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The Best Costa Rica Christmas & New Year’s Eve Destinations


Traveling to Costa Rica for Christmas and New Year’s Eve will leave you with the difficult task of finding a better place to spend the festivities next year. The festive mood, sun-kissed beaches and warm temperatures create an infectious atmosphere of relaxation and fun for your special end of year getaway.

Christmas and New Year is a time for families, friends, food and celebrations but it is also a time for relaxation, reflection and of course vacation.

Escape the winter blues, the cold Polar Vortex that sweeps across the north to experience Christmas on the beach or New Year’s Eve in the cloud forest in Costa Rica. If encountering new festive traditions, exploring new dishes while having unforgettable experiences is the adventure you’ve been searching for, don’t miss this year’s best Costa Rica Christmas & New Year’s Eve destination.

Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Explore Costa Rica’s natural beauty this Christmas & New Year / Source

♦ The white sands of Christmas in Tamarindo

The coastal town of Tamarindo with its unspoiled beaches forms part of the Marino Las Baulas National Park making it the perfect place to relax over the Christmas vacation. Tamarindo’s two stunning beaches, Playa Langosta and Playa Grande form the quintessential tropical paradise where you can soak up the sun on white sandy beaches and brush the soft sand off your feet instead of the snow.

Costa Rica is an exciting, natural wonderland and traveling to Tamarindo during the festive period is in the middle of the endangered Leatherback and Olive Ridley Turtle breeding season (Nov-Feb).

Having watched the stunning sunset over the pristine beaches, take a moonlit walk along the beach as the turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. With some of the best restaurants in the country, spend your Christmas Eve soaking up the Costa Rican atmosphere in the charming beach town of Tamarindo.

Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Relax on Tamarindo’s beautiful beaches this Christmas / Source

♦ Your New Year’s Adventure in Monteverde

Set high above Costa Rica’s famous coastline, is the magical and mysterious cloud forest of Monteverde where your New Year’s adventure will sweep you away. With over 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, thousands of insect species and over 2,500 varieties of plants; your New Year’s Eve will be your wildest yet! In a world where organic farming and alternative energy sources are the norm, welcome in the new year the right way with an eco-friendly vacation.

Where else could you share a New Year’s Eve with 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity where instead of hearing the explosions of fireworks you’ll be indulged with the sounds of nature and the calls of the cloud forest?

Before welcoming in the New Year in Monteverde, you can get your blood flowing and adrenaline pumping with the plethora of adventures on offer. Zip-line your way through the verdant cloud forest arriving at the different viewing platforms that will put you in the center of this fascinating and natural world of activity.

Monteverde, Costa Rica

Get the New Year off to a flying start in Monteverde

♦ Sailing with the Christmas spirit in Manuel Antonio

Add romance to your Christmas in Manuel Antonio situated on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. With expansive white sand beaches backed by thick evergreen forest this National Park is a stunning area to spend the holiday season. You’ll be sharing Manuel Antonio with monkeys, sloths, frogs and many species of exotic birds adding to your Costa Rica vacation experience.

One of the highlights of being in Manuel Antonio at Christmas is being able to have some alone time on a romantic, sunset sailing trip along this spectacular coastline.

Some of Costa Rica’s best beaches are found in Manuel Antonio and as well as soaking up the beauty on the beaches, the underwater world with its kaleidoscope of colors and marine life with take your breath away. Few destinations offer sunsets that can compete with those that take place in Manuel Antonio. Watch as the white sands turn to fiery reds and glisten gold as the sun sets over the beaches with infinite views of the Pacific Ocean reflecting the brilliant colors of the sunset.

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Discover the romance of the New Year in Manuel Antonio

Thanks for visiting our Central & South America Travel Blog! Feel free to contact one of our Travel Specialists via emailphone or chat to plan your unique Christmas & New Year’s Eve itinerary.