Costa Rica - time of year?
 

My husband and I are starting to toss around ideas for 2015 trips - I know it is early, but we like to put together a list of possibilities and then let the possibilities marinate around a bit before we choose - then see what we feel like doing, what works for our schedules based on time of year, etc. And, because we like to use miles for plane tickets whenever we can, we generally need to book our flights in advance. This all leads me to the question about the best time of year to visit Costa Rica :) We can pretty much travel any time other than the 4th quarter of the year due to work and family commitments.

I've been to CR once before - a couple years ago for a week in July. I liked it so much, I want to go back with my husband because I am sure he'd love it. He is outdoorsy and an avid nature photographer, so yes, I think CR is right up his alley :)

I know that summer is the green season - which is the time of year I was there before. It was lovely that time of year, very green and lush, and while we did have some rain, it was mostly clear. Maybe we just got lucky. We also didn't go off the beaten path at all on that trip - conference at a hotel in El Roble, a couple day trips, a side trip to Tamarindo, a day in SJ - so good roads everywhere we went, etc.

This trip I want to definitely visit the Arenal area (of course) and I am also thinking about the area around Puerto Jimenez and Golfo Dulce - I have heard that the rain forest there is incredible and very much worth a visit, but it is more remote so due to road conditions, visiting in the green season might be problematic.

What do you guys think?

I went at the tail end of green season and got hammered with a tropical storm, the secondary roads were in terrible shape (and even the main highway south from San Gerardo de Dota south, was undercut with some scary cracks in the pavement.) It is pretty amazing how quickly they are able to put in temporary repairs on the major routes. The other routes, however, were effectively closed of for a while.

Perhaps June, being at the start of rainy season, will be a bit luckier, with less accumulated damage. I would probably not book ahead anything that requires an unpaved road crossed by streams. There are other decent options available.

If you don't mind staying flexible you can also book just a few days at the beginning and end and see how it goes.

I do believe my weather was not normal even for green season, but it shows what could happen. There were some bonuses, upgrades and extended stays, availability on short notice since there were cancellations. I was very lucky that I was able to actually reach Savegre Lodge (loved it).

You can read a 'worst case' scenario here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/mexi...-2010-long.cfm

I always forget the links!

We've had trips in both April and July and really enjoyed those. We were on the Osa in July and surprisingly didn't get a drop of rain. I'd avoid going in September and October. Our guide told us that it can rain for days without a break and that things can go under water that time of year. I like this link to get a general idea of rain patterns; you can mouse over the areas you're interested in.

http://costa-rica-guide.com/Weather/WeatherMap.html

I'd fly to Puerto Jimenez. It's only about an hour from SJO. We stayed at Bosque del Cabo and loved it. Lots of good hotel choices in the Arenal area - We've enjoyed the Lost Iguana, Nayara, and The Springs Resort. Silencio del Campo is also very popular.

Thanks for the input. I was thinking that the beginning of the green season might be a good choice - lower prices, but not as much time for road damage to accumulate. We have similar situation on some of our coastal roads in CA (in years that it actually DOES rain, of course). And we were definitely thinking that we would fly down to Puerto Jimenez rather than driving.

We were in Puerto Jimenez in the beginning of December and really enjoyed the town and nature. We saw more scarlet macaws there than anywhere, There are lots of lodging and tour opportunities.

You have lots of time to think about all this! If you drive yourself you need a car with high clearance. On the road past PJ there were fords.

Because we had three people and arrived on a redeye flight, I had a driver take us to PJ and then we flew back to SJO.

Yep, that's why we like green season; the rates are usually a lot better, and we like everything being lush and green. The road going to Arenal is usually in pretty good shape. Check Sansa or Nature Air to get to Puerto Jimenez.

I've been down to the Osa in early May - clear days and some rain in the evenings and late June-early July with a day long deluge, then clear skies the rest of the days, some evening rain.

I've been to Arenal in Feb./March and had heavy rains (dry season)a day or two. We just don't let the rain stop us unless it's a torrential downpour.

We stayed at Bosque del Cabo and the wildlife there is just amazing. I've also stayed at Iguana Lodge in PJ for a little beach time and to do some of the Golfo Dulce area tours. Once I get to Bosque, I don't want to leave for any tours!