Like everywhere nowadays, Costa Rica can be very busy with tourists especially at peak times and in certain locations. We prefer to try and avoid this wherever possible. The starting point would be to avoid the following peak periods, however if you have to travel during these periods we still have some tricks up our sleeves to help you enjoy Costa Rica’s wild places without crowds of tourists ruining the experience. 

The busiest times of year are January and February, the Easter / US spring break and the first two weeks of July when Costa Rican and US schools break up.  During these peak holiday seasons above, most of the Pacific Coast From Manuel Antonio North to Papagayo is usually overrun with tourists too. These are all best avoided if at all possible. 

Arenal, Tortuguerro, Monteverde and  Manuel Antonio NP tend to be busy with tourists year round. 

There are some locations which due to their nature offer a fairly exclusive nature experience year round. These tend to be  more pricey but well worth it if budget allows. 

The Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park is our favourite region in Costa Rica, with pristine wilderness and a smattering of superb eco lodges. Due to the area’s remote location it never feels busy and for us is a must visit unless you are travelling on a very tight budget.

As an alternative to the super busy Arenal area, Miravalles National Park contains several volcanoes and is much less visited. With a stay at Rio Perdido you can enjoy a natural hot spring river, zip wires and river float in a location far more natural and crowd free than Arenal.