacation from start to finish.
By Shannon Farley