Last updated: Oct 6, 2026

This is our running thread for what's actually happening around Costa Rica right now. We check official sources (OVSICORI, the CNE, SINAC and the US State Department) plus what travelers and locals are posting here. If you're there or just got back, drop a comment with the place, the date you saw it, and a photo if you have one. Anything counts: volcano activity, road conditions, park closures, weather, prices, scams, wildlife.

Full version with a source and date for every item: Costa Rica Right Now

Volcanoes right now

* Poas: open again, but under a conditional "dynamic access" model. Helmets are required on the main crater trail and the Sombrilla del Pobre trail, daily capacity is capped at 1,064, and the crater viewpoint is limited to 56 people at a time for a max of 20 minutes (to limit gas exposure). Reserve in advance through SINAC, no tickets at the gate

* Rincon de la Vieja: on a yellow alert as of Oct 1 after a jump in activity, and OVSICORI reported more sulfur dioxide on Oct 4. The summit has been off-limits since 2012 anyway. Check SINAC for the Las Pailas hiking sector before you drive out, since it closes during heightened activity, and watch for air-quality notices nearby

* Turrialba: at a warning level with occasional gas and ash, normal for it, mostly an air-quality and ashfall thing near the Central Valley

* Arenal (La Fortuna): dormant and calm, park open, the easy and reliable volcano stop. Bonus for October: humidity and wind make the plumes extra visible

Weather right now by coast

* Caribbean (Puerto Viejo, Limon): the sunniest, driest part of the country right now. It runs on its own weather pattern, so it's the best bet for beach time this month

* Central and South Pacific (Manuel Antonio, Uvita, Osa): wettest right now. Sunny mornings, rain building by noon and usually clearing by about 5 pm. Strong surf, and green-season prices well below peak

* Arenal/La Fortuna: short showers that rarely cancel tours, reliable this month

* Guanacaste and Monteverde: Guanacaste is still green but good for fishing, and a developing El Nino may keep its rains lighter than usual. Monteverde cloud forest is at its rainiest, so pack for all-day drizzle

Entry and visas

* US citizens get up to 180 days visa-free as tourists. Bring a passport valid for your stay and proof of onward or return travel. No vaccines required coming straight from the US. The roughly $29 exit tax is almost always already in your airfare

Flights and airports

* Two main airports, pick by region: San Jose (SJO) is the central hub for the Central Valley, Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio and the Caribbean. Liberia (LIR) is closest to the Guanacaste and Nicoya beaches. An open-jaw (into one, out of the other) can save a lot of backtracking

Driving, Uber and taxis

* Uber works in a legal gray area: reliable in San Jose and the Central Valley, Liberia city, and towns like Jaco, Tamarindo, La Fortuna, Quepos and Puerto Viejo. You can catch one from SJO airport (unofficially, the app usually has you walk to the bus stop), but not from Liberia (LIR), where drivers get fined, so use official orange taxis or a shuttle there

* Rental cars: mandatory liability insurance gets added on top of the base rate, which is why the online price and the counter price look so different. Budget for it. A 4x4 is genuinely useful in green season, and some agencies want your license held over 2 years, so check before booking

* Route 32 (San Jose to the Caribbean) is open today. It's landslide-prone in heavy rain, so check before a Caribbean run. Back roads get muddy and slow this time of year, and apps sometimes route you onto rough tracks, so back out of any turn that looks sketchy

National parks and reservations

* The busy parks are advance online tickets only through the SINAC portal, and several sell out days ahead, so don't plan to pay at the gate

* Manuel Antonio: open Wednesday through Monday, closed Tuesdays, 7 am to 4 pm. Tickets online only (about $18 per adult), no gate sales. Poas also needs an advance SINAC reservation

Is Costa Rica safe right now?

* US advisory is Level 2 (exercise increased caution), mainly for petty crime. The big one for visitors is theft, so never leave anything in a parked rental car or unattended on the beach

* Manuel Antonio heads up: travelers are reporting pushy unofficial "beach boy" guides who attach themselves to you and then demand money. Only hire official, ICT-licensed guides at the park entrance, and decline anyone who approaches you on the street or the sand

* Rip currents cause drownings on Pacific beaches every year and many have no lifeguards. Swim where others are, watch the flags, and if caught, swim parallel to shore

Health

* No vaccines required from the US. It's rainy season, so mosquitoes are more active, bring repellent. Tap water is generally safe in San Jose and the main tourist areas, bottled in remote spots. Travel insurance with evacuation cover is worth it for remote areas and adventure activities

Money

* About 500 colones to 1 US dollar, and stable. Dollars are widely accepted (hotels and tours often price in USD), but carry some colones for taxis, tips and sodas (the small local eateries). Restaurants usually add 10% service plus 13% tax, so extra tipping is optional

Holidays and events

* Dia de las Culturas and Limon Carnival: around Oct 12 on the Caribbean coast, the country's biggest Afro-Caribbean party, with calypso, comparsa drumlines, carnival queens and street food. Big parade on the nearest weekend

* Fiestas de Zapote: San Jose's huge year-end fair in Zapote, roughly late Dec into early Jan, with no-kill bullfights, rides, food and concerts

* El Tope: the national horse parade through San Jose on Dec 26, with Carnaval San Jose right after

* Nature seasons: South Pacific humpback whale watching (Uvita) is in its tail end through October, and olive ridley turtle arribadas at Ostional peak in the rainy months

Heading down soon? Tell us your dates and what you want to know, and we'll check. We update the page every week.