Costa Rica-thinking of going, what to expect?

Question

Never been before, is it a good place for a relaxing beach holiday, what's the weather like in September, is it suitable for babies, is the ocean calm and warm?

Answer 1

all the answers are right just one thing i want to mention--costa rica has over 1,000 miles of beaches---all public beaches      so don't restrict your thinking

Answer 2

Check out TripAdvisor for some information regarding the areas you are planning on going.  If budget is a concern consider the RoughGuide (hard copy better than the web version - go to used book stores).

Costa Rica is considered the Switzerland of The Americas.  It is a beautiful and peaceful country.  One amazing thing about Costa Rica is that you have just about everything there:  Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Rain Forest, Mountians, Volcanos.  Spanish is the official language, but there are a lot of "ex-pats" from US and Canada that have moved there and English is a commonly accepted language (not in all places).

A good place to read up on the current events is TicoTimes - their news paper.  The people from Costa Rica are commonly called "Ticos."

I have been to Jaco in October, and loved it.  There were afternoon rains, good climate.  Not as many orchids in bloom as other times of year.  

Be sure to pick up some Cafe Britt coffee before returning home -- also you can tour some of the Coffee Plantations.

Enjoy your trip - or as they would say "Disfruita"

Answer 3

Hi!

Weather depends of where you are... Because sometimes in San José is raining and in Limón or Guanacaste the sun it's shining...

In general, september it's rainy season... but it doesn't mean that rains all day...

Every beach it's different but if your looking for most calms water you can go to beaches in Guanacaste (Pacific Ocean)... I recomend you Conchal Beach... There's no sand... only shelfs!!! Really beautiful!!!

But there's volcanoes for example Arenal, Irazú, Poás... or forest...

Answer 4

It's beautiful, but not relaxing in tourist season.

In Sept. they are still in the wet season.  It rains almost every afternoon.

It is mostly safe in the day, but bad at night.

Answer 5

Costa Rica is the perfect place for a beach holiday.  As stated before, Sept is the rainy season - but it doesn't rain all day, and you should be fine.  I recommend Manual Antonio National Park for both warm calm water and for babies.  I'm a sucker for National Parks of all shapes, sizes and countries - and this was a really pretty one.  Much of the coast line is really good for surfing - which means less calm, and maybe not so great for babies.  Manual Antonio beaches (inside the park) were protected in a cove and it made the water very calm.  Also - off season the crowds aren't too bad.  Actually when I was there in June, they were practically empty.  I do recommend that you take a guided hike BEFORE you do anything else in the park.  They have some poison fauna that will make our poison ivy look like a day in a spa.  There are also snakes and crocs - you'll want to know where these hang out and how to avoid them.  Actually, I suggest you take a guided tour anywhere you decide to go - not only is it very interesting, but you'll learn much needed safety info about the area you choose to stay at.  There are hotels located all around the park, including right at the gates. You'll also be able to see slothes, monkeys, tucans, and a variety of other wildlife.  The main path is wide and flat and you shouldn't have any problems with kids.  It might even be stroller friendly - can't remember for sure.  This is a great option for you though and I highly recommend it.

Edit:  If you still want to do Manual Antonio try http://www.laposadajungle.com/ - we almost stayed here.  It's within walking distance to both the public beach and Manual Antonio.  I believe the entrance is about 200 feet away.