Costa Rica in November 5 Shocking Truths You Need

I’m gonna tell you about the time I almost cried in a Costa Rican gas station bathroom.

It was November 2021, and I’d been planning this trip for months. You know how it is when you finally save up enough vacation days and money for that dream getaway? Yeah, that was me. Except my dream was turning into a soggy nightmare.

I’d read all these articles saying November was perfect – less crowded, good weather, cheaper prices. Sounded amazing, right? Well, I’m standing there in this sketchy bathroom, completely drenched, watching my “waterproof” backpack leak all over my passport, and thinking maybe I should’ve just gone to Florida instead.

But man, I’m so glad I didn’t give up. Because what happened next completely changed how I think about travel. Once I stopped expecting perfection and started paying attention to what was actually happening around me, Costa Rica in November became this incredible adventure I never could’ve planned.

So if you’re thinking about going in November, listen up. I’m about to tell you stuff that no guidebook will mention, and it might just save your trip.

The Weather is Absolutely Insane (And I Mean That in the Best Way)

Okay, so everyone talks about November being “transition season.” What does that even mean? I had no clue until I lived through it.

Picture this: I wake up in Tamarindo on day three of my trip. It’s gorgeous – blue skies, gentle breeze, the whole postcard thing. I decide to skip sunscreen because hey, it’s not that hot, right? Four hours later, I’m practically glowing red. I mean, I looked ridiculous. My girlfriend back home laughed at my selfies for weeks.

The very next day, I drive to Monteverde. Same country, two hours away. I get out of the car and it’s 55 degrees and foggy. I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt, shivering like an idiot while other tourists are walking around in jackets. In November. In Central America. Who knew?

Then I hit the Caribbean coast, and wow. The humidity hits you like walking into a sauna. But not the relaxing kind – the kind where you can’t breathe and your clothes stick to you instantly.

Here’s what I figured out after getting caught off guard so many times:

The Pacific side beaches are weird in November. First couple weeks, you might get perfect beach days or random afternoon storms. There’s no pattern I could figure out. But after around November 15th? It’s like someone flipped a switch. Sunny every day, warm but not too hot, just perfect.

The Caribbean coast is its own thing entirely. It rains, but not like boring drizzle. More like these intense 20-minute downpours that cool everything off, then it’s beautiful again. And everything is so green it looks fake.

Mountain areas will mess with your packing list. I started bringing layers everywhere after freezing my butt off in cloud forests multiple times.

The worst part? I kept checking weather apps that were completely wrong. They’d say sunny, then I’d get soaked. They’d say rain, then I’d spend the day inside while it was gorgeous out. I finally gave up on weather forecasts and just started packing everything.

The Crowd Thing Makes Zero Sense Until You Experience It

This completely blew my mind. I show up expecting empty beaches because it’s supposed to be “off season,” right?

November 8th – I’m practically alone at Manuel Antonio. Like, I took photos where I’m the only person on the entire beach. It felt like having a private resort.

November 23rd – same beach, I can barely find a spot to sit down. Families everywhere, kids screaming, people taking Instagram photos every five feet. It was like a different planet.

What happened? Thanksgiving week, that’s what happened.

I had no idea that American families treat Thanksgiving week like spring break for adults. Apparently, if you have kids and disposable income, Costa Rica in late November is where you go. Who knew?

The crazy part is how fast everything changes. One day restaurants are begging you to come in, offering free appetizers and happy hour specials. A week later, you need reservations and they’ve jacked up all the prices.

I learned this lesson the expensive way. My hotel in Arenal went from $70 a night to $195 a night in the span of five days. Same room, same crappy WiFi, just suddenly way more expensive because they could get away with it.

If you want the real quiet experience, go early November. If you want guaranteed good weather and don’t mind crowds, go late November. But don’t expect both – that’s not how this works.

The Animal Stuff is Completely Crazy (In a Good Way)

I thought I understood wildlife until I saw what happens in Costa Rica in November.

First night at Ostional, this guy tells our group we might see “a few” sea turtles if we’re lucky. We walk down to the beach and there are literally hundreds of giant turtles crawling all over the place. I’m not exaggerating – it looked like something from a nature documentary, except I’m standing right there watching it happen.

These massive Olive Ridley turtles just keep coming out of the ocean, digging holes, laying eggs, covering them up, then heading back to the water. Over and over, all night long. I stood there for three hours and never got bored.

My guide said November is peak nesting season, and most tourists have no idea. If I’d come in July, I might have seen one turtle. Maybe.

The bird situation is equally nuts. I’m not really a bird person, but even I could tell something special was happening. At Manuel Antonio, I saw more colorful birds in one morning than I’ve seen in my entire life combined. These bright red macaws flying overhead, toucans making weird noises in the trees, tiny blue and yellow things darting around everywhere.

Turns out November is migration season, so you get all the regular birds plus visitors passing through. It’s like bird rush hour, except way cooler.

Here’s what I learned about timing: Morning tours are where it’s at. I booked three afternoon tours before I figured this out, and they were basically expensive walks through pretty forests. Animals are most active right after sunrise and before sunset. The midday tours are for people who like overpriced nature documentaries.

