Costa Rica's 5 Best Destinations For A Vibrant And Warm Winter Vacation

Costa Rica is a prime place for snowbirds keen to escape cooler climes come the winter. "Is Costa Rica a good place to go in December/January for a honeymoon?" asks one particularly to-the-point Reddit thread. One of the first replies answers perfectly: "I was once there right after Christmas and it was ONE HUNDRED degrees warmer than Chicago. So yes." That lines up with the country's seasonal pattern, with the official dry season kicking in around December and lasting until April, heralding a period full of warm, sunny days and very little rainfall.

But there are exceptions to the rule. The Caribbean side of Costa Rica, for example, gets its finest weather in the late summer, while some folks prefer the highlands during the so-called green season for the lush backdrops and smaller crowds. This guide navigates all that to pinpoint five places where vibrant, Vitamin D-soaked winter days are the norm.

We got there by trawling leading blogs and forum threads, combining that with deep firsthand knowledge of Costa Rica and taking into account average temperature and rainfall statistics. The resulting list is a vibrant range of destinations where winter vacations promise soaring mercury levels, beach days, sunrise yoga, bountiful hikes through biodiverse rainforests, unforgettable surf sessions, party nights under palm trees, and more.

Santa Teresa is one of Central America's coolest beach towns, though it's not literally "cool" when the dry season swings around in December. Nope, average daily temperatures in this surf-washed corner of western Costa Rica hit 82 degrees Fahrenheit in January and rarely fall below 66. Couple that with zero inches of rainfall in both January and February, and you've got a rather reliable warm climate.

That's great, since the main draw here is undoubtedly Santa Teresa's beach, all 3.1 miles of it. It fringes the side of the Nicoya Peninsula, unfolding before pockets of ultra-green jungle, with waves crashing here and there, monkeys swinging in the trees overhead, and not a single big hotel to be seen, thanks to tight local development rules.

The town of Santa Teresa stretches along the main coast road just behind the beach. The small town is a collection of roastery cafes, bars, and local Tico restaurants, with eco lodges and spa hotels beckoning down the side streets. Stacks of world-class surf breaks for all levels, from beginner to pro, are within easy walking distance on the main playa.

There are two sides to Manuel Antonio. There's the small fishing village of Manuel Antonio itself. And then there's the world-famous national park of the same name that lies five to 10 minutes down the road. One is the steppingstone to the other, which means you can get visions of vibrant Costa Rican flora and fauna by morning and then laze around in a lux Manuel Antonio hotel gazing out over the Pacific Ocean come the afternoon.

December to April is peak time for hitting the wilds of the Manuel Antonio National Park. This might be Costa Rica's smallest national reserve, but it sprawls across a variety of habitats, and hosts a kaleidoscope of creatures — think ancient trees crawled over by three-toed sloths, cotton-white beaches, and resident populations of capuchin monkeys and iguanas. The winter season, or dry season, has the perfect balance of dropping rainfall counts and fine beachgoing weather, making it prime for combining nature hikes and sunbathing sessions in a single day.

For a taste of happening local life, you could hop north to the town of Quepos. It's on the more lived-in side of Manuel Antonio, fronted by a marina that's clogged with fishing boats, and hosting a bustling marketplace where you can find catch-of-the-day seafood and freshly grown vegetables.

If your idea of a vibrant winter getaway is reconnecting with nature, sunset yoga sessions, and rolling Pacific surf, then the burgeoning eco-tourism center of Nosara most certainly has you covered. For one, the weather is fine, with January promising minimal rainfall and consistent temperatures in the high 70s. Lately, the town has been in the limelight for being at the heart of one of the world's Blue Zones — regions that are said to hold the secret to long life. Indeed, there it sits, midway down the western haunch of the Nicoya Peninsula, a land where, according to the BBC, people are over three times more likely to live past 100.

Nosara doesn't have stacks of high-rise developments growing from the sands. Instead, the shores here are largely untouched thanks to a long nature reserve that pushes the town back into the jungle. That's particularly great for surfers, who get to chase intermediate-friendly waves aplenty on Playa Guiones just to the south.

Nosara has also emerged as a major global yoga destination. Retreats like the highly-rated Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort now offer schedules of vinyasa, flow, and sound healing, alongside luxury accommodation. The hotel gets a 4.8 out of 5 on Tripadvisor, with one former yogi visitor commenting: "Came for a yoga retreat and fell in love with the place, the people and the food! We loved our room and the sound of the waterfalls and birds."

In many ways, early to mid-winter is the best time to visit the highland adventure town of La Fortuna. As the wet season (known here as the green season for the way it turns the countryside, well, green) gives way to the dry season, you'll get better weather than in November. However, a lingering lush, vibrant, emerald hue remains on the rainforests and mountains. As winter progresses, things will heat up, with temperatures peaking at 88 degrees Fahrenheit by March, and rainfall dropping to annual lows in February.

That should be music to the ears of hikers, who'll have plenty to get through in the Arenal Volcano National Park that adjoins the town to the west. Paths there include the Sendero Las Coladas, a route that scrambles over petrified lava fields forged during a recent eruption, and the Sendero La Ceiba, which whisks you to a lookout point over the shimmering waters of Lake Arenal. Keep watch as you walk, for howler monkeys and toucans both call these jungles home.

Did all that volcano trekking work up a sweat? You can cool off with a swim in the crystal-clear waters of Costa Rica's most iconic rainforest waterfall here. Simply mosey down to the Fortuna Waterfall south of town — it's reachable by Uber, bike, or local taxi — and descend the 500-plus steps to the rejuvenating plunge pools.

A sleepy fishing village just 50 years ago, Tamarindo roared into life sometime in the 1990s and is now well known as one of the go-to surf and party towns on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The town clusters at the south end of its own beachfront, which runs for miles up the side of Tamarindo Bay. It's a dynamic beach town, filled with hotels, cantinas, bars, and breweries, all of which sit just a stone's throw from where the ocean kisses the palms. 

Surfing is popular in Tamarindo. The town is well-known for having some of the best beginner surf breaks in the country, which hit their prime during dry season from December to March, when the swells get smaller and more manageable. On top of that, there's a handful of easy-to-get-to surf spots within walking distance of the center, so it's never a hassle to get out in the water.

Of course, the drier weather of said dry season is also a doozy for beach bums who, according to Holiday-Weather.com, will find average daily temperatures of up to 81 degrees Fahrenheit with a mere half inch of rainfall in total throughout December, with even less rain come January. There are plenty of sandy beaches for sunbathing, too. You could stick to Playa Tamarindo, the lively main beach, where bars beckon under the palms. Or you could escape to the salt-caked tide pools and peaceful coves of nearby Playa Langosta for less of a scene.

Our list of the five best destinations in Costa Rica for sun-soaked and vibrant winter vacations is the product of both research and first-hand knowledge. We scoured Reddit threads and countless blogs looking for the top places to visit in the country. Then we combined this with personal recommendations based on past travels to and through the land of Pura Vida. The result is a selection of places that have some of the finest weather in the country between December and March, along with enticing attractions that range from smoke-belching volcanoes to epic surf beaches.