Cheap flights to Costa Rica in September are worth consideration
I keep getting emails from people asking me for great destinations for September and so I thought I’d answer everyone at once by posting my best recommendation here. So many people travel during July and August that the planes are all full and the prices are all sky high, which takes most of the fun out of it. The smart traveler waits until September to take advantage of the best deals.
Those who’ve read the title of this post might already be surprised, but I’m recommending Costa Rica is a top choice in September, even though it’s during the heart of their rainy season there. Tropical rainy seasons are misunderstood by nearly everyone who’s never lived through them, so I’ll explain the deal below.
Destination: Costa Rica
First, the good news, is that the capital of Costa Rica has an average high of 79F and an average low of 61F during September. San Jose, as it’s called, is at a fairly high elevation which keeps it moderate, but even the beaches that Costa Rica are famous for are quite mild at that time of year.
Yes, the rainy season is in full swing in San Jose in September, but it’s actually not a big deal at all, especially for those staying on or near the beaches. The typical pattern is that it’s sunny all morning and then around 3pm it gets cloudy. By 4pm the skies open up and dump as much as an inch of rain in 45 minutes or so, and by 5:30 it’s mostly sunny again so you have one of the most beautiful sunsets you’ve ever seen.
Other times it rains around 4am, so you wake up to a steamy feeling without ever seeing any rain for a few days at a time.
The benefits are huge though. Right now you can fly from Los Angeles to San Jose, Costa Rica for around $445 on any day in September. From Chicago to San Jose it’s $442 on Spirit Airlines, and from Boston to San Jose it’s $462, also on Spirit Airlines.
What to do once you get to Costa Rica?
Interestingly, San Jose is perhaps the worst place to stay in Costa Rica. There it’s all about the amazing scenery, the national parks, and the fabulous beaches. There’s also a huge industry in canopy tours and adventure sports, and those run year-round as well. There are parts of the rain forest area that you want to avoid in September, but not everywhere.
The beaches along the Pacific range from luxurious like in the newer development of Tamarindo in the north to the traditional surfer town of Jaco Beach in the middle of the coast. Along the Caribbean coast things are much more laid back, and while the surf isn’t worth talking about, the beaches themselves are wonderful and things are cheap.
Going to Costa Rica in September means cheap flights, cheap hotels that are half full at most, and still plenty of excellent sights and activities available. People who come in August get almost none of that, so be smart when choosing when to go where.