My hit rate for actually seeing stuff:

• Sea turtles at the right beaches: Saw them every single time
• Sloths: They’re everywhere if you know where to look
• Monkeys: Can’t avoid them even if you try
• Quetzals: Hit or miss, but when you see one, it’s incredible

Money Gets Weird Really Fast

Nobody warns you about this, and it seriously messed up my first trip budget.

I planned for “shoulder season” prices the whole month. That was stupid.

Early November feels like everything’s on sale. Hotels are practically giving away rooms, restaurants have happy hour specials, even tour companies offer discounts. I stayed at this beautiful place near Manuel Antonio for $55 a night that normally costs twice that.

Then around November 15th, prices start creeping back up. Nothing dramatic, just back to normal tourist rates.

But Thanksgiving week? It’s like someone declared martial law on pricing. Everything doubles overnight. That same hotel wanted $165 for the exact same room I’d paid $55 for two weeks earlier. The restaurant that gave me free chips and guac the week before suddenly had a “holiday surcharge” on everything.

I didn’t book ahead for Thanksgiving week because I figured I’d find something when I got there. Big mistake. Ended up paying almost $200 for a room that should’ve cost maybe $90, and that was after calling every hotel in town.

Here’s what actually works for saving money:

• Book your nice stuff for early November when everything’s cheap
• Eat at local places instead of tourist restaurants – the food’s better anyway and prices don’t change
• Use the bus system between towns – it’s comfortable and costs almost nothing
• Book expensive tours early in the month, do cheap activities during peak week

The exchange rate thing is weird too. Some places take dollars, some don’t, some give you terrible rates. I started getting colones from ATMs and it made everything easier.

Getting Around Will Test Your Patience

This almost killed my whole trip on day two.

I rented a regular car because the hotel website said “suitable for all vehicles.” What they meant was “suitable for all vehicles if your vehicle is a tank.”

The road to this eco-lodge near Monteverde was basically a creek bed with some rocks thrown in. I’m white-knuckling it up this insane hill, listening to my rental car scrape against rocks, wondering if my insurance covers “death by stupidity.”

We made it, but barely. The hotel owner just laughed when I told him about the drive. “Oh yeah, you really need 4-wheel drive this time of year,” he says. Thanks for mentioning that on your website, buddy.

Domestic flights are another adventure. The schedules make no sense in November. Some routes only fly three days a week, others get cancelled if not enough people book. I spent half a day in the San José airport waiting for a flight that never came.

Bus schedules change randomly too. The morning bus I was counting on to get to La Fortuna? Only runs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in November. Nobody told me this until I showed up at the bus station.

Some roads that look fine on Google Maps turn into off-road adventures after the rainy season. GPS will cheerfully send you down paths that require serious 4-wheel drive skills.

What I do now:

• Always rent 4WD if I’m going anywhere interesting
• Book flights way ahead and have backup plans
• Ask locals about road conditions, not hotel websites
• Build extra time into everything because stuff takes longer than expected

How to Actually Make November Work

After four November trips and way too many expensive lessons, here’s my honest breakdown:

First week: This is the secret sweet spot. Good deals everywhere, weather’s decent, hardly any crowds. Perfect if you’re flexible and don’t need everything to be perfect.

Second week: Weather gets more predictable, crowds are still light, prices haven’t gone crazy yet. This is when I go now.

Third week: Tourist season officially starts. Weather’s great, but you need reservations and prices jump.

Last week: Peak everything. Crowds, prices, guaranteed sunshine. Fine if you’re okay with paying premium for the full experience.

What I Actually Pack Now

After getting caught unprepared too many times:

Always bring:

• Rain jacket that actually works (not a cheap poncho)
• Clothes that dry fast – cotton is the enemy
• Real hiking boots and good sandals
• Layers for when temperatures change randomly
• Waterproof bag for phone and passport

Don’t bother with:

• Heavy rain gear (overkill and takes up too much space)
• Lots of warm clothes (you won’t need them)
• Anything expensive you’d be devastated to lose

The Truth About November in Costa Rica

Look, I’m not gonna lie to you – November in Costa Rica isn’t the easy vacation some people make it sound like. It’s unpredictable, sometimes frustrating, and definitely keeps you guessing.

But that’s exactly why I keep going back in November.

Yeah, the weather’s all over the place. The crowds make no sense. Prices jump around like crazy. And getting from point A to point B can be an adventure in itself.

But here’s the thing – some of my best travel memories come from the days when nothing went according to plan. That gas station bathroom breakdown I mentioned at the beginning? It happened because I’d gotten completely lost trying to find this waterfall that wasn’t where my map said it was. But asking for directions led me to this tiny local restaurant where I had the best meal of my entire trip.

The afternoon I got soaked in that random downpour in Monteverde? I ducked into this coffee shop and ended up talking to this elderly Costa Rican guy for two hours about his family’s coffee farm. He invited me over the next day, and I got this amazing behind-the-scenes tour you can’t book anywhere.

November in Costa Rica isn’t about having a perfect, Instagram-worthy vacation. It’s about rolling with the punches and discovering that sometimes the best stuff happens when your plans fall apart.

My advice? Stop trying to control everything. Pack for weird weather. Expect prices to be all over the place. Build flexibility into your schedule. And remember that the stories you’ll tell for years usually come from the days when everything went sideways.

So what’s your take? Been to Costa Rica in November? Planning a trip? I’d love to hear your stories – especially the disasters that turned into adventures. Drop a comment below and let’s compare notes!