Happy Tuesday! I would love to plan a trip to Costa Rica for the last week in August with my husband (active 60's) and daughter (26) - She just graduated law school and is taking the bar. The issue is the weather... we have never been to Costa Rica and unfortunately do not have flexibility on the travel dates.
Would love information on a suggested itinerary and the WEATHER ... is it worth going?

Weatherspark has that information.

This link shows general weather patterns. Just hover your mouse over the areas that interest you. https://costa-rica-guide.com/travel/...-map-rainfall/

Thanks... I actually know that. I was/am looking for personal experience/recommendations.

Thanks Volcanogirl! I hope you are doing well. It has been a long time but I use to post under a different name about 10 years ago and totally remember you! (momddtravel - something like that!)

Do you have a suggested itinerary for that time of the year? I have done a lot of research and have some ideas but am curious on expert opinions!

Hi Dawn - it's good to see you on the boards again! Yes I totally remember you from those days. Congratulations to your daughter. Our favorite area is the Arenal area. It has a beautiful waterfall, the Mistico Hanging Bridges you can hike, hiking at the Arenal Observatory Lodge - we've seen toucans, coatis, howler monkeys, etc. there, the guided hike at the Bogarin Trail (easy flat) where you have the opportunity to see sloths, the Cano Negro boat tour with Desafio to see wildlife, rafting, ziplining at Sky Trek, the Penas Blancas safari float with Desafio, beautiful natural hot springs like Tabacon, etc. We've stayed at Nayara, the Lost Iguana, The Springs Resort and Spa (expensive but we had a Groupon deal), and the Arenal Observatory Lodge. Take a look at some of those and see what you think. The Arenal Observatory Lodge is more basic, but we still enjoyed it, and they have a free guided hike each morning and more wildlife than other properties since it's set outside of town out by the lake. We've been in July and in September, and it did rain. Rainy season is typically Mayish to Novemberish but really it can rain any time of year there since it's the rain forest. You can stay at Tabacon if a property with hot springs interests you. October tends to be the rainiest month.

Our favorite beach area is Manuel Antonio. It's very pretty with a nice national park and tons of wildlife like monkeys and sloths. We like to stay at Tulemar Bungalows; they have a wide variety of accommodations, and they have their own beach which is rare in that area. Lots of good open air restaurants nearby. Again rainy season is Mayish to Novemberish so you'd just have to judge if you can accept some rain on your vacation. October is generally the rainiest. If you wanted a better guarantee of good weather, you could explore some of the more northern Guanacaste beaches. That area tends to be a lot more arid. We like MA for the lush greenery and wildlife, but unfortunately that comes with rain.

Isn't August the rainy season in Costa Rica? I know it is the rainiest and hottest month in much of Mexico.

Not true at all regarding Mexico. Coastal areas, yes. But in Mexico's central highlands, extending through the majority of the country, from Chiapas to Nuevo Leon, it's arguably the best time of year to visit. Cool & pleasant. Understandable misconception if someone has only visited a coastal resort area in Mexico.

The Peace Lodge is another fun place to stay. It's about an hour or so from the SJO airport. The La Paz Waterfall Gardens are there; we did a tour of the Doka Coffee Estate from there and visited Poas Volcano. Poas gets enshrouded in fog so you can't always see it. Early morning is best; we had to linger around a bit but the fog eventually lifted, and we got a nice view. Good for about two nights.