Costa Rica
in May
Waterfalls peak, jungle intensifies
May through November is when Costa Rica becomes itself. Waterfalls that trickle in April turn thunderous. The jungle shifts to a green that defies description. Rivers run full, clouds roll in from the Caribbean, and the wildlife that retreated in the heat returns. Fewer tourists means quieter trails and honest prices. The rainy season doesn't mean all-day rain — it means dramatic afternoons and brilliant mornings that the dry season never offers.
🌿 May
In Season Now
What's alive this month
In Season Now
What's alive this month
🌿 Green Season
Places worth finding now
Waterfalls are running full, the jungle is alive, and the crowds have thinned.
Places worth finding now
See allWaterfalls are running full, the jungle is alive, and the crowds have thinned.
Hiking
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Where the cloud never quite leaves and every surface is covered in something living
Waterfalls
Montezuma
Three-waterfall cascade at the edge of a beach-hippie village with howler monkeys in the trees
Waterfalls
La Paz Waterfall Gardens
Five cascading waterfalls through pristine cloud forest
Hidden Gems
Reserva Monteverde Edge
Where the cloud forest meets the sky
Wildlife
Canales de Tortuguero
Boat through rainforest canals watching caimans, sloths, and river otters
Hiking
Pacuare River
Class III-IV white water through a jungle gorge with no roads — one of the world's great river runs
Places worth finding now
Waterfalls are running full, the jungle is alive, and the crowds have thinned.
Trending Locations
Places gaining attention across Costa Rica.
Hidden Gems
Río Celeste Azul
Impossibly blue river deep in Tenorio Volcano
Waterfalls
La Paz Waterfall Gardens
Five cascading waterfalls through pristine cloud forest
Wildlife
Canales de Tortuguero
Boat through rainforest canals watching caimans, sloths, and river otters
Hidden Gems
Playa Conchal
A beach made entirely of crushed shells — no sand, only conchitas
Wildlife
San Gerardo de Dota
A cold river valley at 2,200 metres built entirely around the quetzal
Cultural experiences for this season
Harvest rhythms, mountain kitchens, and coastal fishing communities define the green season.
🫘the rhythm of the land
Harvest Life
The rhythms of agricultural life — coffee pickers at dawn, sugarcane, the trapiche, corn drying.
🥘where locals eat
Markets & Food
Morning markets, street stalls, and the food traditions built around them.
🏔️high altitude, slow table
Mountain Foodways
The hearty, unhurried food of high-altitude communities — beans, chorreados, corn, and smoke.
🐟before the boats return
Coastal Traditions
Fishing communities, boat landings at dawn, and the food culture that follows the tide.
🌙when the plaza breathes
Night Atmospheres
The quieter, slower side of places after the day-trippers leave — plazas, bars, conversation.
♨️heat drawn from the earth
Thermal Culture
Hot springs woven into daily life — not resorts, but the morning ritual of a community.