Best time for Costa Rica?

[iujen94]

Thinking about planning our very first ABD trip in 2015 and Costa Rica is the likely destination!! First decision - when to go?? Our choices are the week of April 6th (our kids' spring break week - this is the week after Easter which is kind of an unusual and late week for spring break) or sometime between June 5 and August 20 (Summer break). It will be me, DH, DS (age 11) and DS (age 8). Our biggest considerations are - a time when there will be plenty of other kids our boys' age, weather (I know CR is in the rain forest but I'd rather not get completely drenched every day), and mosquitoes (DS11 and I are total mosquito magnets). Thanks so much for any suggestions!!

 

[pihanettie]

Thinking about planning our very first ABD trip in 2015 and Costa Rica is the likely destination!! First decision - when to go?? Our choices are the week of April 6th (our kids' spring break week - this is the week after Easter which is kind of an unusual and late week for spring break) or sometime between June 5 and August 20 (Summer break). It will be me, DH, DS (age 11) and DS (age 8). Our biggest considerations are - a time when there will be plenty of other kids our boys' age, weather (I know CR is in the rain forest but I'd rather not get completely drenched every day), and mosquitoes (DS11 and I are total mosquito magnets). Thanks so much for any suggestions!!

April through November is the rainy season. 4/6 is more of a shoulder so that trip should be the least rainy.

 

[familygoboston]

We went in late June, and in the rain forest (central highlands and at the Caribbean coast) it rained every day...usually for just a short period, but hard. It's really what you expect in a rainforest, and frankly, you'd be missing the best part if it was "dry" . The good news is Disney provides giant ponchos for all, and the way the trip is designed, you can enjoy it even if it's raining. The time at the Pacific coast is sunnier and drier anyway and that's the time you want it to be, while at the beach. Early April is likely to be drier than mid summer (and a little cooler) but CR was the one place where I felt nothing really "dried" (towels and clothes etc) so we planned to bring lots of clothing made of "quick dry" materials, no cottons, like jeans or tee shirts, which will never feel dry, and that was a good choice!

As far as mosquitos, we get them big time in Maine but even in June in CR we rarely saw them, were not bitten and came home saying...well, the Maine mosquitos are worse! There are plenty of bugs (cool ones to see) but none that bothered us as far as being bitten!

Good luck!

 

[Simba07]

We went in August a few years ago and were worried about weather. It ended up reminding me of Orlando with the big storm late in the afternoon or evening. I think there was only one day where there was a light rain for more of the day. It was chilly and misty in the cloud forest areas though.

I hope you enjoy it. It is one of our favorite family destinations.