If you’re reading this, it’s not too late. For most people in Costa Rica, Semana Santa starts a week before Good Friday even though Palm Sunday is the technical beginning.
If you’re Costa Rican, and you don’t have off the whole week leading up to Easter, then your holiday starts on Good Friday, but if you wait until then to make plans, you’ll be sleeping under the stars. You’ll also spend a lot of time in traffic.
The key to Semana Santa is to figure out where you want to get down, then get there before rabble and don’t plan on leaving. Busses do not run as often from Good Friday through the weekend.
There are some key planning aspects of the party you’ll want to consider first, but then we’ll cover your party options.
Key Considerations
The first thing to remember about holy week it, is that it’s actually a religious holiday. Costa Rica is unashamedly (and non-repressively) a Catholic country.
That means you can practice whatever religion you want, but the government and people still say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays in December. They also get fired up when Easter comes around.
In many ways, Easter is the bigger holiday. Christmas may be huge for retail sales, but food and beverage sales, hotels and hostel bookings will fly through the roof during Semana Santa.
Aging adults in Costa Rica warn that going to the beach during Semana Santa will turn you into a fish (or some such fable) but the young adults of Costa Rica know the beach is where it’s at.
Bear in mind that some towns do not sell liquor during the holy weekend. In those places, one can find black market sales, but one will pay big Colones for guaro.
Best to plan ahead no matter where you decide to get your groove on. If you plan to drink, stock up.
Central Pacific Coast
If you don’t like crowds, avoid Playa Jaco like it was the Zombie Apocalypse. With fewer than two hours travel from San Jose, city slickers who want to maximize vacation time fill Jaco first.
It’s also the failsafe for last minute planners. The word chaos doesn’t begin to describe it.
At night, from the Good Friday to Easter Sunday the streets and beach of Jaco can fill like a nightclub. If you want to be on the beach and you’re traveling from San Jose, consider going south of Jaco to Quepos
Guanacaste
From Coco to Samara, the playas (beaches) of Guanacaste get more crowded every year. It’s not only Ticos from the northern cities and Libera hitting the beaches, Chepenios (folks from San Jose), seek relief in the harder to reach beaches of Guanacaste.
There’s one problem with that plan. Guanacaste beaches aren’t so hard to reach anymore. Even Playa Samara, which is a dirt road in, isn’t too bad before you hit that road.
In larger towns like Coco and Tamarindo, the beaches will be crowded. At night, the streets will throng with tailgate parties coming out of every parked pickup. The party is deafening, but the scene is exciting.
Caribbean
There are beaches you can visit in Costa Rica during Semana Santa which are not chaotic. The Caribbean side of the country offers lush warm tropical weather without all the crowding you’d find on the Pacific side.
From Cahuita to Punta Manzanillo you’ll find a more laid back Semana Santa experience but may still run into dry towns or processional celebrations. We’ll come back to those in a second.
If this is your first time in Costa Rica, understand that the Caribbean side offers a unique side of Costa Rica, raw and untouched in places, but also populated with less fortunate people.
The holidays can bring out the best in people but also the worst. Be aware of where your possessions are. Don’t do silly things like hang your purse over your chair at the restaurant.
Central Valley
Beach parties aside, this is where the biggest party will go down.
There was a time when downtown San Jose was a ghost town during Holy Week, but in recent years the gentrification of central San Jose has changed the town’s tune somewhat. It’s still pretty quiet Easter weekend.
Many businesses close starting Wednesday or Thursday, but more of them, over the crowded beaches, choose to stay open. The major shopping centers will be open. Grocery stores will offer discounts.
Most banks and all government offices are closed.
There is a huge processional (think: slow parade with acting along the way) in San Jose on Good Friday, symbolizing the historic procession of Jesus carrying the cross. It usually includes professional musicians and the performers from the National Theatre.
Similar to the San Jose, Heredia hosts a processional too. Opinions vary on which is better.
Pueblos
Get out of the big city and get more intimate with a processional in San Joaquin de Flores or in Cartago. Both are near San Jose, but you’ll be wise to make local accommodation rather than try to drive there.
The processionals are like nothing you’ve witnessed before, not live. They depict somewhat gruesome events, fake blood and all. If you saw Mel Gibson’s The Passion of Christ, it’s like that but happening in front of you… not quite that gruesome, though.
Like the actual events these processionals intend to recreate, they can unfold slowly at times. It’s an experience to be sure, but not one for the faint of heart or those who bore easily. Children can have a tough time at these events.
If you can stomach them, these events will be something you talk about for the rest of your life.
Wherever you land, we’re fans of renting a Tamarindo vacation rental or a vacation rental. It’s the most cost-effective and liberating way to travel. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
We love helping.
Horizon Pacific Management & Rentals is located in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. Offering vacation rentals, property management, long-term rentals, as well as a complete concierge service. Providing you with a local contact during your stay, Horizon Pacific is a company you can trust, with the experience you need.