New Years in Costa Rica

New Year’s Eve is one of the most celebrated holidays around the world. It’s all about new starts, sharing with the ones you love and receiving the next year with a big smile and positive attitude. There is no doubt that we all know how to celebrate this holiday!

Costa Rica, like the rest of the world, has several new years traditions. You might find some of them odd, but they will certainly surprise you! Wearing colored underwear will make you attract different things for the upcoming year. For example, yellow will bring you good luck, red will bring you love and green attracts money. Some people discard the colored underwear and tie-up ribbons of the same colors on the front door to attract the same things. Another well-known tradition for good luck is eating 12 grapes at midnight, each one stands for one month of the upcoming year. Some keep the tradition of throwing water over their shoulders several times during midnight to erase old memories and be ready for fresh ones.

Another common tradition is spending the week at the beautiful beaches with family, friends, or both. Most people tend to rent homes or condos close to the populated areas to have access to the best beaches and to the modern amenities. This is the peak season for the Pacific Coast since summer is hitting in. Expect big lines of cars if you are traveling from San Jose to the shore. Nevertheless, the traffic will be worth it once you lay back in the sand listening to the ocean during the sunset. Guanacaste and Puntarenas are two of the most recurrent places to visit during this season.

Guanacaste is home to some of the biggest local and foreign tourism during these months. Here you will find well-known areas to stay. We recommend you Tamarindo, Hacienda Pinilla, Reserva Conchal, Las Catalinas, Flamingo, or places nearby… These are centric places, where you can rent any type of property like private homes, villas, condos or even penthouses. Also, you will have direct access to the beach, restaurants, stores, tours, groceries, and more. Guanacaste is also home to the renown parties of New Year’s Eve. Parties start from December 26th and end during the first week of January. These celebrations are formal parties at the beach, they can be during the evening or at night, but all of them include amazing decorations, masquerades, famous DJ’s, plenty of surprises, and the most beautiful fireworks that will be reflected in the sea.

If you have never spent a vacation in the tropics, Costa Rica will surprise you. During this festive period, you will find the streets full of joy, decorations, and everyone will have a smile on their face. Celebrations for New Year’s happen all around the country.