Destination guide · Central America
Costa Rica: when to go, is it safe, what it costs from Omaha.
Costa Rica in plain numbers: the U.S. State Department has it at Level 2 (exercise increased caution) as of 2026-04-01; the driest stretch in the 25-year NASA record is February, January and March; flights from Omaha land at LIR or SJO. Every figure below names its source and the day it was checked (2026-10-30), so you can plan instead of guess.
Photo: Ann Lane
Who Costa Rica suits
Costa Rica runs warm all year (84–96°F highs) with May, June, July, August, September, October and November the wet exception. Fares from Omaha swing $534 between seasons ($346–$880 to LIR), which rewards flexible dates.
Quick facts
- Country
- Costa Rica
- Airports from OMA
- LIR, SJO
- Climate point
- Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica (Pacific coast)
- Advisory
- Level 2 · 2026-04-01
- Driest
- February, January and March
- Wettest
- October and September
When to go
Costa Rica by month: February leads for dry days
Start with rainfall: February at 0.1 in, January at 0.2 in, March at 0.3 in are the three driest months at Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica (Pacific coast), while October (13.4 in) and September (12.5 in) carry the most rain in a year that totals roughly 73.2 inches.
Heat is the other half. Highs span 84°F to 96°F across the year; December combine a 72–90°F high with a dry month, and January, February, March, April and May run hotter than 90°F.
Hurricane season runs June through November here; Costa Rica's wettest peak-season month is October at 13.4 in. Season dates and how Ann handles them: /how-we-source-data.
Swipe for more columns.
| Month | High / low | Rain | Humidity | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90° / 74°F | 0.2" | 70% | 13 mph |
| Feb | 94° / 74°F | 0.1" | 63% | 13 mph |
| Mar | 96° / 75°F | 0.3" | 59% | 12 mph |
| Apr | 96° / 77°F | 1.5" | 61% | 9 mph |
| May | 91° / 78°F | 9.9" | 73% | 7 mph |
| Jun | 86° / 77°F | 10.3" | 84% | 6 mph |
| Jul | 87° / 77°F | 7.3" | 82% | 7 mph |
| Aug | 87° / 77°F | 8.7" | 81% | 6 mph |
| Sep | 86° / 77°F | 12.5" | 84% | 5 mph |
| Oct | 84° / 76°F | 13.4" | 87% | 6 mph |
| Nov | 84° / 75°F | 8.3" | 85% | 8 mph |
| Dec | 87° / 74°F | 0.7" | 79% | 11 mph |
Highlighted: dry and in the 72–90°F band. NASA POWER, Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica (Pacific coast).
Getting there from Omaha
Omaha to LIR, four seasons priced
Season moves the fare more than the airline does: $346 in spring (mid-april) against $880 in fall (mid-september) on the OMA–LIR search, with American/Delta cheapest when we looked.
Compare all Omaha departuresFlights from Omaha (OMA), lowest found by season
To LIR (Daniel Oduber Quiros International, Liberia (Guanacaste))$346–$880 round trip across the seasons checked
- Winter (mid-January) · Jan 16, 2027–Jan 23, 2027$701American, 2 stops via ORD/MIA, 16h 41m out
- Spring (mid-April) · Apr 17, 2027–Apr 24, 2027$346American + Delta, 1 stop via DFW, 9h 21m out
- Summer (mid-July) · Jul 17, 2027–Jul 24, 2027$656American, 1 stop via DFW, 18h 56m out
- Fall (mid-September) · Sep 18, 2027–Sep 25, 2027$880American Airlines, 1 stop via DFW, 22h 07m out
Oct–Nov 2027: not published by airlines when checked.
To SJO (Juan Santamaria International, San Jose)$691–$711 round trip across the seasons checked
- Winter (mid-January) · Jan 16, 2027–Jan 23, 2027$703Delta + United, 1 stop via ORD, 17h 39m out
- Spring (mid-April) · Apr 17, 2027–Apr 24, 2027$691Southwest, 1 stop via HOU, 7h 00m out
- Summer (mid-July) · Jul 17, 2027–Jul 24, 2027$711Southwest, 1 stop via BNA, 7h 50m out
- Fall (mid-September) · Sep 18, 2027–Sep 25, 2027$711American, 1 stop via DFW, 8h 27m out
Oct–Nov 2027: not published by airlines when checked.
Observed Oct 30, 2026; not quotes. Method.
Safety & entry
Before you go: Level 2 and your passport
U.S. State Department travel advisory
Level 2: exercise increased caution in Costa Rica because of crime.
Advisory updated 2026-04-01.
Full Costa Rica advisory · State Dept API, 2026-10-30.
Passport & entry for U.S. citizens
- Passport
- Required. Valid for the period of the stay (undamaged)
- “Passport must be valid for the period of the stay.”
- Online entry form
- No online pre-arrival form is listed on the State Dept Costa Rica page (guidance issued September 04, 2026).
| VisaNo visa for stays under 180 days; return ticket required; the stay length is set by immigration and not guaranteed |
State Dept Costa Rica page, guidance September 04, 2026.
Ann has been
Costa Rica, in Ann's words
Ann has been. "The best food I have ever eaten outside of the country .. beside our personal chef we had in Costa Rica ."
Ann has featured it: "Las Catalinas, COSTA RICA Starting price: $550 night = ONLY $184 per room/night"
Costa Rica is a two-part trip more often than a beach-only one: jungle or reef first, then sand. Ann builds the route, the internal transfers and the villa or lodge nights, and books flights from Omaha through InteleTravel.
Ann has visited Costa Rica twice: first staying in La Fortuna and visiting Jacó Beach and Manuel Antonio, then staying in the Quepos and Manuel Antonio area.
From Ann's own camera roll
Costa Rica month by month
Twelve dashboards, one per month.
Costa Rica questions
Costa Rica: best month to go?
Is Costa Rica safe to visit right now?
Costa Rica entry: passport, visa, forms
Costa Rica airfare from OMA by season
From Ann
Want Costa Rica priced for your dates?
Give Ann your dates and who is coming; she prices the LIR flights, the stay and the transfers.
Photo: Ann Lane · Data 2026-10-31 · How we source the numbers