Can someone tell me will our vacation be affected - do they celebrate the entire week before Easter? Will restaurants still be open? Help it never dawned on me that Easter would be so early! - March 23rd!

I know. Easter is really early this year. As the closest beach town to San Jose, Jaco is a big destination for Holy Week. The entire week will be very busy with tourists, foreign and local, but especially Thursday through Sunday. (Do you already have a place to stay?) Everyone heads back home on Sunday, so by mid-afternoon, the place will mostly have emptied of people. (I'd try, if possible, not to travel on Easter Sunday; the traffic is always bad that day.)

Restaurants that cater to tourists will probably be open to serve all the people. One interesting twist on this is that no sale of alcohol is permitted on Thursday and Friday of Holy Week in Costa Rica. Bars and liquor stores are closed. Restaurants, whether public places or hotel dining rooms, cannot serve beer, wine or booze.

Another interesting twist is that no public transportation runs on Good Friday. If you're traveling anywhere that day, you'll need to use a rental vehicle, a taxi or a private shuttle. Public buses are not allowed to operate.

I always stay in San Jose during Holy Week. The place is a ghost town, but I love the peace and quiet. As long as I've stocked up with food by Wednesday night for the long weekend when all the stores will be closed, it works for me. I wouldn't expect someone coming on vacation to want to do that.

Hey flycatcher -- We're going to be travelling around the same time as you and also staying at LL in Arenal. What are your dates? Yeah, week leading up to Easter is going to be crazy! Most places will be open though, from what I hear/read.

I was in CR last year during Holy Week and had no problems at all. All the main tourist areas are more focused on making money than on religion. Go and enjoy!

Thank goodness - I cannot believe how early it is. We will be in Manual Antonio intil Thursday and then Jaco until Monday. Will the park still be open - i know it is closed on Mondays? Yes we have had reservations for a long time! I know i have asked this before and we have even driven it before but is it 3 hours to liberia airport of 4 hours I am getting conflicting reports!!!! Thanks as usual for all the advice!

National parks are open most holidays. I'd allow at least four hours from Jaco to Liberia airport, and maybe budget a bit more in their just to be on the safe side.

wow - i am getting a little nervous now - our flight is at 12:15 so i am thinking we should leave now at 6 AM???

If I'm not mistaken, March 23 is as early as Easter can possibly be. I researched it a bit a few years ago (when I found out the formula, which I've since forgotten! Has to do with the Pascal ?? something). All of my kids get to celebrate Easter birthdays, but one of them was born March 24. I worked a LONG time trying to find an Easter birthday for her, but I don't think it will happen in her lifetime! I do remember turning up March 23.

Well, I'm sure you all wanted to know all about THAT! LOL!

Jeff, staying in San Jose sounds like a plan to me. Wherever the hordes AREN'T!

The Easter "formula" is this: the first Sunday after the first full moon, following the vernal equinox. Yep, you guessed it--Christian holiday based on pagan rituals!

Ummm...before an unsuspecting reader upsets anyone by referring to Jewish holy days as "pagan rituals", I believe Easter is based on the full moon and the vernal equinox (astronomical events) and the Jewish Passover (celebration of Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt, which, as all traditional Jewish dates, is based on a lunar calendar.
See http://tinyurl.com/3b8p3p

I believe Easter can fall anywhere from March 22 through April 25. Even though Passover and Easter fell very close together in the Bible, their dates don't have to coincide at all. In fact, Passover falls almost a month after Easter this year.