Planning Costa Rica right now? Here's the current on-the-ground picture (updated Oct 14)
We keep a weekly page on what's changing around the country and verify everything against official sources first. Sharing the current rundown here, and if you're traveling now, please add what you're seeing in the comments so the next person benefits.
Everything with a source and date is on the full page: https://thetraveltrio.com/costa-rica-right-now/
About the Panama earthquake (Oct 9)
* A lot of people are asking, so up top: a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit near Panama last Friday, with a smaller 6.6 quake the same day, and was felt across Costa Rica.
* Costa Rica came through fine. SINAMOT and the CNE confirmed there was no tsunami threat for the country, and the regional threat was lifted the same day.
* No deaths, no injuries and no major damage here, just a few minor things near the Panama border.
* Flights and roads are running normally.
* The one thing to expect is aftershocks, which can keep going for weeks, so a tremor during your trip is normal.
Volcanoes
* Rincon de la Vieja is the active one this fall. OVSICORI has it at Activity Level 3 (Precaution), the CNE placed nearby districts on a yellow alert on Oct 1, and it's been producing frequent small eruptions since July plus a stronger one in late September, with sulfur dioxide well above normal. The crater is closed to visitors and the Las Pailas sector can shut during stronger activity, so confirm with SINAC before hiking there.
* Poas is open but limited. After an eruption in late August, entry was capped at 1,064 a day (down from about 2,000), helmets are required on the crater trails, and the viewpoint is limited to 56 people for 20 minutes at a time. Advance SINAC booking only, 8am to 4pm, last entry around 2pm.
* Turrialba is at its usual warning level with occasional gas and ash. The national park and the Guayabo monument reopened at the end of August after a rain closure and are open now, though they can close again in heavy rain, so check SINAC before a visit.
* Arenal is calm and fully open, the reliable choice.
Roads, especially Route 32
* If you're headed to the Caribbean side, Route 32 has been closing and reopening repeatedly through mid-October from heavy rain and landslides, so check its status the day you drive. This is a rain problem, not earthquake damage.
* When it closes, the usual detours are Route 10 (through Cartago, Turrialba and Siquirres, open to all vehicles but slow), Route 4 (Bajos de Chilamate to Guapiles), and Route 126 (Vara Blanca to Sarapiqui, light vehicles only).
Weather
* It's green season and it splits by coast. The Caribbean around Puerto Viejo and Limon is the driest and sunniest right now, so that's where to chase beach time.
* The central and south Pacific (Manuel Antonio, Uvita, Osa) is the wettest, with mornings usually clear and rain building in the afternoon. There's a country-wide green alert for heavy rain and the ground is saturated.
* Arenal stays fairly reliable, Guanacaste is drier than the south Pacific, and Monteverde is at its rainiest.
Getting there and getting around
* US citizens get up to 180 days visa-free with a valid passport and proof of onward travel, no vaccines needed from the US, and the exit tax (about $29) is usually built into your airfare.
* Several new nonstops are launching this high season, mostly into Liberia: United from Washington Dulles (Dec 17, daily over the holidays), Delta from New York JFK (Dec 19, Saturdays), and Southwest from Nashville (Feb 13, 2027, Saturdays).
* Uber runs in a legal gray area and is reliable in San Jose, the Central Valley and most tourist towns. You can get one from SJO if you walk out to the bus stop, but not from Liberia airport, where orange taxis or a shuttle are the move. Rental cars add mandatory liability insurance at the counter, so budget for that.
Parks, safety and health
* The busy national parks are advance-online-only through SINAC and sell out days ahead. Manuel Antonio is open Wednesday to Monday (closed Tuesdays), roughly 7am to 4pm, around $18 an adult, and Poas also needs a reservation.
* Costa Rica is Level 2 (mostly petty theft), so keep valuables out of parked cars and off the sand, and take rip currents seriously since many Pacific beaches have no lifeguards.
* Dengue: the CDC added Costa Rica to its higher-than-usual list on Sept 3 and the US Embassy flagged it Sept 11, but the country stays at CDC Level 1, so just prevent mosquito bites.
* Chikungunya: there's an outbreak in the northwest at CDC Level 2, and the CDC recommends the chikungunya vaccine for travelers heading to an outbreak area, so check with your doctor.
* Tap water is fine in San Jose and the main tourist areas. Carry travel insurance with evacuation cover.
Money and what's coming up
* The colon is steady at about 455 to 460 to the dollar, dollars are widely accepted, and restaurants add 10% service plus 13% tax, so keep a little local cash for taxis, tips and sodas.
* San Jose's Festival de la Luz is Dec 12 (new route this year from Plaza de la Democracia, with giant balloons replacing the floats), the Fiestas de Zapote run late December into early January, and El Tope, the big horse parade, is Dec 26 in Montes de Oca.
* For wildlife timing, the Uvita humpbacks are winding down through October and the Ostional turtle arribadas peak in these rainy months.
Going soon, or there right now? Share your dates and questions, or tell us what you're seeing on the ground. We update the page every week: https://thetraveltrio.com/costa-rica-right-now/
