Start planning now for the winter holidays in Costa Rica.

It may be only August, but it’s not too early to begin planning your Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Year’s trip to Costa Rica. The winter holiday season, combined with the start of Costa Rica’s Summer high season, is a busy time all over the country.

While we’re busy planning for our two weeks in the sun in December and January, Costa Rican schoolchildren are out of school for their summer break. By mid-November, the rainy season is over, it’s sunshine all day, every day, and local families, as well as tourists, are flocking to the beach. Hotels and AirBnBs are often fully booked, as are rental cars and SUVs, so planning and booking early is always a good idea.  Planning a trip can sometimes be overwhelming; it can be a case of too much information.

What to do and what parts of the country to see? With a rental car, you have many options and the freedom to explore them all. Instead of shoveling snow from driveways, you’ll be zip-lining through rainforest canopies, hiking to waterfalls, kayaking, surfing, horseback riding, white water river rafting, sun bathing, and sports fishing; all, by the way, under the bright summer sunshine of December and January in Costa Rica.

If you can be flexible about your dates by going earlier, going later (who says you can’t celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah in January?) or staying longer, you’re more likely to get a better price on your Costa Rica rental car, airfare, and hotel or vacation rental house or condo.

Costa Rica is a family destination at any time of year, but especially during the Christmas holidays. Parades, festivals, processions, boat light parades, and street parties characterize December nearly everywhere in the country.

Christmas is a traditional and religious celebration, as Costa Rica is a predominantly Catholic country, and a time for family and close friends, just as it is in many parts of the world. Traditional bullfights (bloodless), carnivals, and street fairs take place in the run up to Christmas and New Year’s. The Tope Caballos is a horse parade in San José, showcasing Tico horses—Criollos—and horsemanship, is held every Dec. 26. Locals decorate their homes with Christmas lights, decorations, and carefully planned nativity scenes.

The Boruca people hold their Fiesta de Los Diablitos on their reservation near Puntarenas from Dec. 30 to Jan. 2. The festival highlights battle reenactments, masked dances, and traditional foods of the country’s indigenous peoples.

If you happen to be near the central valley in December, be sure to check out the Festival de la Luz—San José’s week long festival of lights is marked by lighting displays and concerts and fireworks after dark in the park. For specific dates, keep your eye on the Tico Times.

With a rental car, you can plan for a winter holiday to remember, anywhere in the country. Book it early and you can be sure you won’t be disappointed. Contact us for more details.